Environment
Malta
Climate
Mediterranean climate characterized by mild, wet winters and hot, arid summers
Land use
other
66.4% (2023 est.)
forest
1.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
25.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 22.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 3.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
94.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
348,800 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
10.5% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
scarce natural freshwater supplies; loss of forest cover; conservation of wildlife
Total water withdrawal
municipal
39.497 million cubic meters (2022)
industrial
1 million cubic meters (2022)
agricultural
21.358 million cubic meters (2022)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
8.965 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas
852,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
8.113 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
13.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
50.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements