Malta, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Kitts & Nevis are best investment destinations for high-net worth individuals

Malta is the best investment destination for high-net worth individuals based on a combination of factors including tax, crime, healthcare and passport strength. This is according to the latest CBI Power Rankings Index by Astons, the international experts on residency and citizenship through investment (CBI).

Antigua and Barbuda ranks second while Saint Kitts and Nevis is third. Here is the complete list of 12 countries with the best citizenship by investment destination based on a combination of factors including tax, crime, healthcare and passport strength:

1. Malta = 10.82 
2. Antigua & Barbuda = 10.71
3. Saint Kitts & Nevis = 10.50
4. Saint Lucia = 8.74
5. Grenada = 8.68
6. North Macedonia = 8.53
7. Vanuatu = 8.06
8. Dominica = 8.04
9. Turkiye = 7.84
10. Jordan = 6.64
11. Egypt = 6.56
12. Cambodia = 6.09

To create the CBI Power Rankings Index, Astons analyzed and ranked 12 nations that currently offer citizenship via direct investment (CBI) based on the eight factors namely cost, passport strength, crime level and safety, healthcare, tax, life expectancy, national economy and education. 

1. cost: The level of investment required to access the CBI program. Where a nation requires a lower level of investment than the average, this particular CBI index score is higher.
2. passport: Passport strength given by the number of visa free/visa on arrival/ETA locations accessible, where a higher number of accessible locations gives a higher CBI index score.
3. crime: Crime level and safety in a given nation, where a lower crime level is represented by a higher CBI index score
4. healthcare: Overall healthcare level accounting for prevention, detection, response and mitigation, general health sector capacity, state norms, as well as risk and vulnerability. In this case, a higher overall healthcare level is represented by a higher CBI index score.
5. tax: Individual highest marginal rate, where lower tax liability is represented by a higher CBI index score.
6. life expectancy: Life expectancy at birth, where a greater number of years of life translates to a higher CBI index score.
7. national economy: GDP per capita, where a higher GDP per capita relates to a more developed and stronger national economy and is represented by a higher CBI index score.
8. education: Average mean years of schooling in the given nation, with a higher number of years resulting in a higher CBI index score.

Grenada has the lowest local crime levels with a score of 1.50. Malta is second with a score of 1.03, which suggests very low crime.

For healthcare, Malta ranks fourth best (1.28) behind North Macedonia (1.34), Jordan (1.36) and Turkiye (1.59). Malta ranks top when it comes to GDP per capita with $33,941 giving a score of 3.7 and top again for education with the highest average years of schooling (12.2 years) giving a top-ranking index score of 1.4. 

When it comes to tax, Maltese citizens paying tax at the highest marginal rate will do so at 35%, which gives an index score of 0.76. This ranks joint second worst with Dominica and only Turkiye charges a higher tax rate of 40%. 

In comparison, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Kitts and Nevis have a rate of 0% tax for high earners. But with an average life expectancy of 83.8 years, Maltese citizens live longer than any other CBI nation.