The established Blue Economy sectors in Malta directly employ 18.9 thousand people and generate approx. €591 million in GVA (2021). The Maltese Blue Economy sectors represent an important share of the national economy, contributing by approx. 4.2% to national GVA and 7.1% to national employment.
The size and share of the Blue Economy in Malta has been growing steadily between 2009 and 2019, reaching 32 thousand people (12.8% of national employment) and more than €1 billion in GVA (8% of national GVA) prior to the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic hit the Maltese Blue Economy particularly hard, comparatively more than other segments of the economy. Both employment and GVA shrank by approx. 60% in 2020, to their lowest levels since 2009 and 2012, respectively. Once the peak of the COVID- 2021 was overcome, the Blue Economy embarked on a recovery path, registering a 60% year-on-year increase in employment and a 40% growth in GVA.
The Maltese Blue Economy is dominated by Coastal tourism, representing 43% of the entire GVA of the national Blue Economy and 71% of its workforce. The second largest Blue Economy sector of the country is Maritime transport, contributing with 28% and 21% to GVA and employment, respectively. The second largest Blue Economy sector in the country is Port activities, with a share of 20% of the national Blue Economy GVA and 9% of its workforce. Next is Marine living resources, representing nearly 20% of the national Blue Economy GVA and 11% of its employment.
Text description of images at the bottom of the page
Malta has one dedicated container terminal, mainly an important transhipment hub in the centre of the Mediterranean. This is the Malta Freeport Terminal, in the Port of Marsaxlokk. Containers are also handled in the Grand Harbour (Port of Valletta) through the ro-ro vessels calling Malta. In total, both ports handle approximately 3.3 million tonnes of containerized cargo per year (2021), with 85% of local imports pass thorugh Malta Freeport .Malta Freeport also has a bunkering operating company, EVOS Malta Ltd. It also offers the services of blending and heating of storage oils and fuels. EVOS has 25 storage tanks with a capacity of 568,399cbm. The Grand Harbour (Port of Valletta) mainly handles general cargo and bulk cargo.
The Port of Mgarr on the island of Gozo is the 8th largest in the EU in terms of passengers (nearly 4.5 million/year). Passengers calling Mgarr arrive mainly from Cirkewwa Port through the inter-island conventional ferry service and from the Grand Harbour (Port of Valletta) through the inter-island fast ferry service. Additionally, there is the only dedicate cruise liner terminal, the Valletta Waterfront Cruise Port within the Grand Harbour (Port of Valletta) where cruise ships call the Maltese islands. (2021 data).
The Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects coordinates Malta’s Integrated Maritime Policy.
Other national sources of information on the Maltese Blue Economy are:
- Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights: Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
- Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights: Aquatic Resources Malta
- Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Regeneration of the Grand Harbour
For more national level data, please visit the Dashboards section within the EU Blue Economy Observatory, where you can also find information about Educational and Employment opportunities in the Blue Economy sectors.
Figure 1: Malta: Evolution of the Blue Economy Established Sectors (2021)
This figure consists of two pie charts that illustrate key aspects of Malta's Blue Economy in 2021.
- Left Pie Chart: This chart represents the percentage of employment across various established sectors within the Blue Economy. Each sector is depicted as a segment of the pie, with the size of each segment corresponding to its share of total employment. For example, if the segment for "Coastal Tourism" occupies a larger portion, it indicates a higher percentage of employment in that sector compared to others.
- Right Pie Chart: This chart shows the percentage of Gross Value Added (GVA) for each established sector. Similar to the left chart, each segment reflects the contribution of that sector to the overall GVA of the Blue Economy. A larger segment signifies a greater economic impact from that sector.
Together, these charts provide a visual representation of both employment distribution and economic contribution within Malta's Blue Economy, highlighting the sectors that play significant roles in both areas.
Figure 2: Malta: Evolution of the Blue Economy established sectors (2009-2021)
This figure consists of two tables that illustrate the evolution of established sectors within the Blue Economy in Malta from 2009 to 2021.
First table:
- Structure: The first table has 11 rows and 14 columns.
- Column Overview:
- First Column: Lists the established sectors of the Blue Economy, from row 2 to row 10.
- Columns 2 to 14: Display the number of persons employed (in thousands) for each year from 2009 to 2021.
- First Row: Contains the headers, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- Last Row: Contains the percentage of national jobs attributed to each sector for each year.
- Structure: The second table mirrors the first, also containing 11 rows and 14 columns.
Second table:
- Column Overview:
- First Column: Again lists the established sectors of the Blue Economy, from row 2 to row 10.
- Columns 2 to 14: Present the Gross Value Added (GVA) for each year (in million euros, M€) from 2009 to 2021.
- First Row: Contains the headers, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- Last Row: Displays the percentage of national GVA for each sector for each year.
Figure 3: Malta: Evolution of the Employment by Blue Economy Activity (2009-2021) - Persons employed
This table provides a comprehensive overview of employment trends in Malta's Blue Economy from 2009 to 2021. It consists of 44 rows and 16 columns, with the first row serving as the header that outlines the content of each column, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- The first three columns include:
- Blue Economy Sector
- Sub-Sector
- Activity
- The next 13 columns display the number of persons employed in each activity for each year from 2009 to 2021. Each cell in these columns contains numerical data representing the employment figures for that specific activity and year.
- The last row (row 44) the last row of the table summarises the total number of persons employed for each year, providing a clear overview of employment trends across the entire Blue Economy.
Overall, this table encompasses 7 sectors, 13 sub-sectors, and 42 activities, making it a valuable resource for analysing how employment in Blue Economy has evolved over the specified period in the specific country.
Figure 4: Malta: Evolution of the GVA by Blue Economy Activity (2009-2021) - M€"
This figure provides a comprehensive overview of the Gross Value Added (GVA) across various activities within the Blue Economy. It consists of 44 rows and 16 columns with the first row serving as the header that outlines the content of each column, namely: the title followed by the years from 2009 to 2021, one for each column.
- The first three columns include:
- Blue Economy Sector
- Sub-Sector
- Activity
- The next 13 columns display the GVA values for each activity from 2009 to 2021.
- The last row (row 44) summarises the totals for each year.
The table encompasses 7 sectors, 13 sub-sectors, and 42 activities, allowing for a detailed analysis of how the GVA has evolved over the specified years. This structured format facilitates comparisons across different sectors and activities, highlighting trends and changes within the Blue Economy in Malta.