The Maltese economy recorded a net international investment position of €8 billion as of the end of 2020.

The National Statistics Office said that, compared to the position as at the end of 2019, total foreign assets increased by €7.9 billion in 2020 while total foreign liabilities increased by €7.2 billion, resulting in an overall increase in the net IIP of €0.7 billion.

The level of Malta’s total foreign assets abroad amounted to €258.7 billion as of the end of 2020.

Portfolio investment accounted for 49.1 per cent while direct investment represented 27.8 per cent of total foreign assets. The increase in Malta’s foreign assets was driven mainly by a €6.6 billion increase in portfolio investment and a €1.9 billion increase in other investment.

At the end of December, Malta’s stock position of foreign liabilities stood at €250.7 billion.

Direct investment amounted to €209.1 billion, or 83.4 per cent of total foreign liabilities, up from €200.5 billion recorded in December 2019.

Other Investment represented 14.5 per cent of total foreign liabilities and totalled €36.3 billion as of the end of 2020.

Slight drop in inflation recorded

The NSO also said on Tuesday that the annual rate of inflation as measured by the retail price index was 0.19 per cent in February, down from the 0.33 per cent recorded in January.

It said the 12-month moving average rate for February stood at 0.49 per cent.

The largest upward impact on annual inflation was measured in the personal care and health index (+0.22 percentage points), while the largest downward impact was recorded in the transport and communication index (0.27 percentage points).