Malta
Last updated July 15, 2026
Composite GEFRI Score
Access & Parity is strong, but Innovation lags
Malta shows progressing readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (79th percentile worldwide). Reforms are translating into broader capability, though uneven performance continues to slow system-wide alignment.
- Global percentile
- 79th
- Global rank
- #39
- Regional rank
- #3
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Malta shows progressing readiness, with important strengths but continued gaps across the system. Its strongest results are in School Access and Gender Parity (92, 92nd percentile).
Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Strong tertiary enrollment expands future talent pipelines and strengthens national innovation potential.
R&D investment remains modest, affecting long-term innovation potential. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.
Regionally, Malta leads most clearly in School Access and Gender Parity, sitting well above the peer average.
Areas with room to grow: Innovation (38, 35th percentile). These dimensions sit close to global norms and could accelerate quickly with targeted investment.
Most indicators are observed rather than imputed, so estimation uncertainty is limited.
Key insights
Sits above the global median at the 79th percentile.
Places 39th worldwide.
Holds a regional position of 3rd within Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.
Scores range from Access & Parity (92.1) to Innovation (37.9), reflecting variation across dimensions.
Leads regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.
Regional peers: Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Composite GEFRI Score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | Israel | 74.74 |
| 33 | 2 | United Arab Emirates | 69.85 |
| 39 | 3 | Malta | 64.27 |
| 41 | 4 | Saudi Arabia | 63.88 |
| 53 | 5 | Qatar | 60.47 |
| 57 | 6 | Jordan | 58.77 |
| 62 | 7 | Bahrain | 58.20 |
| 64 | 8 | Oman | 57.74 |
| 79 | 9 | Morocco | 53.94 |
| 82 | 10 | Kuwait | 53.39 |
| 94 | 11 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 49.54 |
| 96 | 12 | Tunisia | 49.30 |
| 103 | 13 | West Bank and GazaFCS | 46.28 |
| 104 | 14 | Iran, Islamic Rep.FCS | 46.15 |
| 111 | 15 | Algeria | 40.96 |
| 116 | 16 | Djibouti | 39.22 |
| 122 | 17 | LebanonFCS | 36.21 |
| 129 | 18 | IraqFCS | 34.23 |
| 130 | 19 | LibyaFCS | 33.89 |
| 149 | 20 | Syrian Arab RepublicFCS | 27.35 |
| 152 | 21 | Yemen, Rep.FCS | 25.83 |