Time required to start a business in Malta

Malta: Time required to start a business was 20.5 days in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
20.5 days
Change on year
up 28.1%
World rank
49th
of 188 countries
All-time high
38.5 days
in 2011
All-time low
16 days
in 2017
Years of data
9
2011–2019

Time required to start a business in Malta, 2011–2019

0102030402011201520192011: 38.5 days2012: 38.5 days2013: 38.5 days2014: 33.5 days2015: 28 days2016: 26 days2017: 16 days2018: 16 days2019: 20.5 days

Source: Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in days.

Analysis

In 2019, time required to start a business in Malta stood at 20.5 days.

The figure is up 28.1% on the previous year and down 46.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, time required to start a business in Malta peaked at 38.5 days in 2011 and was at its lowest, 16 days, in 2017.

Malta ranks 49th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Time required to start a business in Malta, year by year

Annual values for Time required to start a business in Malta, 2011 to 2019.
Year days Change
2011 38.5 days
2012 38.5 days +0.0%
2013 38.5 days +0.0%
2014 33.5 days -13.0%
2015 28 days -16.4%
2016 26 days -7.1%
2017 16 days -38.5%
2018 16 days +0.0%
2019 20.5 days +28.1%

Malta compared with similar countries

  • Malta's 20.5 days is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.5 days, 2.4× the median. (62 countries reporting)
  • Malta's 20.5 days is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 14 days, 1.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Countries ranked near Malta

  1. 46 Eswatini 21.5 days compare
  2. 46 Slovakia 21.5 days compare
  3. 48 Austria 21 days compare
  4. 50 Romania 20 days compare
  5. 51 Bangladesh 19.5 days compare
  6. 51 Croatia 19.5 days compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More reference data data for Malta

All data for Malta →

Frequently asked questions

What is time required to start a business in Malta?
Time required to start a business in Malta was 20.5 days in 2019, according to Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest time required to start a business recorded in Malta?
The highest recorded value was 38.5 days in 2011.
What is the lowest time required to start a business recorded in Malta?
The lowest recorded value was 16 days in 2017.
How does Malta rank for time required to start a business?
Malta ranks 49th out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
Is time required to start a business rising or falling in Malta?
Over the last ten years it is down 46.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malta data come from?
The figures come from Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Time required to start a business. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Time required to start a business in Malta. Statizoid, drawing on Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/time-required-to-start-business/malta/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/time-required-to-start-business/malta/">Time required to start a business in Malta</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Time required to start a business
Unit
days
Source
Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
188 places, 2,945 data points, 2003–2019
Last refreshed

Number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business.