Foreign investment in Malta was up by almost €2 billion in the first six months of last year, now topping €466 billion, according to NSO data published on Monday.

In total, Malta attracted just over €13 billion worth of foreign direct investment to its shores between January and June 2024, almost €2 billion more than the same period the previous year.

The lion’s share of this investment, some €12.7b, came in the shape of financial and insurance services, but there has also been some success in attracting more manufacturing and IT-related investment to the country.

With this new investment, Malta’s total stock of foreign direct investment was at €466 billion in June 2024, up from the €450 billion registered the previous June.

Foreign direct investment refers to when a foreign investor owns at least 10% of a company in Malta.

More Maltese investors abroad

But it’s not just foreign investment in Malta that is up. Maltese investors are also increasingly looking to broaden their horizons and invest their money outside Malta’s shores.

Maltese direct investment abroad, where a local investor owns at least 10% of a firm abroad, grew to €10.8 billion in the first six months of last year, roughly €1 billion more than the same period in the previous year.

This brings the total stock of Maltese investment in companies abroad up to €446 billion - up from €429 billion in mid-2023.

The upturn in investment comes despite studies last year finding that Malta was becoming increasingly less attractive to foreign investors, with many prospective investors warning that Malta’s regulatory environment is not up to scratch.