Malta matches Sweden in national wealth per person, Abela says

Malta has reached the same level of national wealth per person as Sweden, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday. 

Speaking in an interview on ONE, Abela discussed the economy, healthcare investment and environmental projects, as well as global developments affecting energy prices. He also revealed the timeline for the promised electrification of the Gozo bus fleet. 

“The national wealth person to person is now the same as Sweden,” said the Prime Minister.

He added that 12 years ago, Sweden’s per capita wealth had been one and a half times higher than Malta’s, but said Malta had since caught up.

However, he did not indicate the source of the data or provide figures to support the claim.

Gozo public transport to go electric

Speaking about investment in the public transport sector, Abela announced that the Gozo bus fleet is expected to become fully electric "by the end of this year".

In the last general election, the Labour Party had pledged an "ambitious target" of making Gozo carbon neutral before Malta.

This pledge was reiterated in the 2026 Budget where the government had announced Gozo's bus fleet would be fully electrified this year.

Healthcare investment

Abela said the country’s economic performance had enabled the government to invest in essential services, particularly healthcare.

He pointed to an increase of 300 beds at St Vincent De Paul Residence, the construction of a new emergency ward at Mater Dei Hospital and plans for a new mental health hospital also at Mater Dei. 

The new facility, he said, should start in the coming weeks.

Highlighting its location, Abela said: “As much as we do at Mount Carmel, the separation of the hospital from the rest of Mater Dei was creating a stigma.”

Earlier this month, the health minister told Times of Malta that Mater Dei Hospital’s psychiatric unit will reopen in “the coming weeks”, once new wards in the administration blocks are completed and ready to receive patients.

Policy delivery

With a general election looming, Abela noted that his government had implemented 82 per cent of the proposals outlined in its electoral manifesto.

“Not only did we fulfil our promises but we also went above and beyond them,” he said.

He added that several environmental initiatives were not included in the original manifesto. These include the government’s move to regain control of Manoel Island from MIDI.

This week, parliament unanimously approved the €43 million deal for the government to reclaim Manoel Island and Fort Tigné from MIDI. 

The prime minister also mentioned the government's projects at White Rocks, Fort Campbell, Fort San Salvatur  and the former Sant Antnin waste treatment plant in Marsascala to turn them into public parks. 

Global conflicts and energy concerns

Turning to international developments, Abela warned that ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the Gulf would continue to impact energy prices.

However, he said the government had the financial capacity to shield households and businesses.

He referred to a €250 million “war chest”, saying it would allow continued subsidies on electricity and fuel.

The Prime Minister said Malta had faced multiple crises in recent years, including the COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts in Gaza, Israel and Ukraine.

“We managed every circumstance because we were consistent in our principles that we do not let international crisis be felt by the public,” he said.

Neutrality and regional tensions

Abela also reiterated Malta’s long-standing policy of neutrality, praising the approach adopted by former prime minister Dom Mintoff.

He suggested that avoiding military alliances had spared Malta from risks faced by other countries like Cyprus. 

An Iranian-made unmanned drone struck the runway at the British air force base at Akrotiri in Cyprus earlier this month, highlighting rising tensions in the region.