What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between Malta and Svalbard and Jan Mayen?

4.32 km² per grid cell, with Malta ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and Svalbard and Jan Mayen?

108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Malta vs Svalbard and Jan Mayen: Urban area over the long-term

Malta

13.02 km² per grid cell

in 2025

Svalbard and Jan Mayen

8.7 km² per grid cell

in 2025

Malta rank

187th

Svalbard and Jan Mayen rank

190th

Urban area over the long-term over time

Malta
Svalbard and Jan Mayen

How they compare

Malta currently reports 13.02 km² per grid cell against 8.7 km² per grid cell in Svalbard and Jan Mayen, a difference of 4.32 km² per grid cell.

That makes Malta's figure about 1.5 times Svalbard and Jan Mayen's.

Across all 108 years both countries report, Malta has been ahead every year.

Malta ranks 187th and Svalbard and Jan Mayen ranks 190th of 202 countries.

Malta has averaged higher in every one of the 40 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Malta	Svalbard and Jan Mayen	Difference	Ahead
1000s	0.0052 km² per grid cell	0 km² per grid cell	0.0052 km² per grid cell	Malta
1100s	0.0062 km² per grid cell	0 km² per grid cell	0.0062 km² per grid cell	Malta
1200s	0.0073 km² per grid cell	0 km² per grid cell	0.0073 km² per grid cell	Malta
1300s	0.0169 km² per grid cell	0 km² per grid cell	0.0169 km² per grid cell	Malta
1400s	0.0098 km² per grid cell	0 km² per grid cell	0.0098 km² per grid cell	Malta
1500s	0.0231 km² per grid cell	0 km² per grid cell	0.0231 km² per grid cell	Malta
1600s	0.0551 km² per grid cell	0 km² per grid cell	0.0551 km² per grid cell	Malta
1700s	0.1179 km² per grid cell	0.0001 km² per grid cell	0.1178 km² per grid cell	Malta
1710s	0.2012 km² per grid cell	0.0001 km² per grid cell	0.2011 km² per grid cell	Malta
1720s	0.2878 km² per grid cell	0.0002 km² per grid cell	0.2877 km² per grid cell	Malta
1730s	0.3777 km² per grid cell	0.0002 km² per grid cell	0.3775 km² per grid cell	Malta
1740s	0.4709 km² per grid cell	0.0003 km² per grid cell	0.4707 km² per grid cell	Malta
1750s	0.5675 km² per grid cell	0.0004 km² per grid cell	0.5671 km² per grid cell	Malta
1760s	0.6836 km² per grid cell	0.0005 km² per grid cell	0.6831 km² per grid cell	Malta
1770s	0.8072 km² per grid cell	0.0006 km² per grid cell	0.8066 km² per grid cell	Malta
1780s	0.9383 km² per grid cell	0.0009 km² per grid cell	0.9375 km² per grid cell	Malta
1790s	1.08 km² per grid cell	0.0011 km² per grid cell	1.08 km² per grid cell	Malta
1800s	1.22 km² per grid cell	0.0015 km² per grid cell	1.22 km² per grid cell	Malta
1810s	1.4 km² per grid cell	0.002 km² per grid cell	1.4 km² per grid cell	Malta
1820s	1.59 km² per grid cell	0.0027 km² per grid cell	1.59 km² per grid cell	Malta
1830s	1.8 km² per grid cell	0.0038 km² per grid cell	1.79 km² per grid cell	Malta
1840s	2.01 km² per grid cell	0.0053 km² per grid cell	2.01 km² per grid cell	Malta
1850s	2.24 km² per grid cell	0.0074 km² per grid cell	2.23 km² per grid cell	Malta
1860s	2.59 km² per grid cell	0.0104 km² per grid cell	2.58 km² per grid cell	Malta
1870s	2.96 km² per grid cell	0.0131 km² per grid cell	2.94 km² per grid cell	Malta
1880s	3.35 km² per grid cell	0.0165 km² per grid cell	3.33 km² per grid cell	Malta
1890s	3.77 km² per grid cell	0.0209 km² per grid cell	3.75 km² per grid cell	Malta
1900s	4.21 km² per grid cell	0.0263 km² per grid cell	4.19 km² per grid cell	Malta
1910s	4.97 km² per grid cell	0.0332 km² per grid cell	4.94 km² per grid cell	Malta
1920s	5.77 km² per grid cell	0.0462 km² per grid cell	5.73 km² per grid cell	Malta
1930s	6.63 km² per grid cell	0.0641 km² per grid cell	6.57 km² per grid cell	Malta
1940s	7.54 km² per grid cell	0.0891 km² per grid cell	7.45 km² per grid cell	Malta
1950s	8.61 km² per grid cell	0.2042 km² per grid cell	8.41 km² per grid cell	Malta
1960s	8.44 km² per grid cell	0.4891 km² per grid cell	7.95 km² per grid cell	Malta
1970s	8.47 km² per grid cell	1.05 km² per grid cell	7.42 km² per grid cell	Malta
1980s	9.49 km² per grid cell	2.25 km² per grid cell	7.24 km² per grid cell	Malta
1990s	10.52 km² per grid cell	5.22 km² per grid cell	5.3 km² per grid cell	Malta
2000s	11.57 km² per grid cell	8.27 km² per grid cell	3.31 km² per grid cell	Malta
2010s	12.44 km² per grid cell	8.35 km² per grid cell	4.09 km² per grid cell	Malta
2020s	12.91 km² per grid cell	8.6 km² per grid cell	4.31 km² per grid cell	Malta

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher urban area over the long-term, Malta or Svalbard and Jan Mayen?: Malta, at 13.02 km² per grid cell against 8.7 km² per grid cell in Svalbard and Jan Mayen as of 2025.
What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between Malta and Svalbard and Jan Mayen?: 4.32 km² per grid cell, with Malta ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and Svalbard and Jan Mayen?: 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
How do Malta and Svalbard and Jan Mayen rank globally for urban area over the long-term?: Malta ranks 187th and Svalbard and Jan Mayen ranks 190th of 202 countries.
Where does this data come from?: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Urban area over the long-term
Unit: km² per grid cell
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 202 places, 21,816 data points, 1000–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Total built-up area of a country over time.