Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Regional, Geospatial, Energy and Transport Statistics Unit
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
National Statistics Office (NSO),
Lascaris, Valletta VLT 2000, Malta.
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
29 August 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
30 October 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
30 October 2025
3.1. Data description
Regional accounts apply national-accounting concepts at a regional level, using the same classifications such as NACE Rev. 2. Regional Gross Value Added (GVA) can be measured either through the production approach, output at basic prices minus intermediate consumption or through the income approach, which sums wages and salaries, employers’ social contributions, other taxes less subsidies on production, consumption of fixed capital, and net operating surplus.
Regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is calculated as GVA plus taxes on products minus product subsidies. The Regional, Geospatial, Energy and Transport Statistics unit publishes annual regional accounts compiled using the production approach in line with ESA 2010 and EU Regulation 549/2013, with auxiliary indicators such as GDP per capita reported in euros at current prices.
The following table outlines an overview of the compiled variables which are published on the NSI website and those transmitted to Eurostat:
Variables published on Website
Variables transmitted to Eurostat
B1G at basic prices by year, industry and region
B1G Total A10 and by industry at current prices
B1GQ at market prices by year and region
B1G Total A10 and by industry at previous year prices
Employment in persons by year sex and industry
Total employment and self-employed in persons A10 and by industry
Persons registering for work by age, sex, district and duration of employment.
Total employees (SAL) A10 and by industry
Note: on the website, we distinguish between employment by place of work and employment by place of residence
B1GQ at current prices
Population by locality
Population
One variable which is published on website but not transmitted to Eurostat is ‘Persons registering for work’ by age, sex, district (LAU 1) and duration of unemployment.
3.2. Classification system
The classificationNUTS 3 level, whereas the industry classification (economic activity) is based on Nace Rev. 2.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Regional Accounts are not available for all institutional sector, and are compiled for the total economy of the country. A sectoral breakdown is only available for the household sector.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Regional GDP measures and compares the economic activity of different areas and is the key indicator for determining which regions qualify for EU investment support. It represents the final output of resident producers and can be calculated through the output, expenditure, or income approaches, though regional estimates rely solely on the output method due to limited trade data.
These estimates follow ESA 2010 standards, using gross value added at basic prices as the core variable and treating extra-regio production like any other region, except that it lacks GDP per capita because it does not account for population. Population and employment are defined as permanently settled individuals and all persons engaged in productive activity are essential complementary indicators that help convert monetary aggregates into comparable measures, and all transactions in regional accounts are assigned to the region where the producing unit or household resides.
GDP for Malta is compiled in a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches. For the private sector, the top-down approach is utilised, whereby the regional breakdown is based on employment figures. Given that regional data is available for the public sector, a bottom-up approach is used for the distribution.
Employment data is collected from ‘Jobsplus’ which is the national employment agency in Malta and is based on the domestic concept. Data for regional employment is also based on employment by place of work which considers those persons who effectively work in the respective regions, irrespective of their locality or region of residence.
3.5. Statistical unit
In Malta, the statistical unit is defined as the institutional unit (consistent with ESA). Business accounts are generally available for entire enterprises, the enterprise being the smallest legally independent institutional unit. The KAU concept is used in exceptional cases only for large enterprises which can provide the basic data sources necessary for the compilation of production, intermediate consumption, compensation of employees, operating surplus, employment and gross fixed capital formation. In such cases legal units are split across industries. The concept of homogeneous units is not applied in Malta.
3.6. Statistical population
The national accounts population of a country consists of all resident statistical units (institutional units or local KAUs, see section 3.5). A unit is a resident unit of a country when it has a centre of predominant economic interest on the economic territory of that country, that is, when it engages for an extended period (one year or more) in economic activities on this territory.
National accounts and regional accounts are exhaustive. This means that all resident statistical units are covered.
The annual population in regional accounts is derived as the monthly average headcount of all individuals, whether Maltese or foreign nationals, who are permanently resident in Malta, irrespective of any temporary absence from the country.
Consistently with the domestic concept, persons employed in resident units are included, regardless of age or where the person is resident. All persons engaged in a productive activity, within the production boundary of national accounts, should be covered (this includes conscripts, people living in collective households, seasonal and cross-border workers etc).
The database used for estimating employment is exhaustive with respect to self-employed individuals and part-time workers. In the context of Malta, cross-border employment is considered negligible and is therefore not explicitly accounted for in the estimates.
3.7. Reference area
For the purpose of regional accounts, MALTA is divided as follows:
NUTS 0
NUTS 1
NUTS 2
NUTS 3
MALTA
MT
MT0
MT00
Malta
MT001
Gozo and Comino
MT002
Extra-regio
MTZ
MTZZ
MTZZZ
The regional territory includes the region that is part of the geographic territory of a country and any free zones, including bonded warehouses and factories under customs control in the region. The extra-regio territory is made up of parts of the economic territory of a country that cannot be attached directly to a single function.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Time-series published in Table 1001 are all available from reference year 2000. These include the variables GVA, GDP at current and previous year prices, employment in persons, employees in persons, self-employed in persons and population.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
GVA data at basic prices (B.1g) (NUTS 3) are compiled and disseminated in thousand Euro.
GDP data at market prices (B.1*g) (NUTS 3) are compiled and disseminated in thousand Euro.
GDP per capita (NUTS 3) is compiled and disseminated in Euro.
Population data (NUTS 3) are disseminated in number of persons.
Employed persons data are compiled and disseminated in number of persons.
ESA2010 Questionnaire - Households accounts by region (NUTS II)
With the exception of variables on population and labour that are expressed in number of persons and hours worked, data series are expressed in millions of euros.
The reference period to be used for presenting annual regional accounts data is the calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The Malta Statistics Authority (MSA) Act, empowers the NSO to collect, compile, extract and release official statistics related to demographic, social, environment, economic and general activities, and conditions of Malta.
The articles that empower NSO to request information are articles 36 and 38, while article 39 empowers NSO to inspect records held.
National accounts are compiled in accordance with the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010), which was published in the Official Journal as Annex A of Regulation (EU) No. 539/2013. The ESA 2010 transmission programme is covered in Annex B.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Regional GVA and employment data are published annually (t+12) by NACE A*10/11 at NUTS 3 level in the News Release (NR) Regional Gross Domestic Product. This NR is freely available on the NSO’s website through the following link.
Moreover, estimates for population, GVA and employment at NUTS 3 level are transmitted to Eurostat (through eDAMIS) on an annual basis in the transmission table T1001. Data are transmitted in SDMX format, under the data structure definition (DSD) matrix NA_REG. The full data flow from Eurostat can be accessed using the following link.
The NSO as established by article 9 of the Malta Statistics Authority, Chapter 422 of the Laws of Malta, has the functions of ‘Collection, compilation, extraction and release of official statistics’. As an NSI, the NSO also holds a Dissemination Policy based on the principles in the European Statistics code of practice which makes the data available to public in various forms. The policy ensures that data shared with the general public covers their needs and is extensive and detailed enough to cater for the business community and authorities’ needs for statistics, analytical and policy making purposes.
National users include the Central Bank of Malta, Ministry for Finance, Ministry for Gozo and Planning, Economic Policy Department, Gozo Business Chamber, Gozo Tourism Association, Gozo Regional Development Authority, researchers, students and politicians, amongst others.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
At National level:
The NSO requests information for the compilation of official statistics according to the articles of the MSA Act – Cap. 422 and the Data Protection Act – Cap. 586 of the Laws of Malta implementing the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
Article 40 of the MSA Act stipulates the restrictions on the use of information while Article 41 stipulates the prohibition of disclosure of information. Furthermore, Section IX of the Act (Offences and Penalties) lays down the measures to be taken in case of unlawful exercise of any officer of statistics regarding confidentiality of data.
Since its inception, the NSO has always assured that all data collected remains confidential and that it is used for statistical purposes only according to the articles and derogations stipulated in the laws quoted above. The Office is obliged to protect the identify of data providers and refrain from divulging any data to third parties that might lead to the identification of persons or entities.
During 2009, the NSO has set up a Statistical Disclosure Committee to ensure that statistical confidentiality is observed, especially when requests for microdata are received.
Upon employment, all NSO employees are informed of the rules and duties pertaining to confidential information and its treatment. In line with stipulations of the MSA Act, before commencing work, every employee is required to take an oath of secrecy whose text is included in the same Act.
An internal policy on anonymisation and pseudo-anonymisation is in place to ascertain that adequate methods are used for the protection of data which the office collects and shares with the public in its capacity as the National Statistics Office. The policy is meant to safeguard confidentiality of both personal and business data entrusted to the NSO. The document provides guidance for all NSO employees who process data on a daily basis as to how anonymisation and pseudo-anonymisation methods should be applied. The policy applies to all confidential, restricted and internal information, regardless of form (paper or electronic documents, applications and databases) that is received, processed, stored and disseminated by the NSO.
At European level:
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
In a statistical sense, confidential data means data which allow statistical units to be identified, either directly or indirectly, thereby disclosing individual information. To determine whether a statistical unit is identifiable, account shall be taken of all relevant means that might reasonably be used by a third party to identify the statistical unit. Although national accounts data are usually highly aggregated, there may be possible cases for detailed breakdowns of aggregates and/or small economies. In these cases, measures should be taken in order not to disclose data of a separate statistical unit. Guidance on how to prevent disclosure can be found in the Handbook on Statistical Disclosure Control.
Confidentiality issues arise at NACE division level in Malta. Data are flagged subject to a minimum frequency count of 3 enterprises and a dominance rule of (2,80), in terms of turnover, where aggregated data are flagged if there are less than three contributors or the largest two contribute to more than 80% of the NACE division or section level. If data are transmitted to Eurostat with a confidentiality flag, these data are not disseminated until the confidentiality flag is removed in a subsequent data transmission.
8.1. Release calendar
An advance release calendar is maintained by the NSO and published on the NSO website. The calendar projects six months of news releases (including the current and five subsequent months).
An internal policy on dissemination is in place to govern the dissemination of official statistics in an impartial, independent and timely manner, making them available simultaneously to all users.
The NSO’s primary channel for the dissemination of official statistics is the NSO website. Tailored requests for statistical information may also be submitted through the NSO website.
Moreover, relevant news releases are available in electronic format on the NSO website.
Regional account data are disseminated annually. As mentioned in Section 3.1, one difference between data transmitted to Eurostat and published on website is for employed, whereby in Malta we make a difference between employment by place of residence and by place of work. Also, in Malta we publish annual data related to persons registering for work by region, which is not included in the regional account.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
A regular news release is published with annual regional GDP data from the output approach which is freely available online on the NSO website: Regional Gross Domestic Product.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Regional GDP data are also published in the Regional Statistics Portal which can be accessed for free on the NSO website: Regional statistics.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
The Regional GDP news release and the Regional Statistics Portal can be accessed from the NSO website. However, the data are currently not available on the Statistical Database (StatDB). With respect to the data submitted to Eurostat, users are advised to use Eurostat's website.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The general methodological framework for the compilation of national and regional accounts in the EU is ESA 2010. In addition, the Manual on regional accounts methods published by Eurostat guides compilers to produce regional accounts data.
Documentation on the methodology of the regional accounts is available in the methodological notes of each published news release.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The NSO has developed an internal Quality Management Framework (QMF) which is built on common requirements of the ESS Code of Practice (ESS CoP). A document was prepared to include a set of general quality guidelines spanning over all statistical domains. Assuring methodological soundness is an integral part of the QMF, nonetheless, the document spans also on other areas related to institutional aspects.
The Regional (NUTS 3) Gross Value Added Inventory (2018) is available on the NSO’s website through the following website: Regional gross domestic product.
11.1. Quality assurance
The NSO has developed an internal Quality Management Framework (QMF) which is built on common requirements of the ESS Code of Practice (ESS CoP). A document was prepared to include a set of general quality guidelines spanning over all statistical domains. Assuring methodological soundness is an integral part of the QMF, nonetheless, the document spans also on other areas related to institutional aspects.
Every five to seven years, the NSO participates in a Peer Review exercise through which the compliance of its operations with principles of the ESS CoP is assessed by an expert team. Peer Reviews are indeed part of the European Statistical Sytem (ESS) strategy to implement the ESS CoP. Each NSI is expected to provide information as requested by a standard self-assessment questionnaire. Following this an expert team visits the office to meet NSI representatives and main stakeholders. Peer Reviews result in a compliant report and the listing of a set of improvement Actions which need to be followed up by the NSI. The latest round of Peer Reviews has been carried out in 2022.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The regional accounts are a regional specification of the corresponding national accounts and thus have to reconcile with national accounts. The system of national accounts reflects a complete macroeconomic circuit. The procedure of balancing the GDP may be considered central to a comprehensive system of quality assurance to accompany the process of compiling national accounts. Such a quality assurance approach distinguishes between ex-ante checks (source statistics), ongoing national accounts checks (results), ex-post checks on national accounts (methods used), and external checks and consultations (e.g. Eurostat, European Court of Auditors, IMF).
The national and regional accounting systems are based on harmonised European rules that are laid down in a legally binding form in the European System of National and Regional Accounts (ESA 2010). In addition, they are explained in more detail in a large number of international methodology handbooks (e.g. Manual on regional accounts methods).
ESA 2010 data transmissions are subject to regular quality assessment reviews. Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 (ESA 2010 Regulation) specifies that the data covered by this Regulation are subject to the quality criteria, namely relevance, accuracy, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility and clarity, comparability and coherence, as set out in Article 12(1) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
According to the 2024 National Quality Report (NQR), Malta achieved a high level of compliance for Main Aggregates, with improved data availability, better completeness, and greater coherence across key tables, particularly for 2019–2023, though some gaps remain in older data and certain tables. Methodological refinements were implemented, confidentiality was frequently applied, and most deadlines were met, with only minor delays.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Annual regional accounts data are a key instrument for economic analysis. The Regional, Geospatial, Energy and Transport Statistics Unit compiles and publishes free online annual sets of consistent, reliable and comparable macroeconomic accounts intended to meet the needs of government and private-sector analysts, policy makers and decision takers.
National users include the Central Bank of Malta, Ministry for Finance, Ministry for Gozo and Planning, Economic Policy Department, Gozo Business Chamber, Gozo Tourism Association, Gozo Regional Development Authority, researchers, students and politicians, amongst others.
Foreign users include the European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, Credit Rating Agencies, researchers, and international students, amongst others.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The last User Satisfaction Survey was held in 2022 with the aim to collect information about key users’ satisfaction with statistical output.
The NSO keeps record of the number of News Releases and publications disseminated on its website; the users to whom statistical products are provided; as well as the number of requests that are processed every year.
12.3. Completeness
Regional GDP data are 100 per cent complete.
Regional accounts requirements were met with the timely transmission of the T1001 table.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
All time-series can be revised according to new revised data from source. Variables such as turnover, intermediate consumption which affect GVA and GDP can be revised from quarter to quarter depending on new administrative and company data. Revisions for open years are generally taken on baord as minor routine revisions. Major revisions referring to changes in definitions, classifications, changes in methodology or significant revisions from data sources are considered as major revisions. Some of these revisions may also be taken on board during benchmark revisions which take place every 4 to 5 years.
Employment and population tend to be more accurate from source data and only minor revisions from recent years are envisaged.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Regional accounts data are available at t+12 rather than t+24 as required by the ESA transmission programme. T+12 refers to the reference time-period + 12 months. For example, Regional GDP for reference year 2023 was published in December 2024. Efforts are continuously made for more timeliness of data source collection and reducing the processing time of data.
14.2. Punctuality
The Regional GDP news release disseminated annually has always been delivered on time based on the scheduled release dates as shown in the advanced news release calendar published by the NSO.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Geographical comparability is ensured by the application of common concepts and definitions as prescribed in the European System of Accounts, ESA2010. Furthermore, comparability between regions is ensured by the NUTS classification.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Regional accounts data using a specific methodological framework are comparable over time. Agreed methodological changes are implemented in a coordinated way and include the estimation of back series. Whenever data is not comparable over time, it is considered and treated as a "break" in series with a flag. Regional annual data without breaks according to NACE Rev 2 industry classification and ESA 2010 are provided for Malta at NUTS 3 level from 2000.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Regional GDP data are coherent with national GDP when regional GDP is released. However, national GDP data are revised continuously, whereas regional GDP is revised only once per year keeping in mind that NUTS 2 in Malta refers to National data.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Regional GDP and Employment data including EMP (SELF + SAL) are coherent between NUTS0, NUTS1, NUTS2 and NUTS3 levels and coherent across all NACE sectors, considering that NUTS 1 and NUTS 2 are irrelevant for Malta.
Regional GDP data are based on other statistics, in particular national accounts, government administrative data, employment statistics and business statistics data, thus, there is no additional burden on respondents.
17.1. Data revision - policy
In August 2024, the National Accounts Unit carried out a benchmark revision in National Accounts data for the reference period 1995Q1 to 2020Q2. The 2024 benchmark revision continued to improve the accuracy of National Accounts data and harmonised further the data with that of other countries, thus allowing for better international data comparability. All revisions integrated at national level were adopted at regional level as the basic methodology for calculating regional GVA/GDP by NUTS 3 involves using the top-down approach.
At the NSO, there is currently an internal policy which governs revisions that are conducted in any of the statistics produced. This revisions policy aims at safeguarding a coordinated revision system across the statistical domains. The policy considers the needs and causes for revisions, time and frequency of revisions, data and other statistical products affected by such revisions, and the length of periods revised.
The National Statistical Offices and National Central Banks have agreed to gradually implement the Harmonised European Revision Policy for Macroeconomic Statistics (HERP) in national accounts and balance of payments statistics.
The NSO also has a Revision Policy stating that data produced may be subject to revisions in accordance with Principle 8 of the European Statistics Code of Practice. This document provides guidelines to the types of Revisions the NSI undertakes from time to time.
17.2. Data revision - practice
National accounts data are subject to continuous routine revisions as new information from surveys, censuses, and administrative records become available. This information is integrated annually usually in December. Routine revisions are not preannounced, but information is published in the methodological notes with each news release. Data transmitted to Eurostat will also include such information in the sender notes. Whenever national accounts data are revised, regional accounts data are revised accordingly in order to reconcile with national accounts data.
When it comes to Regional Accounts, revisions of data is taken on board directly from the source for ex. Employment data is revised for the previous year on an annual basis, and this is then reflected in the top-down approach breakdown of the private sector. For the public sector, which is compiled on a bottom-up approach, source data revisions are taken on board. All revisions are adopted in line with revision policies taken by National Accounts. The 2024 Benchmark Revision is one example of a major revision done in 2024, and the document explains in detail revisions of data sources and methods used to estimate more accurately national accounts indicators.
18.1. Source data
The sources that are used to compile regional accounts data include: (i) national output, intermediate consumption and GVA of the private sector at 2-digit NACE level; (ii) administrative data from government, (iii) employment by place of work split into full-time, part-time primary and part-time secondary and (iv) population. Recently, SBS micro-data are also being requested to help identify large companies in terms of GVA which operate from Malta region only in order to eliminate completely their presence from Gozo's GDP. Ultimately, the plan is to shift the current top-down approach to a bottom-up process.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual: national output, intermediate consumption and GVA of the private sector at 2-digit NACE level, administrative data from government, population and SBS micro-data.
Quarterly: employment by place of work split into full-time, part-time primary and part-time secondary.
Regional account data is published annually.
18.3. Data collection
The Regional, Geospatial, Energy and Transport Statistics Unit typically requests data in relation to its compilation schedule.
The National Accounts Production Unit oversees the production, analysis and dissemination of quarterly and annual national accounts, including the supply and use tables, input-output tables, and the compilation of the gross national income inventory. The National Accounts Methods, Standards and Sector Accounts Unit is responsible for compiling sector accounts, improving the methodology and comprehensiveness of national accounts statistics, and addressing any reservations and action points relating to national accounts.
National Accounts Statistics rely on a combination of statistical surveys and censuses, administrative data, quarterly returns and financial reports. Key sources include business surveys such as short-term indicators like production and turnover statistics, household surveys that capture consumption patterns, and external sector data such as trade in goods and balance of payments statistics. Government sources, including budgetary reports and public sector statements also play a vital role. Additionally, administrative data, such as employment records and VAT data reports from regulatory bodies, provide timely and detailed inputs. In Malta, quarterly returns from major economic players are regularly collected and form an essential part of the data framework, helping to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of national accounts estimates. These diverse data sources are integrated and processed to generate comprehensive estimates of economic performance, covering production, income, and expenditure national account aggregates. Information on source data is available in Chapter 10 of the Gross National Income (GNI) Inventory for Malta.
18.4. Data validation
The methodology used to check the data is typically that of comparing past trends, growth rates, and published data. In addition, a visual analysis of the data for the whole time series being published is also undertaken in order to detect any irregularities. In line with the practice of the National Accounts Unit, GVA is compared to past releases at 2-digit NACE level with any significant revision being verified with source data and documented. In addition, the intermediate consumption to output ratio for consecutive years is analysed at 2-digit NACE level. This is typically consistent across years and thus an increase of +/-2% is generally verified with source data.
18.5. Data compilation
Regional accounts are compiled from the production approach at 2-digit NACE level. The GVA of the public sector is computed directly based on the sum of costs while a top-down approach is used for the private sector component. The national figures of output, intermediate consumption and GVA of the private sector are allocated to a region by using the indicator of full-time equivalents of employees as per the location of the producer unit. GDP at market prices (NUTS 3) is then calculated as regional GVA at basic price plus taxes less subsidies on products, while regional GDP per capita is worked out by taking the GDP at market prices of a specific region and dividing it by the population of that region. In addition, consistency is obtained by reconciling with national accounts data.
18.6. Adjustment
Conceptual adjustments are (regular) adjustments designed to bring basic data in line with ESA 2010 definitions. Common conceptual adjustments are made to include net taxes on production to ensure that the output and GVA are at basic prices.
No further comments.
Regional accounts apply national-accounting concepts at a regional level, using the same classifications such as NACE Rev. 2. Regional Gross Value Added (GVA) can be measured either through the production approach, output at basic prices minus intermediate consumption or through the income approach, which sums wages and salaries, employers’ social contributions, other taxes less subsidies on production, consumption of fixed capital, and net operating surplus.
Regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is calculated as GVA plus taxes on products minus product subsidies. The Regional, Geospatial, Energy and Transport Statistics unit publishes annual regional accounts compiled using the production approach in line with ESA 2010 and EU Regulation 549/2013, with auxiliary indicators such as GDP per capita reported in euros at current prices.
The following table outlines an overview of the compiled variables which are published on the NSI website and those transmitted to Eurostat:
Variables published on Website
Variables transmitted to Eurostat
B1G at basic prices by year, industry and region
B1G Total A10 and by industry at current prices
B1GQ at market prices by year and region
B1G Total A10 and by industry at previous year prices
Employment in persons by year sex and industry
Total employment and self-employed in persons A10 and by industry
Persons registering for work by age, sex, district and duration of employment.
Total employees (SAL) A10 and by industry
Note: on the website, we distinguish between employment by place of work and employment by place of residence
B1GQ at current prices
Population by locality
Population
One variable which is published on website but not transmitted to Eurostat is ‘Persons registering for work’ by age, sex, district (LAU 1) and duration of unemployment.
30 October 2025
Regional GDP measures and compares the economic activity of different areas and is the key indicator for determining which regions qualify for EU investment support. It represents the final output of resident producers and can be calculated through the output, expenditure, or income approaches, though regional estimates rely solely on the output method due to limited trade data.
These estimates follow ESA 2010 standards, using gross value added at basic prices as the core variable and treating extra-regio production like any other region, except that it lacks GDP per capita because it does not account for population. Population and employment are defined as permanently settled individuals and all persons engaged in productive activity are essential complementary indicators that help convert monetary aggregates into comparable measures, and all transactions in regional accounts are assigned to the region where the producing unit or household resides.
GDP for Malta is compiled in a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches. For the private sector, the top-down approach is utilised, whereby the regional breakdown is based on employment figures. Given that regional data is available for the public sector, a bottom-up approach is used for the distribution.
Employment data is collected from ‘Jobsplus’ which is the national employment agency in Malta and is based on the domestic concept. Data for regional employment is also based on employment by place of work which considers those persons who effectively work in the respective regions, irrespective of their locality or region of residence.
In Malta, the statistical unit is defined as the institutional unit (consistent with ESA). Business accounts are generally available for entire enterprises, the enterprise being the smallest legally independent institutional unit. The KAU concept is used in exceptional cases only for large enterprises which can provide the basic data sources necessary for the compilation of production, intermediate consumption, compensation of employees, operating surplus, employment and gross fixed capital formation. In such cases legal units are split across industries. The concept of homogeneous units is not applied in Malta.
The national accounts population of a country consists of all resident statistical units (institutional units or local KAUs, see section 3.5). A unit is a resident unit of a country when it has a centre of predominant economic interest on the economic territory of that country, that is, when it engages for an extended period (one year or more) in economic activities on this territory.
National accounts and regional accounts are exhaustive. This means that all resident statistical units are covered.
The annual population in regional accounts is derived as the monthly average headcount of all individuals, whether Maltese or foreign nationals, who are permanently resident in Malta, irrespective of any temporary absence from the country.
Consistently with the domestic concept, persons employed in resident units are included, regardless of age or where the person is resident. All persons engaged in a productive activity, within the production boundary of national accounts, should be covered (this includes conscripts, people living in collective households, seasonal and cross-border workers etc).
The database used for estimating employment is exhaustive with respect to self-employed individuals and part-time workers. In the context of Malta, cross-border employment is considered negligible and is therefore not explicitly accounted for in the estimates.
For the purpose of regional accounts, MALTA is divided as follows:
NUTS 0
NUTS 1
NUTS 2
NUTS 3
MALTA
MT
MT0
MT00
Malta
MT001
Gozo and Comino
MT002
Extra-regio
MTZ
MTZZ
MTZZZ
The regional territory includes the region that is part of the geographic territory of a country and any free zones, including bonded warehouses and factories under customs control in the region. The extra-regio territory is made up of parts of the economic territory of a country that cannot be attached directly to a single function.
The reference period to be used for presenting annual regional accounts data is the calendar year.
All time-series can be revised according to new revised data from source. Variables such as turnover, intermediate consumption which affect GVA and GDP can be revised from quarter to quarter depending on new administrative and company data. Revisions for open years are generally taken on baord as minor routine revisions. Major revisions referring to changes in definitions, classifications, changes in methodology or significant revisions from data sources are considered as major revisions. Some of these revisions may also be taken on board during benchmark revisions which take place every 4 to 5 years.
Employment and population tend to be more accurate from source data and only minor revisions from recent years are envisaged.
GVA data at basic prices (B.1g) (NUTS 3) are compiled and disseminated in thousand Euro.
GDP data at market prices (B.1*g) (NUTS 3) are compiled and disseminated in thousand Euro.
GDP per capita (NUTS 3) is compiled and disseminated in Euro.
Population data (NUTS 3) are disseminated in number of persons.
Employed persons data are compiled and disseminated in number of persons.
ESA2010 Questionnaire - Households accounts by region (NUTS II)
With the exception of variables on population and labour that are expressed in number of persons and hours worked, data series are expressed in millions of euros.
Regional accounts are compiled from the production approach at 2-digit NACE level. The GVA of the public sector is computed directly based on the sum of costs while a top-down approach is used for the private sector component. The national figures of output, intermediate consumption and GVA of the private sector are allocated to a region by using the indicator of full-time equivalents of employees as per the location of the producer unit. GDP at market prices (NUTS 3) is then calculated as regional GVA at basic price plus taxes less subsidies on products, while regional GDP per capita is worked out by taking the GDP at market prices of a specific region and dividing it by the population of that region. In addition, consistency is obtained by reconciling with national accounts data.
The sources that are used to compile regional accounts data include: (i) national output, intermediate consumption and GVA of the private sector at 2-digit NACE level; (ii) administrative data from government, (iii) employment by place of work split into full-time, part-time primary and part-time secondary and (iv) population. Recently, SBS micro-data are also being requested to help identify large companies in terms of GVA which operate from Malta region only in order to eliminate completely their presence from Gozo's GDP. Ultimately, the plan is to shift the current top-down approach to a bottom-up process.
Regional account data are disseminated annually. As mentioned in Section 3.1, one difference between data transmitted to Eurostat and published on website is for employed, whereby in Malta we make a difference between employment by place of residence and by place of work. Also, in Malta we publish annual data related to persons registering for work by region, which is not included in the regional account.
Regional accounts data are available at t+12 rather than t+24 as required by the ESA transmission programme. T+12 refers to the reference time-period + 12 months. For example, Regional GDP for reference year 2023 was published in December 2024. Efforts are continuously made for more timeliness of data source collection and reducing the processing time of data.
Geographical comparability is ensured by the application of common concepts and definitions as prescribed in the European System of Accounts, ESA2010. Furthermore, comparability between regions is ensured by the NUTS classification.
Regional accounts data using a specific methodological framework are comparable over time. Agreed methodological changes are implemented in a coordinated way and include the estimation of back series. Whenever data is not comparable over time, it is considered and treated as a "break" in series with a flag. Regional annual data without breaks according to NACE Rev 2 industry classification and ESA 2010 are provided for Malta at NUTS 3 level from 2000.
