Malta Ranks Second Lowest In EU For Social Protection Spending

Malta recorded the second-lowest expenditure on social protection benefits in the European Union in 2025, according to early estimates published by Eurostat.

The figures show that social protection spending in Malta amounted to 13.8% of the country's GDP, placing it just above Ireland, which recorded the lowest share at 11.7%.

Hungary followed Malta with 16.7%, while Austria recorded the highest expenditure at 32.4% of GDP, followed by Finland at 32.2% and France at 32.1%.

Across the EU, expenditure on social protection benefits reached €5.18 trillion in 2025, representing a 4.9% increase compared with the previous year. This accounted for 27.5% of the bloc's GDP, a slight decrease of 0.2 percentage points from 2024.

Old age benefits accounted for the largest share of EU social protection spending, at 41.5%, followed by sickness and healthcare benefits at 30%.

Expenditure increased in every EU country, with Croatia recording the largest annual rise at 15.4%, followed by Bulgaria at 12.1% and Lithuania at 11.6%.

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