History of Malta in Timeline

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe situated in the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and North Africa. The archipelago lies 80 km south of Italy. Its official languages are Maltese and English. Valletta is the capital city, and is the smallest capital in the EU by area and population.

1905: Establishment of Public Transport

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

1915: 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 who were accommodated there.

1918: 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 who were accommodated there.

June 1919: Sette Giugno riots

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

1934: Italian language status change

In 1934, the Italian language lost its official status in Malta, after having it since 1530.

1937: Royal Navy fleet headquarters moved

In 1937, the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet headquarters was moved from Valletta to Alexandria, Egypt, due to concerns about air attacks.

April 1942: George Cross awarded to Malta

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

1946: Start of 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: Assistance with emigration costs

Post Second World War, starting in 1948, Malta's Emigration Department assisted emigrants with the cost of their travel.

1960: High Voter Turnout

Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world from 1960 to 1995, based on election turnout in national lower house elections.

September 1964: Independence Day

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

1964: Independence achieved

In 1964, Malta achieved independence and retained Elizabeth II as Queen, with a governor-general exercising executive authority.

1967: End of period of high emigration

Between 1948 and 1967, 30 percent of the population emigrated from Malta.

1971: Compulsory secondary education

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

1971: Malta Labour Party win

In 1971, the Malta Labour Party won the general elections, leading to Malta declaring itself a republic in 1974.

1972: Defence agreement renegotiated

In 1972, a defence agreement signed soon after independence was re-negotiated.

1972: Introduction of 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, based at Malta International Airport and operated services to 22 destinations in Europe and North Africa.

December 1974: Republic Day

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

1974: Republic established

In 1974, Malta declared itself a republic within the Commonwealth.

March 1979: Freedom Day

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

1979: Departure of remaining British troops

In 1979, the remaining British troops departed from Malta, leading the country to intensify its participation in the Non-Aligned Movement.

1980: Neutrality Policy

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

1983: New Apostolic Church Congregation Founded

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

1985: Population Growth Between 1985 and 1995

Between the 1985 and 1995 censuses, population growth was at +9.5%.

1989: Bush-Gorbachev summit

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

1990: Car ownership in Malta

In 1990, there were 182,254 registered cars in Malta, resulting in an automobile density of 577 cars per square kilometer.

March 1992: Airport Inauguration

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

1992: New power station built

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

1993: Local government established

Since 1993, Malta has had a system of local government, based on the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

1995: Population Census and Old-Age-Dependency-Ratio

In 1995, the population growth slowed down and Malta's old-age-dependency-ratio rose to 17.2%.

1995: High Voter Turnout

Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world from 1960 to 1995, based on election turnout in national lower house elections.

1996: End of coal reliance for electricity

Malta relied on coal for electricity generation until 1996.

March 2003: EU Referendum

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

December 2003: Paved Roads in Malta

As of December 2003, Malta had 1,972 kilometers of paved roads, representing 87.5% of its total road network.

2003: Jewish Community Size

In 2003, the Jewish community in Malta was estimated to be 120, with 80 active members.

2003: First Malta International Fireworks Festival

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

May 2004: Joined European Union

In preparation for Malta's membership in the European Union, which it joined on May 1, 2004, it privatised some state-controlled firms and liberalised markets.

2004: Joined European Union

In 2004, Malta joined the European Union.

2004: Population Estimate

In 2004, the Maltese-resident population was estimated to make up 97.0% of the total resident population.

2004: Malta joins the EU

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

May 2005: Malta enters ERM II

On May 4, 2005, the Maltese government entered the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II).

2005: Population Age Distribution

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

2005: Population Census and Old-Age-Dependency-Ratio

In 2005, the population growth slowed down, and Malta's old-age-dependency-ratio rose to 19.8%.

2005: Increase in Net Migration

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 organised into Colleges

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

May 2007: Traditional Maltese wedding in Żurrieq

A resurgent interest in the traditional wedding was evident in May 2007, when thousands of Maltese and tourists attended a traditional Maltese wedding in the style of the 16th century, in Żurrieq.

2007: First Isle of MTV festival

The Isle of MTV festival has been arranged annually in Malta since 2007, with major pop artists performing each year.

2007: Mater Dei hospital opened

The Mater Dei hospital, Malta's primary hospital, opened in 2007.

January 2008: Malta adopts the euro

On January 1, 2008, Malta adopted the euro as its currency.

January 2008: Joined Eurozone

On January 1, 2008, Malta joined the Eurozone.

2008: International schools present

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

2008: Joined Eurozone

In 2008, Malta joined the Eurozone monetary union.

2008: Introduction of the Euro

In 2008, Malta replaced the Maltese Lira with the Euro.

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 ranked most generous

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: Divorce Legislation

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

July 2011: Bus service reform

In July 2011, Malta's bus service underwent extensive reform, transitioning from self-employed drivers to a single company operating through a public tender.

2011: Vintage buses retired

Malta's vintage buses operated in the Maltese islands up to 2011 and became popular tourist attractions.

2011: Household Census

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% of births in Malta were to unmarried women.

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 the minimum broadband service from 4 Mbit/s to 100 Mbit/s.

2012: Isle of MTV with Flo Rida, Nelly Furtado and Will.i.am

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

2012: Pay TV subscriptions

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

2013: Chabad Jewish Centre Founded

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

2013: Labour Party in power

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

2013: Increased corruption

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

January 2014: Arriva ceases operations

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

January 2014: Citizenship for investment programme

In January 2014, Malta began offering citizenship for a €650,000 contribution plus investments, contingent on residence and criminal background checks, a program that has been criticized as a "golden passport" scheme.

October 2014: Alsa becomes preferred bus operator

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

2014: Increase of Atheists

From 2014 to 2018, the number of atheists in Malta doubled.

2014: Last snowfall recorded

In 2014, Malta experienced its last snowfall.

2015: Freedom of Thought Report

In the 2015 edition of the annual Freedom of Thought Report, Malta was in the category of "severe discrimination".

2015: Delimara Power Station uses oil for electricity generation

Originally, the Delimara Power Station in 2015 used oil for electricity generation.

2016: Malta Shifted to 'Systematic Discrimination' Category

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

2016: Total Fertility Rate

In 2016, the total fertility rate in Malta was estimated at 1.45 children born per woman.

2017: Delimara Power Station converted to LNG

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

2018: Increase of Atheists

From 2014 to 2018, the number of atheists in Malta doubled.

2018: Esports tournament hosted

In 2018 Malta hosted its first Esports tournament, 'Supernova CS:GO Malta', a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament. Also since 2018, Malta has become the primary location for hosting the ESL Pro League.

2018: NDSF adds 432,000,000 euro to budget

In 2018, the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF) from the Individual Investor Programme, also known as the "citizenship scheme", contributed 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 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.

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. The Government of Malta holds one share in the airline.

2019: Eurobarometer Survey on Religion

According to a 2019 Eurobarometer survey, 83% of the Maltese population 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 in tourism, with over 2.1 million tourists visiting the country.

2019: Jewish Community Size

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

January 2020: Robert Abela Prime Minister

Since January 13, 2020, Robert Abela has been the 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.

2020: Eurostat data

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: Signed UN treaty

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

2020: Increase in Net Migration

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: Languages Spoken from Early Childhood

According to the 2021 census, among the population aged 5 and over, the main languages spoken from early childhood were recorded.

2021: Eastern Orthodox Christians in Malta

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

2021: Malta Metro planning

As of 2021, there are plans to construct an underground Malta Metro at a projected total cost of €6.2 billion.

2021: Population Census Results

As of the 2021 census, Maltese-born natives constituted the majority of the island's population with 386,280 people out of a total population of 519,562, with the largest minorities coming from the United Kingdom, Italy, India, Philippines, and Serbia.

2021: Population of Maltese Islands

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

2021: Muslim Population Recorded

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

October 2022: Free bus system for residents

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

November 2022: Bill proposed for termination of pregnancy

On 21 November 2022, the Maltese government led by the Labour Party proposed a bill to allow 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, according to the Malta National Statistics Office, 90% of the Maltese population had at least a basic knowledge of Maltese, 96% of English, 62% of Italian, and 20% of French.

June 2023: Bill passed on termination of pregnancy

In June 2023, a bill was passed with amendments restricting the exception of the termination of pregnancy to situations where the woman's life is at risk.

2023: Real Estate sales

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

March 2024: Air Malta operations end

From 1 April 1974 to 30 March 2024, the national airline was Air Malta

March 2024: KM Malta Airlines takes over

On 31 March 2024, KM Malta Airlines took over as the national airline of Malta, inheriting the former Air Malta's assets and staff and operating services to 18 European destinations.

March 2024: Myriam Spiteri Debono Elected President

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

2024: GDP Per Capita

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

2024: Biocapacity in Malta

In 2024, Malta had 0.42 global hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, contrasted with a global average of 1.6 hectares per person, resulting in a sizable biocapacity deficit.