Malta - 86.28
26
Italy on an island
Malta is culturally somewhat of a bastardization of Italy, born out of a history of colonialism by the French and the English. Stemming either from having a smaller country to manage or simply having a greater commitment to managing a country that functions, Malta is significantly better off. The Maltese run a nation that suffers from significantly less corruption and operates a more robust economy than the Italian one. On the flip side, the detention system of the Mediterranean microstate is struggling to bear the weight of both the country’s prison population and an influx of migrants arriving from North Africa. Malta is also one of two countries in Europe to outright prohibit abortion, the other being Andorra.
Human Rights - 81
Malta has fully abolished the death penalty. Maltese prisons were overcrowded throughout the year. Migrant detention facilities were severely overcrowded and often lacked adequate sanitation facilities. Upon detention, migrants would often spend days or weeks in temporary facilities in the Mediterranean sun before they were processed out to other facilities with better facilities. Malta guarantees a full gamut of LGBT rights. Abortion is absolutely illegal.
Democracy - 92
The president is elected by parliament and the prime minister is appointed by the president but is usually the leader of the majority coalition. A 2020 reform dictated that the president can only be elected by a two-thirds supermajority. Parliament is elected through party-list proportional representation. MPs cannot run for re-election. Elections are free and fair but Maltese politics are dominated by the Labour and Nationalist Parties. A new contender, the Democratic Party, recently gained seats in parliament by fielding candidates from the Nationalist’s party list.
Freedom - 84
Maltese journalists often face threats of libel suits. State-owned media is effectively a government mouthpiece. The actions of foreign journalists are not restricted. Malta has several hate speech laws punishable by jail time that go generally unenforced. Roman Catholicism is the state religion but freedom of religion is guaranteed. Malta has decriminalized the recreational use of cannabis. Other drugs remain illegal but penalties are minimal and Maltese drug law is based on rehabilitation rather than punishment. Malta shall issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Malta shall not issue self-defense permits for any reason.
Economy - 99
Health - 96
Malta has a life expectancy of 83 years and an infant mortality rate of 0.61%. 28.9% of Maltese are obese and less than 1% are malnourished. The Maltese government provides free, high-quality healthcare to all Maltese and EU citizens. All Maltese have access to clean, running water. One in four adult Maltese smoke regularly.
Corruption - 78
Construction permits are notoriously difficult to obtain without corruption. The Maltese tax code is rife with loopholes, and when combined with a generally incompetent tax administration it creates an environment rife with tax fraud. Malta’s import-export process is opaque and fraught with bribery. Public contracts are virtually impossible to obtain without corruption.
Competency - 84
The government is failing to provide for migrants. Journalists are not protected in Malta, partly through incompetence but also partly through malice. The Maltese tax administration is generally incompetent.
Future - 93
The Maltese economy was growing very quickly before COVID and will likely recover quickly, despite taking a major hit as a result of the COVID recession. Malta has recently been liberalizing a number of laws, notably expanding religious freedom and decriminalizing recreational use of cannabis.
Actions Abroad - 60
Malta is a tax haven. Malta is generally isolationist and maintains good relations with most nations. The foreign relations of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta were not factored in, as despite not possessing any territory, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is generally recognized as a sovereign non-state entity. Malta received a ten-point penalty for its tax haven status.
0.1% of Maltese live under the international poverty line and 17.1% live under the national poverty line. 4.1% of Maltese are unemployed and the country has a very low economic disparity. The minimum wage in Malta is $879 per month. Malta provides high-quality universal health coverage to all Maltese and EU citizens. The Maltese economy shrunk 7% in 2020 and 5.5% in 2019.