Malta Tops Global Citizenship Index, Greece Leads Residence Rankings In 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Malta has maintained its position at the top of the 2025 Global Citizenship Program Index for the 10th consecutive year, while Greece climbed to the top of the 2025 Global Residence Program Index for the first time, underscoring the dominance of European investment migration programmes.
Henley & Partners, which tracks these trends, onboarded clients from 94 nationalities in 2024, with the United States contributing 23 per cent of all applications, marking a 1,000 per cent increase compared to five years ago. The United Kingdom (UK) also saw a significant 57 per cent rise in applications from British citizens last year.
Henley & Partners Chairman, Dr Christian H. Kaelin, emphasised the importance of these programmes for governments seeking to attract wealth and fund developmental initiatives, particularly those addressing sustainability and climate risks.
“For investors, alternative residence and citizenship is a unique investment that enables them to be as globally diversified as their wealth portfolios,” he said in a statement.
In the citizenship rankings, Malta retained the top spot with a score of 76 out of 100, followed by Austria in second place with a score of 75. Caribbean nations Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda secured the third and fourth positions, respectively.
A newcomer to the index, Nauru, shared the fifth spot with St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia, offering global mobility and contributing to climate resilience projects.
In the residence rankings, Greece’s golden visa programme claimed the top position with a score of 73, surpassing Portugal, which had held the top spot for nine years. Portugal, along with Italy and the UK, now shares third place with a score of 70.
Meanwhile, Switzerland, with a programme combining private residence and forfait tax options, ranked second with a score of 72. Other countries in the top five include Australia, Canada, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates, which expanded its golden visa programme in 2024 to attract talent and innovation.
Hungary, Luxembourg, Singapore, Jersey, Panama, and Costa Rica were among the new entrants to the index, reflecting the growing appeal of global residence and citizenship options for investors seeking to diversify and grow their wealth.
Henley & Partners’ annual report provides detailed rankings and analysis of the most attractive residence and citizenship by investment programmes, helping global investors choose the best options based on their needs. The indexes also feature interactive tools for a personalised comparison of various programmes.
-- BERNAMA
