As at the end of 2017, the Maltese economy recorded a net International Investment Position of €7.0 billion, the NSO said today.

International Investment Position of Malta: 2017

When compared to 2016, total foreign assets increased by €12.4 billion in 2017 while total foreign liabilities increased by €10.0 billion, resulting in an overall increase in the International Investment Position (IIP) of €2.4 billion.

The level of Malta’s total foreign assets abroad amounted to €239.0 billion as at the end of 2017.

Portfolio Investment accounted for 47.2 per cent while Direct Investment represented 30.6 per cent of total foreign assets. The increase in Malta’s foreign assets was characterised mainly by a €6.9 billion increase in Equity and investment fund shares under Portfolio Investment partially offset by a decline of €1.3 billion in Debt securities.

At the end of December 2017, Malta’s foreign liabilities were recorded at €232.0 billion. Direct Investment totalled €181.3 billion up from €172.7 billion recorded in December 2016 and accounted for 78.1 per cent of total foreign liabilities. Moreover, Other Investment represented 19.9 per cent of total foreign liabilities and totalled €46.2 billion compared with €45.0 billion the previous year