Employee compensation as share of government spending in Malta
Malta: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 26.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Malta, 1972–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2023, employee compensation as share of government spending in Malta stood at 26.9%. That is the lowest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Malta peaked at 42.8% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 26.9%, in 2023.
That places Malta 71st out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Malta, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 35.3% | — |
| 1973 | 39.0% | +10.4% |
| 1974 | 32.5% | -16.7% |
| 1975 | 40.0% | +23.3% |
| 1976 | 41.1% | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 38.6% | -6.0% |
| 1978 | 39.7% | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 42.8% | +7.9% |
| 1981 | 41.1% | -4.1% |
| 1982 | 36.0% | -12.4% |
| 1983 | 38.5% | +7.0% |
| 1984 | 37.7% | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 39.0% | +3.6% |
| 1986 | 39.4% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 40.6% | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 39.1% | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 37.5% | -4.1% |
| 1990 | 34.7% | -7.5% |
| 1991 | 33.4% | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 37.3% | +11.8% |
| 1993 | 40.0% | +7.2% |
| 1994 | 39.9% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 37.6% | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 36.9% | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 34.9% | -5.3% |
| 1998 | 35.5% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 33.9% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 32.8% | -3.5% |
| 2001 | 35.0% | +6.8% |
| 2002 | 34.8% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 31.8% | -8.6% |
| 2004 | 32.9% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 32.0% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 30.9% | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 30.6% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 32.0% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 31.9% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 31.2% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 30.8% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 30.6% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 30.6% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 30.8% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 30.7% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 31.5% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 31.8% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 30.4% | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 30.7% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 27.1% | -11.8% |
| 2021 | 27.9% | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 27.2% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 26.9% | -1.0% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 26.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 1.4× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Malta's 26.9% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.5%, 78% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 38.0% | 32.5% | 41.1% | 7 |
| 1980s | 39.2% | 36.0% | 42.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 36.4% | 33.4% | 40.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.5% | 30.6% | 35.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.9% | 30.4% | 31.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.3% | 26.9% | 27.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More work & labour data for Malta
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.8118 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7863 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.8415 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.2041 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 404.95 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14.3 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 168.51 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 191.42 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 359.93 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Malta?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Malta was 26.9% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 42.8% in 1980.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.9% in 2023.
- How does Malta rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Malta ranks 71st out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.