Malta's National Debt Rises to €11.4 Billion Despite Early-Year Budget Surplus
· Updated
In brief
- Malta's central government debt reached €11.44 billion by the end of February 2026.
- This represents an increase of €509.3 million compared to the same period last year.
- Despite the rising debt, the government recorded a budget surplus of €229.6 million for the first two months of 2026.
Malta's central government debt climbed to €11.44 billion by the end of February 2026. This figure marks an increase of €509.3 million when compared to the debt recorded at the same point in the previous year.
Despite this rise in national debt, official figures show that the government achieved a substantial budget surplus for the first two months of the year. The Consolidated Fund recorded a surplus of €229.6 million by the end of February.
This surplus indicates an improvement in the government's finances during the initial part of 2026, especially when compared to the same period in the previous year. However, the overall national debt continues to grow.
Earlier, Fil-Qosor reported on Malta's National Debt Rising to €11.4 Billion. Since then, the Nationalist Party (PN) has criticised the government, stating that Prime Minister Robert Abela continues to increase the national debt, leading the public to pay more in interest. This criticism follows new figures released by the National Statistics Office (NSO).
The NSO data confirms that government debt increased by €0.5 billion, reaching €11.4 billion by the end of February. The PN highlighted these figures as a cause for concern regarding the country's financial health.
Both NET News and The Malta Independent reported on the PN's statement, which called for greater accountability and better management of public finances.
The Spin Room
Medium media divide. While the NSO figures are factual, both outlets focused on the political criticism of the government's handling of debt.
- NET News: Directly reported the PN's criticism, using the translated title 'Robert Abela continues to increase debt, and the people keep paying interest – PN'.
- The Malta Independent: Also reported the PN's statement with the same framing, mirroring NET News's framing without adding unique context, suggesting the PN's narrative was widely adopted. Additionally, it provided the factual NSO figures on the debt increase.
Updates
- : The Nationalist Party criticised the government over the rising national debt, following new figures from the National Statistics Office (NSO) confirming a significant increase.