History of Malta in Timeline

Malta is a Southern European island country situated in the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and North Africa. The archipelago lies 80 km south of Italy, 284 km east of Tunisia, and 333 km north of Libya. Its official languages are Maltese and English. Valletta is the capital city, recognized as the smallest capital in the EU in terms of both area and population.

1905: Establishment of Public Transport

In 1905, buses were established as the primary method of public transport in Malta.

1915: Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean

Between 1915 and 1918, during the First World War, Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean due to the large number of wounded soldiers accommodated there.

1918: Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean

Between 1915 and 1918, during the First World War, Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean due to the large number of wounded soldiers accommodated there.

June 1919: Sette Giugno riots

On 7 June 1919, the Maltese public rioted in response to a cost-of-living crisis, resulting in British troops suppressing the riots and killing four people. The event is known as Sette Giugno.

1934: Italian language official status ends

In 1934, the Italian language lost its official status in Malta.

1937: Royal Navy fleet headquarters moved to Alexandria

In 1937, the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet headquarters was moved from Valletta to Alexandria, Egypt, out of fear that it was too susceptible to air attacks from Europe.

April 1942: George Cross awarded to Malta

On April 15, 1942, King George VI awarded the George Cross to Malta on a collective basis for the bravery of the Maltese people during the second siege of Malta.

1946: Assisted Passage Scheme

Between 1946 and the late-1970s, over 140,000 people left Malta on the assisted passage scheme.

1946: Compulsory Primary Schooling

Since 1946, primary schooling has been compulsory in Malta.

1948: Assisted Emigration Program

Between 1948 and 1967, 30 percent of the Maltese population emigrated with assistance from Malta's Emigration Department.

1960: Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world

From 1960 to 1995, Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world (and the highest for nations without mandatory voting), based on election turnout in national lower house elections.

September 1964: Malta achieved independence as the State of Malta

On September 21, 1964, Malta achieved its independence as the State of Malta, initially retaining Elizabeth II as Queen of Malta.

1964: Malta achieved independence

In 1964, Malta achieved its independence and became the State of Malta.

1967: Assisted Emigration Program

Between 1948 and 1967, 30 percent of the Maltese population emigrated with assistance from Malta's Emigration Department.

1971: Compulsory Secondary Education

In 1971, secondary education up to the age of sixteen was made compulsory in Malta.

1971: Malta Labour Party won the general elections

In 1971, the Malta Labour Party led by Dom Mintoff won the general elections, resulting in Malta declaring itself a republic on 13 December 1974.

1972: Defence agreement re-negotiated

In 1972, a defence agreement was re-negotiated, after one was signed soon after independence, and expired on 31 March 1979.

1972: Introduction of the Maltese Lira

In 1972, the Maltese lira was introduced as the currency of Malta.

April 1974: Air Malta Established

From April 1974, Air Malta was the national airline, operating services to 22 destinations in Europe and North Africa.

December 1974: Malta declared itself a republic

On December 13, 1974, Malta declared itself a republic within the Commonwealth.

1974: Malta established its current parliamentary republic

In 1974, Malta established its current parliamentary republic.

March 1979: British base closed

On March 31, 1979, the British base in Malta closed, and the lands formerly controlled by the British were given to the Maltese government.

1979: Country intensified participation in the Non-Aligned Movement

In 1979, after the departure of the remaining British troops, the country intensified its participation in the Non-Aligned Movement.

1980: Malta adopted a policy of neutrality

In 1980, Malta adopted a policy of neutrality and three of Malta's sites, including the capital Valletta, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

1983: New Apostolic Church Congregation

In 1983, a New Apostolic Church congregation was founded in Gwardamangia.

1985: Population Growth

Between the 1985 and 1995 censuses, population growth was +9.5 per cent.

1989: Malta was the venue of a summit

In 1989, Malta was the venue of a summit between US President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which signalled the end of the Cold War.

1990: Registered Cars in Malta

In 1990, there were 182,254 registered cars in Malta, giving an automobile density of 577/km.

March 1992: Malta International Airport inaugurated

On March 25, 1992, Malta International Airport was inaugurated and became fully operational, boosting the local aircraft and tourism industry.

1992: Delimara Power Station built

In 1992, a new power station was built on the Delimara peninsula in Marsaxlokk.

1993: Local government system established

In 1993, Malta established a system of local government based on the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

1995: Population Growth

Between the 1995 and 2005 censuses, population growth was +6.9 per cent.

1995: Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world

From 1960 to 1995, Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world (and the highest for nations without mandatory voting), based on election turnout in national lower house elections.

1996: Shift from coal for electricity generation

Until 1996, Malta relied on coal for electricity generation.

March 2003: Referendum on joining the European Union

On March 8, 2003, a referendum on joining the European Union was held, with 53.65% voting in favor.

December 2003: Paved Roads

As of December 2003, Malta has 1,972 km of paved roads, making up 87.5 percent of the total road network.

2003: Jewish Community Size

In 2003, the Jewish community in Malta was estimated to be 120 persons.

2003: Malta International Fireworks Festival established

Since 2003, the Malta International Fireworks Festival has been arranged annually in the Grand Harbour of Valletta.

May 2004: Malta joined the European Union

In May 2004, Malta joined the European Union, having privatized some state-controlled firms and liberalized markets in preparation.

2004: Malta joined the European Union

In 2004, Malta joined the European Union.

2004: Maltese-Resident Population in 2004

In 2004, the Maltese-resident population was estimated to make up 97.0 per cent of the total resident population. The natural population increase was 835.

2004: Malta Joins the EU

Since Malta joined the EU in 2004, expatriate communities emerged in a number of European countries.

May 2005: Malta Enters ERM II

On May 4, 2005, the Maltese government entered ERM II (Exchange Rate Mechanism II) as a step towards adopting the Euro.

2005: Population Age Distribution

As of 2005, 17 percent of Malta's population was aged 14 and under, 68 percent were within the 15–64 age bracket whilst the remaining 13 percent were 65 years and over. Malta's population density was 1,282 per square km.

2005: Population Growth Slowdown

Between the 1995 and 2005 censuses, population growth slowed to +6.9 per cent (a yearly average of +0.7 per cent). Malta's old-age-dependency-ratio rose from 17.2 percent in 1995 to 19.8 percent in 2005.

2005: Increase in Foreign-Born Population

Since the early 21st century Malta has seen a significant increase in net migration; the foreign-born population has grown nearly eightfold between 2005 and 2020.

2006: State Schools Organization

As of 2006, state schools in Malta are organised into networks known as Colleges.

May 2007: Traditional Maltese wedding in Żurrieq

In May 2007, thousands of Maltese and tourists attended a traditional Maltese wedding in the style of the 16th century, in Żurrieq.

2007: Mater Dei hospital opened

In 2007, Malta's primary hospital, Mater Dei, opened. It has one of the largest medical buildings in Europe.

2007: Isle of MTV festival begins

The Isle of MTV, a one-day music festival produced and broadcast by MTV, has been arranged annually in Malta since 2007.

January 2008: Malta joined the Eurozone

On January 1, 2008, Malta joined the eurozone.

2008: International Schools

As of 2008, there are two international schools in Malta, Verdala International School and QSI Malta.

2008: Malta joined the eurozone monetary union

In 2008, Malta joined the eurozone monetary union.

2008: Introduction of the Euro

In 2008, the Euro was introduced as the currency of Malta.

2009: Mobile penetration exceeds 100%

By the end of 2009, the mobile penetration rate in Malta exceeded 100%.

July 2010: European Court of Human Rights Ruling

In July 2010, the European Court of Human Rights found that Malta's detention of migrants was arbitrary and in breach of its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

2010: Maltese most generous people

A 2010 Charities Aid Foundation study found that the Maltese were the most generous people in the world, with 83% contributing to charity.

May 2011: Referendum on divorce legislation

On May 28, 2011, Malta voted in favor of divorce legislation in a referendum.

July 2011: Bus service reform

In July 2011, Malta's bus service underwent extensive reform. The management transitioned from self-employed drivers with their own vehicles to a single company operating through a public tender, which was won by Arriva Malta.

2011: Census counts

For reference the 2011 census counts 139,583 households in Malta.

2012: System reforms

Due to system reforms, no elections were held before 2012.

2012: Births to Unmarried Women

In 2012, 25.8 percent of births in Malta were to unmarried women.

2012: Isle of MTV festival

In 2012, the Isle of MTV featured performances by Flo Rida, Nelly Furtado, and Will.i.am, drawing over 50,000 attendees.

2012: National Fibre to the Home network called for

In early 2012, the government called for a national Fibre to the Home (FttH) network to be built, upgrading minimum broadband service from 4 Mbit/s to 100 Mbit/s.

2012: Pay TV subscriptions

The Malta Communications Authority reported that there were 147,896 pay TV subscriptions active at the end of 2012.

2013: Corruption increased since the Labour Party returned to power

Corruption, money laundering, and government maladministration in Malta have significantly increased since the Labour Party returned to power in 2013.

2013: Founding of Chabad Jewish Centre

In 2013, the Chabad Jewish Centre in Malta was founded.

2013: The Labour Party has been the governing party

Since 2013, the Labour Party has been the governing party in Malta.

January 2014: Arriva ceases operations

In January 2014, Arriva ceased operations in Malta due to financial difficulties, leading to nationalization as Malta Public Transport.

January 2014: Citizenship Program Start

In January 2014, Malta started granting citizenship for a €650,000 contribution plus investments, contingent on residence and criminal background checks.

October 2014: Alsa becomes preferred bus operator

In October 2014, the government selected Autobuses Urbanos de León (Alsa subsidiary) as the preferred bus operator for the country.

2014: Last snowfall recorded

In 2014, the last snowfall was recorded in Malta.

2014: Atheist and Agnostic Population

The number of atheists has doubled from 2014 to 2018.

2015: Delimara Power Station used oil

Originally, in 2015, the Delimara Power Station used oil for electricity generation. Also since 2015, the Malta–Sicily interconnector allows Malta to be connected to the European power grid and import a significant share of its electricity.

2015: Freedom of Thought Report

The 2015 edition of the annual Freedom of Thought Report from the International Humanist and Ethical Union, asserted Malta was in the category of "severe discrimination".

2016: Shift in Discrimination Category

In 2016, following the abolishment of blasphemy law, Malta was shifted to the category of "systematic discrimination".

2016: Total Fertility Rate

In 2016, the total fertility rate (TFR) in Malta was estimated at 1.45 children born/woman.

2017: Delimara Power Station converted to LNG

In 2017, the Delimara Power Station was converted to LNG.

2018: First Esports tournament hosted

In 2018, Malta hosted its first Esports tournament, 'Supernova CS:GO Malta', a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament.

2018: National Development and Social Fund Income

In 2018, the National Development and Social Fund from the Individual Investor Programme, also known as the "citizenship scheme", added 432,000,000 euro to the government of Malta's budget.

2018: Life Expectancy

In 2018, the life expectancy in Malta was estimated at 83 years.

2018: National Museum of Art, MUŻA, opens

In 2018, the national collection of fine arts was put on display in the new National Museum of Art, MUŻA, at Auberge d'Italie in Valletta.

2018: Atheist and Agnostic Population

The number of atheists has doubled from 2014 to 2018.

June 2019: Ryanair invests in Malta Air

In June 2019, Ryanair invested in a fully-fledged airline subsidiary called Malta Air, operating a low-cost model, with the Government of Malta holding one share.

2019: Eurobarometer Survey

According to a 2019 Eurobarometer survey, 83% of the population in Malta identified as Catholic.

2019: English Language Students

In 2019, Malta attracted over 83,000 students to study the English language.

2019: Record Year in Tourism

In 2019, Malta experienced a record year for tourism, with over 2.1 million tourists visiting the island.

2019: Jewish Community Size

In 2019, the Jewish community in Malta gathered around 150 persons.

January 2020: Robert Abela became Prime Minister

On 13 January 2020, Robert Abela became Prime Minister of Malta.

September 2020: Amnesty International Criticism

On September 8, 2020, Amnesty International criticized Malta for "illegal tactics" in the Mediterranean, against immigrants who were attempting to cross from North Africa.

2020: Functional Urban Area and metropolitan region covered the whole island

According to data from 2020 by Eurostat, the Functional Urban Area and metropolitan region covered the whole island and has a population of 480,134.

2020: Malta signed and ratified the UN treaty

In 2020, Malta signed and ratified the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

2020: Increase in Foreign-Born Population

Since the early 21st century Malta has seen a significant increase in net migration; the foreign-born population has grown nearly eightfold between 2005 and 2020.

2021: Main Languages Spoken From Early Childhood

According to the 2021 census, main languages spoken from early childhood were the following.

2021: Eastern Orthodox Christians in Malta

According to the 2021 census, there are 16,457 Eastern Orthodox Christians in Malta.

2021: Malta Metro planned

As of 2021, plans were underway for an underground Malta Metro system, with a projected total cost of €6.2 billion.

2021: 2021 Census Results

As of the 2021 census, Maltese-born natives make up the majority of the island with 386,280 people out of a total population of 519,562. The largest minorities by birthplace were from the United Kingdom, Italy, India, Philippines, and Serbia.

2021: Population of the Maltese Islands

In 2021, the population of the Maltese Islands stood at 519,562.

2021: Muslim Population

The 2021 census recorded 17,454 Muslims in Malta, of which 1,746 were Maltese citizens.

October 2022: Free bus system for residents

From October 2022, the bus system became free of charge for residents of Malta.

November 2022: Government proposed a bill

On 21 November 2022, the Maltese government led by the Labour Party proposed a bill that introduces a new clause into the country's criminal code allowing for the termination of a pregnancy if the mother's life is at risk or if her health is in serious jeopardy.

2022: Language Knowledge

In 2022, Malta National Statistics Office states that 90 percent of the Maltese population has at least a basic knowledge of Maltese, 96 percent of English, 62 percent of Italian, and 20 percent of French.

June 2023: The bill passed in June 2023

In June 2023, the bill proposed on 21 November 2022 allowing for the termination of a pregnancy if the mother's life is at risk or if her health is in serious jeopardy, passed with amendments restricting the exception to situations where the woman's life is at risk.

2023: Second highest monthly total in May 2025

In May 2025, Maltese real estate sales totaled over €320 million, the second highest monthly total since 2023.

March 2024: End of Air Malta operations

On 30 March 2024, Air Malta's operations ceased. The owners of Air Malta were the Government of Malta (98 percent) and private investors (2 percent).

March 2024: KM Malta Airlines takes over

On 31 March 2024, KM Malta Airlines took over as the national airline of Malta, inheriting assets and staff from Air Malta and operating services to 18 destinations in Europe.

March 2024: Myriam Spiteri Debono elected President

On March 27, 2024, Myriam Spiteri Debono was elected President of Malta by members of parliament.

2024: Maltese nominal GDP per capita stood at €39,350

According to Eurostat data, in 2024, Maltese nominal GDP per capita stood at €39,350, 9% higher than the EU average.

2024: Malta had 0.42 global hectares of biocapacity per person

In 2024, Malta had 0.42 global hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory.

2024: Malta's Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, Malta was ranked 29th in the Global Innovation Index.

February 2025: Malta dropped to its lowest ever ranking

According to Transparency International, in February 2025, Malta dropped to its lowest ever ranking of 65th place.

April 2025: European Court of Justice Ruling

On 29 April 2025, the European Court of Justice ruled that Malta may no longer sell citizenship through its ‘golden passports’ scheme.

May 2025: Maltese real estate sales totaled over €320 million

In May 2025, Maltese real estate sales totaled over €320 million, the second highest monthly total since 2023.

2030: Renewable generation share target

By 2030, there are efforts to boost the renewable generation share to 25% by leveraging offshore platforms and battery storage.

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