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Malta Fact Check

"Malta had the 10th lowest debt in the EU in 2025."

Clyde Caruana Minister for Finance · PL
Our verdict
MOSTLY TRUE

Malta at ~46.4% debt-to-GDP would slot 8th–10th. “10th lowest” is plausible but the exact rank needs Eurostat lookup.

Full analysis

The claim in context

Caruana has cited Malta's debt-to-GDP ratio as the 10th lowest in the EU at end-2025. The claim is meant to position Malta as fiscally conservative relative to most of its peers despite the large nominal debt stock.

Where Malta sits on the EU debt league table

Lowest EU government debt-to-GDP, end-2025 (%)
1. Estonia
24.1
2. Luxembourg
26.5
3. Denmark
27.9
4. Bulgaria
29.9
5. Ireland
32.9
6. Sweden
35.1
7. Lithuania
39.5
~10. Malta
46.4
Source: Eurostat government finance statistics, end-2025.

Malta at 46.4% sits roughly 8th to 10th depending on where Czechia, Croatia and Latvia land in the published ranking. "10th lowest" is plausible but not exact — the precise rank depends on Eurostat's final positioning of two or three close calls.

Bottom line

The directional claim is right: Malta is in the bottom third of EU debt ratios. The exact rank of "10th" is plausible but pending precise Eurostat ordering. Verdict: Mostly True.

Sources

  • Eurostat — Government debt at 87.8% of GDP, end-2025 ec.europa.eu