Country Profile of Malta
Main statistical agency
Main statistical agency name
National Statistics Office (NSO)
Web address
www.nso.gov.mt
Position in the government
The NSO reports to the Minister of Finance through the Malta Statistics Authority Board.
Organizational structure and finance
DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL STATISTICS
Demographies
Social
Household Budgets
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE STATISTICS
Industrial
International Trade
Agriculture
Tourism
ECONOMIC STATISTICS
National Accounts
Balance of Payments
Retail Price Index
ANALYSIS AND METHODOLOGY
Review and Analysis
International Office
Library and Information Unit
Multi-annual or annual work program
There is a three-year rolling business plan that is updated on a yearly basis. However, on a yearly basis only the work programme for that particular year is published.
Main duties
The National Statistics Office (NSO) is responsible for the collection, compilation, analysis and publication of a wide range of statistical information and related matters. This does not prevent other government departments or institutions from collecting their own statistical data for internal purposes.
Brief history and other relevant background information
Brief history and other relevant background information
The National Statistics Office (NSO) came into being in March 1947. However, official statistics had been compiled and published for a long time before that. In 1872, an official publication called 'The Blue Book' featured a Statistical view of Malta and its Dependencies for the previous ten years, - viz 1863 to 1872; covering the relevant time series for population, education, finance, sale of public sites, imports, exports and shipping. One of the first volumes of The Blue Book of the Colony of Malta was published in 1851, and covered, among other things, a statistical abstract on population emanating from the 1842 Census.
Legal basis
Legal basis
The Malta Statistics Authority Act XXIV of 2000 covers the collection, compilation and dissemination of statistics.
Other producers of official statistics
Other producers of official statistics
The Central Bank of Malta: mainly monetary statistics
The Employment and Training Corporation: labour statistics based on administrative records.
Statistical advisory bodies
Statistical advisory bodies
Legislation provides for a Statistics Authority Board which is the counterpart of a Statistics Council. This Board is made up of a chairperson who is appointed by the Minister responsible for statistics, the Director General of the National Statistics Office in an ex officio capacity and, six (6) other members with the necessary technical competence in statistics who are appointed as follows: four (4) after consulation with the Central Bank of Malta, the trade union movement, the University of Malta and the business community while the remaining two (2) are professionals in the field of statistics.
The functions of the Malta Statistics Authority Board are as follows: (a) to examine and submit, for the approval of the Minister, the business plan and financial estimates drawn up by the Director General for the administration of the Office; (b) to regulate and generally supervise the production of official statistics in accordance with international requirements and standards; (c) to discuss and advise on statistical maters, including methodologies, relating to the collection, coordination of activities with statistical implications; (d) to establish priorities in responding to the demand for official statistics; (e) to liaise between the Office and other public bodies concerning the supply of data and the coordination of activities with statistical implications; (f) to publish the business plan after its approval by the Minister and the Minister of Finance; (g) to disseminate the knowledge of official statistics; (h) to consider and comment where necessary on the yearly report submitted by the Director General on the work of the Office.
Apart from the above-mentioned Board, there is a Retail Prices Index Advisory Board which is composed of the three social partners, Government, the trade unions and the business community, and the Director General of the NSO in an ex officio capacity.
In addition to the above, the NSO has a number of consultation groups on various areas, including the National Accounts, Health and the Labour Market.
Data collection
Most recent population census
27 Nov.-11 Dec. 2005
Access to administrative data
The NSO has access to almost all administrative data. The only limitation is on access to income tax micro-data; the Prime Minister's approval is needed for the use of such data first.
Data confidentiality
No individual names of persons or enterprises are ever entered in NSO databases. No microdata is ever made available to third parties, not even for research purposes. No statistics are ever published that might identify individual, households or enterprises.
Data dissemination
Release calendar (existence, when and how published)
A 3 month Advance News Release Calendar is available online at http://www.nso.gov.mt/statdoc/news_release_calendar.aspx
This is also in line with efforts towards subscribing to the IMF's SDDS.
Main publications
Lifestyle Survey 2007
Transport Statistics 2008
Agriculture and Fisheries 2007
Social Protection: Malta and the EU 2008
Labour Force Survey 2007
EDP Consolidated Inventory of Sources and Methods
Malta in Figures 2008
Demographic Review 2007
Gross Nitrogen Balance For Malta 2007
Transport Statistics 2006
Transport Statistics 2007
The Retail Price Index in Plain Language
Plant Protection Products: 2007
Demographic Review 2006
Census of Fisheries 2006
Labour Force Survey 2006
Census 2005, Volume 2: Dwellings Population & Social Conditions
Malta in Figures 2007 General Statistics
Census 2005, Volume 1: Population Population & Social Conditions
Agriculture and Fisheries 2005 Agriculture & Fisheries
Education Statistics 2005
Demographic Review 2005
Social Welfare-Oriented NGO's 2004
Culture Statistics: 2004
Agriculture and Fisheries 2004
Structural Indicators: Q4/2005
Environment Statistics 2006
Labour Force Survey 2005
Census 2005 Preliminary Report
Malta in Figures 2005
Balance of Payments 2003
Transport Statistics 2005
Time-Use Survey 2002
Lifestyle Survey 07-Mar-2006 Population & Social Conditions
Education Statistics 2004
Structural Indicators: Q3/2005
Plant Protection Products: 2005
Demographic Review 2004
Structural Indicators: Q2/2005
Survey on Information Communication Technology in Schools 08-Nov-2005
Agriculture and Fisheries 2003
Kitchen Garden Survey 2004
Trade Statistics 2003
Structural Indicators: Q1/2005
Survey on ICT - usage of Enterprises 2003
Labour Force Survey 2004
Balance of Payments 2002
Education Statistics 2003
Malta in Figures 2004
Agriculture and Fisheries 2001
Transport Statistics 2001
Labour Force Survey 2003
Education Statistics 2002
Transport Statistics 2004
Demographic Review 2003
Agriculture and Fisheries
Structural Statistics 2004
Trade Statistics 2002
Sports Organisations 2000-2002
Transport Statistics 2003
Shipping and Aviation Statistics 2002
Trade Statistics 2001
Demographic Review 2002
Education Statistics 2001
Census of Agriculture 2001
Household Budgetary Survey 2000
Survey on ICT Usage in Households 2002
Demographic Review 2001
Census 1995
Languages of main publications
English
How are data disseminated (Paper, CD Rom, Website, online databases, databanks)?
All different formats although more emphasis is being placed on CD-Rom, website and the online database.
Availability of microdata for research purposes
Until now, access has never been given. However, this matter is being actively studied by the NSO. Access to such information must also be studied in the light of the recently published Data Protection Act which entrenches further the confidentiality obligations found in the statistics act.
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