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Environmental information systems
Malta is an archipelago in the Mediterranean, with Malta and Gozo being its largets islands. It is the smallest country in the EU with an terrestrial area of close to 314km² and a marine area of over 75,000km². The highest point is Ta' Dmejrek reaching 253m. Malta has a population of 520,000 people and a population density of 1,649 people per km².
of land
is covered
by protected areas
of marine waters
is covered
by protected areas
species
are protected
under EU law
habitats
are protected
under EU law
Sources: Terrestrial protected area coverage by country and in the EU-27 by the end of 2023, Marine protected areas in Europe's seas (2023), Conservation status of habitat types and species: datasets from Article 17, Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC reporting (2013-2018).
In 2023, of 's land was designated as protected areas, falling above the EU value of 26.4%. With a coverage of in its marine waters, below the EU value of 13.7%.
The data sources and related statistics refer to 2023, therefore aligned with the EEA indicators: Designated terrestrial protected areas in Europe, Natura 2000 sites designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, Marine protected areas in Europe's seas.
Percentage of area covered by protected areas
Evolution of area covered by protected areas
From 2012 to 2023 the share of terrestrial protected areas in increased by 0.3%, slightly below the EU value increase of 1.8%.
National marine protected areas coverage trends are not available because methodological changes prevent a consistent comparison across years.
The EU Biodiversity Strategy has set a target of reaching 30% protected area coverage at the EU level by 2030.
If you want to know more about the Biodiversity Strategy, you can explore the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) and in particular the Dashboard section showing progress of the EU and its Member States towards the Biodiversity Strategy targets set for 2030.
Distribution of protected areas between national designations and Natura 2000
In , of protected areas consists of Natura 2000 sites. In the marine waters of Malta, almost all protected areas are Natura 2000 sites.
Spatial distribution of protected areas network
Protected areas designated under national laws
Designated sites in the Natura 2000 network
Size distribution of protected areas network
The majority (81%) of terrestrial protected areas in country are smaller than 1km2 in size, which is significantly higher than the average proportion of small protected areas across the EU. 17% of terrestrial sites are 1-10km2 and further 2% 10-100km2 and none are larger than that. The situation in the marine waters of Malta is characterized by the presence of larger protected areas with the majority (61%) being 100-1,000km2.
A focus on Natura 2000 sites in
has a total of Natura 2000 sites, they are designated under the Birds Directive, encompassing Special Protection Areas (SPA), and the Habitats Directive, encompassing Sites of Community Importance (SCI). Many sites are designated under both Directives.
Species protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats and Birds Directives. hosts protected under the Habitats Directive, which is approximately 3% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 17% of the species protected under the Birds Directive.
The figures are based on data electronically reported by the Member States under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) on the conservation status of habitat types and species for the 2013–2018 reporting period.
species protected under EU law
species under the Habitats Directive
species under the Birds Directive
Conservation Status of species: Habitats Directive
In , of species assessments indicate a good conservation status, while the EU average corresponds to 27.5%. The proportion of assessments indicating bad conservation status is reaching , compared to the EU average of 20.6%.
Protected species composition by taxonomic group
In , the distribution of protected species across taxonomic groups highlights the prominence of birds, comprising the largest proportion at 63.7%. They are followed by mammals, accounting for 10.4% of protected species, and vascular plants, representing 7.2%.
Conservation Status by Taxa
In , the assessment of species groups reveals that other invertebrates have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 100%. Following closely behind are vascular plants, with 77.7%, and non-vascular plants, with 66.6% of species in good conservation status. Molluscs exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 40%. The assessments for fish and amphibians species are reporting poor conservation status at 100%.
Habitats protected in under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. hosts habitat types, which is approximately 12.4% of the total of habitat types protected by the Habitats Directive.
The figures are based on data electronically reported by the Member States under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) on the conservation status of habitat types and species for the 2013–2018 reporting period.
habitats protected under EU law in
Conservation status of habitats
In , 27.6% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is above the EU average of 14.7%. A significant proportion of assessments, amounting to 58.6%, indicate a bad conservation status, surpassing the EU average of 35.8%.
Protected habitat composition by group
In , the group of protected habitats with the largest number consists of coastal and salt-tolerant habitats, accounting for 31% of the total. Following behind are forests, with 20.6% and sclerophyllous scrub, with 17.2% of the protected habitats.
Conservation status by group
In the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 66.6%. Following behind are sclerophyllous scrub, with 40% of habitat types in good conservation status. On the other hand, grasslands, freshwater and dune habitats exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status, reaching 100%, while forests also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 66.6%.
Malta is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: agroecosystems, which cover 57.6% of the country, followed by Urban areas occupying 30.5% of the land area. However, Malta has relatively smaller proportions of heathland ecosystems (9.4%), forests (2.5%) and rivers and lakes (0.02%).
The figures are based on the dataset "Ecosystem types of Europe 2012 - Full map (marine and terrestrial habitats) - version 3 revision 1, Feb. 2019".
In terms of the protected area network, heathlands constitute the largest portion, covering 48.7% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 45.8% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Urban areas account for 4.1% of the protected areas, emphasizing the significance of protecting nature within urban environments. Forests contribute to 1.4% of the protected areas, while rivers and lakes represent and wetlands comprise 0%.