Malta ranks among the European Union’s top performers for expected working life, with people in the country projected to spend an average of 39 years in the labour market, according to the latest figures from Eurostat. That places Malta comfortably above the EU-wide average of 37.2 years, which has itself risen by more than two years since 2016 as employment rates climb and careers lengthen across the bloc.
The Netherlands leads the EU rankings at 43.8 years, followed by Sweden at 43.0 years and Denmark at 42.5 years. Estonia, Ireland and Germany also sit above the EU average, while Romania, Italy and Bulgaria occupy the lower end of the scale at 32.7, 32.8 and 34.8 years respectively.
Malta’s standing is particularly striking when set against the pace of recent change. Expected working life in the country has grown by more than five years since 2015, one of the largest improvements recorded anywhere in the EU during that period. The primary driver has been a substantial rise in women’s participation in the labour market, a shift that has fundamentally reshaped Malta’s workforce profile over the past decade.
A gender gap persists, both in Malta and across the EU more broadly. Europe-wide, men are expected to remain economically active for an average of 39.2 years, compared with 35 years for women. In Malta, the disparity is more pronounced: men are projected to work 42.2 years on average, while women are expected to work around 35.9 years. The gap is notable, though it sits alongside the broader story of how dramatically female participation has grown in recent years.
Eurostat calculates the indicator as the estimated number of years a person aged 15 and over is expected to remain economically active, based on prevailing employment, unemployment and life expectancy trends at a given point in time.
For Malta, the overall picture is a positive one. A labour market that has expanded meaningfully in reach and depth over the past decade now compares favourably with some of Europe’s most developed economies. Sustaining that momentum and continuing to close the gender gap, will be the defining task for the years ahead.
