The sustainable development implications of major economic changes in Malta between 2012 and 2021

Abstract

The objectives of this paper are to discuss Malta’s economic performance between 2012 and 2021, and to compare such performance with the other 26 European Union (EU) member states and with the EU as a whole. The paper also considers social, environmental and political issues, again within an EU context, so as to place the economic dimension within a sustainable development context. The focus is however on economic aspects, with the other aspects being chosen mostly in view of the fact that they tend to drive, or to be driven, by economic realities. The data presented and discussed in the paper, if synthesised, would seem to indicate that between 2012 and 2021, Malta has done very well economically, less well in terms of social development and not well at all in terms of environmental and political governance. The paper argues that in matters relating to social and political governance, the situation appears to have, broadly speaking, improved since 2021. However, this is not the case in matters relating to the physical environment, and the situation would seem to have been worsening in some aspects.