The latest insights from the CEO Confidence Tracker capture the pulse of top business leaders across the nation. This edition, featuring responses from over 30 CEOs, provides a snapshot of how Malta's business leaders perceive recent performance, their outlook, and the potential impact of the escalating Middle East conflict on their operations.
Business performance
Our latest tracker results reveal a strengthening business performance. 71% of CEOs reported improved performance over the past six months compared to the previous period, while 22.6% experienced stable results and only 6.5% noted a decline.
This continues, and slightly improves upon, the results from the previous edition (November 2025), where 69% reported better performance. Notably, the share of CEOs reporting a decline has more than halved, dropping from 15% in November to just 6.5% now. This suggests that the economic resilience observed across key sectors is not only holding but broadening, with fewer businesses experiencing downturns.
An outlook on the economy
Looking ahead, business leaders remain cautiously optimistic. 48.4% of CEOs expect conditions to be positive over the next six months, while 41.9% anticipate stability. This means that approximately 90% of CEOs expect conditions to at least hold steady. Only 9.7% foresee a negative outlook.
This aligns broadly with the November 2025 results, where 92% of CEOs expected stable or improving conditions. The slight dip in combined optimism (from 92% to ~90%) is marginal and likely reflects a natural recalibration as CEOs consider evolving geopolitical developments and global trade uncertainty, including ongoing tariff tensions and supply chain pressures, rather than any fundamental shift in domestic confidence.
The impact of the Middle East conflict
In this edition, CEOs were asked about the extent to which the escalating conflict in the Middle East could impact their business. The results reveal a measured but notable level of concern.
87.1% of CEOs believe the Middle East conflict will have at least some effect on their business. This is a significant figure that underscores the interconnected nature of Malta's economy with global trade routes, energy markets, and supply chains.
The CEO Confidence Tracker is a survey we conduct every six months to capture the sentiment of top business leaders across the country. For more information or to participate in future editions, please contact us.
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