In 2018, the electricity supply in Malta was generated by power plants (67.7%), supplied from net imports (24.5%) and harvested from renewable sources (7.8%), the most recent NSO figures reveal.

While electricity produced by power plants grew by a year-on-year 19.2% in 2018, imported electricity dropped by 29.6% when compared to the previous year.

Albeit performing a gradual growth, renewable energy sources only grew by a year-on-year 15.4%, lagging behind in growth and final amount of electricity generated (198.6 GWh) , when compared to power plants (1,763.5 GWh) in 2018. Most of the renewable energy (95.5%) was produced from photovoltaic panels.

The highest amount of electricity supplied during 2018 happened in August, claiming a share of 10.5% of the total, and July, with a share of 10.2%.

Malta’s electricity production comprised of output of power stations in Marsa and Delimara in 2014, which was complemented by imported electricity through the Malta-Sicily Interconnector in 2015 and 2016.

Starting from 2017, electricity was produced by Enemalta power station (Delimara), D3 Power Generation, D4 Electrogas Malta, as well as was imported from the Malta-Sicily Interconnector, the NSO says in a note. The same year, Malta started exporting electricity through the Malta-Sicily Interconnector, however, the levels have stayed relatively low; at 35,695 MWh in 2017 and 10,549MWh in 2018.

Renewable energy produced from photovoltaic panels (PV), micro wind turbines and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant, the NSO notes.

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Gross Value Added (GVA) — the net result of output valued at basic prices less intermediate consumption valued at purchasers’ prices — was up by €191.8m in Q2 2019 when compared to the same quarter last year.

The upward trend was boosted by arts, entertainment and recreation, repair of household goods and other services increasing by €40.1m (9.7%); professional, scientific and technical activities, administrative and support service activities increasing by €37.4m (9.4%); and wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, accommodation and food service which increasing €32.5m (5.4%).

Considering the effects of income and taxation paid and received by residents to and from the rest of the world, Gross National Income (GNI) — different to GDP measure in terms of net compensation receipts, net property income receivable and net taxes (minus subsidies) receivable on production and imports from abroad — is estimated at €3.001b at market prices for the second quarter of 2019.

Final consumption expenditure increased by 6.5% in nominal terms and 4.8% in volume terms, according to the expenditure approach — a method used for calculating GDP and is derived by adding the consumption of households, government and non-profit institutions serving households, investment and net exports.

Household expenditure was up by 5.4% in nominal terms and 3.8% in volume terms, and government expenditure grew by 9.9% in nominal terms and 7.3% in volume terms; the two segments being the main contributors to the growth, according to NSO figures.

Gross fixed capital formation increased by 3.6% in nominal terms and 0.8% in volume terms, while exports of goods and services increased by 2.3% in nominal terms and decreased by 0.2% in volume terms. Imports of goods and services increased by 0.8% in nominal terms and decreased by 2.3% in volume terms. Recent statistics by another NSO report have shown that Malta’s trade deficit was widening in the first seven months of the year.

The €204m increase in GDP at current prices is estimated to have been distributed into a €69.5m increase in compensation of employees, a €129.9m increase in gross operating surplus and mixed-income and a €4.6m increase in net taxation on production and imports, as compared to the second quarter of the preceding year, according to the income approach — which is used to measure economic activity is the income approach which shows how GDP at market prices is distributed among compensation of employees, operating surplus of enterprises and taxes on production and imports, net of subsidies.

“The coming budget will ensure that this growth is sustained so that it continues to be enjoyed by Maltese and Gozitan families through a higher standard of living and a better quality of life”, said Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna, according to a press statement issued by the Department of Information (DOI) after the NSO figures had been released.

Editorial note: The full publication by NSO is available for download on the official website of the office. The present article has been updated with a quote from the finance minister.

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The provisional data published by the NSO come as of 5 February. NSO figures reveal that both imports and exports decreased by €113.6m and €110.6m, respectively.

The statistics office finds that the imports decrease was chiefly driven by machinery and transport equipment (€63.9m) and mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (€46.4m), while the exports figures dropped due to mineral fuels, lubricants and associated materials (€121.4m) and machinery and transport equipment (€42.6m).

As far as the whole year is considered, NSO figures reveal that the trade deficit widened by €403.4m in 2018, as compared to the preceding year, totalling €2.858bn. For the whole year of 2018, both imports and exports dropped by €5.4m and €408.7m, respectively.

Imports were chiefly affected by a drop in machinery and transport equipment by €280.5m, which was partly outweighed by increases of €126.6m in mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials, €67.2m in chemicals, €41.7m in semi-manufactured goods and €32.1 million in miscellaneous manufactured articles, according to the NSO report. Exports decreased mainly due to dropping mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials by €427.2m.

Trade imports arriving from the European Union constituted 65.8% of the total, €4.0257bn, in 2018, increasing by €642m as compared to the preceding year.

The full report including charts and visual representation of data is available for download at the website of NSO.

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