Maldives
Republic of Maldives
Population
388.9K
Area
298 km²
GDP
$6.97B
GDP Per Capita
$23,400
Pop. Density
1,305/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
.ރMaldivian rufiyaa(MVR)
Calling Code
+960
Timezone
UTC+05:00
Languages
Maldivian
Driving Side
left
Demonym
Maldivan
Background
A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887 and a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated Maldives' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. After political demonstrations in the capital Male in 2003, GAYOOM and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Political parties were legalized in 2005.
In 2008, a constituent assembly -- termed the "Special Majlis" -- finalized a new constitution ratified by GAYOOM. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held later that year. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist whom the regime had jailed several years earlier. In 2012, after several weeks of street protests in response to a top judge's arrest, NASHEED resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. A government-appointed Commission of National Inquiry concluded that there was no evidence of a coup, but NASHEED contended that police and military personnel forced him to resign. NASHEED, WAHEED, and Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom ran in the 2013 elections with YAMEEN ultimately winning the presidency after three rounds of voting. In 2018, YAMEEN lost his reelection bid to parliamentarian Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH. YAMEEN was arrested and jailed in 2022 on corruption charges. Maldives' fourth democratic election was held in September 2023. The winner, Male City Mayor Dr. Mohamed MUIZZU, campaigned on a platform of Maldivian sovereignty, vowing to remove Indian military personnel from the country. MUIZZU represents a joint Progressive Pary of Maldives and People's National Congress (PPM/PNC) coalition.
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑348.3% since 2006Population
↑68.2% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 81.0 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography17
Location
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Geographic coordinates
3 15 N, 73 00 E
Map references
Asia
Area
land: 298 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 1.7 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
Coastline
644 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Terrain
flat coral atolls, with white sandy beaches; sits atop the submarine volcanic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge
Elevation
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 2 m
Natural resources
fish
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2012)
Population distribution
about a third of the population lives in the centrally located capital city of Male and almost a tenth in southern Addu City; the remainder of the populace is spread over the 200 or so populated islands of the archipelago
Natural hazards
tsunamis; low elevation of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise
Geography - note
smallest Asian country; archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); strategic location along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
People & Society36
Population
male: 197,739
female: 191,119
Nationality
adjective: Maldivian
Ethnic groups
homogeneous mixture of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, Australasian, and African resulting from historical changes in regional hegemony over marine trade routes
Languages
Dhivehi (official, closely related to Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials)
Religions
Sunni Muslim (official)
Age structure
15-64 years: 71.5% (male 143,021/female 135,044)
65 years and over: 6.1% (2024 est.) (male 10,397/female 13,449)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 31.3 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 8.6 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 11.7 (2024 est.)
Median age
male: 31.3 years
female: 32.4 years
Population growth rate
-0.24% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
14.77 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
-12.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
about a third of the population lives in the centrally located capital city of Male and almost a tenth in southern Addu City; the remainder of the populace is spread over the 200 or so populated islands of the archipelago
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 2.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
177,000 MALE (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
23.2 years (2016/17 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
32 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 75.1 years
female: 79.9 years
Total fertility rate
1.7 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.83 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 18.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
2.24 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Hospital bed density
5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
8.6% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
male: 41.5% (2025 est.)
female: 9.2% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
14.8% (2017 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
68.4% (2022 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 2.2% (2017)
men married by age 18: 2.2% (2017)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 9.6% national budget (2025 est.)
Literacy
male: 98.2% (2019 est.)
female: 98.3% (2019 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 11 years (2022 est.)
female: 15 years (2022 est.)
Government22
Country name
conventional short form: Maldives
local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
etymology: the origin of the name is obscure but may derive from the Sanskrit word maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands;" the local name, Dhivehi Raajje, means "land of the Dhivehi people" in the local language
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E
time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name may come from the Sanskrit word mala, or "garland"
Administrative divisions
Legal system
Islamic (sharia) legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters
Constitution
amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote by its membership and the signature of the president of the republic; passage of amendments to constitutional articles on rights and freedoms and the terms of office of Parliament and of the president also requires a majority vote in a referendum
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Maldives
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: unknown
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
election results
2023: Mohamed MUIZZU elected president in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Mohamed MUIZZU (PNC) 46.1%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 39.1%, Ilyas LABEEB (DEMS) 7.1%, other 7.7%; percent of vote in the second round - Mohamed MUIZZU 54%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH 46%
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
legislature name
legislative structure
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission -- a 10-member body of selected senior government officials and the public -- and on confirmation by voting members of the People's Majlis; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 70
subordinate courts: High Court; Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Drug Courts; Magistrate Courts (on each of the inhabited islands)
Political parties
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party or DRP
Maldives Development Alliance or MDA
Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP
Maldives Third Way Democrats or MTD
People's National Congress or PNC
People's National Front
Republican (Jumhooree) Party or JP
Diplomatic representation in the US
chancery: 1100 H Street NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 516-5458
email address and website:
WashingtonInfo@foreign.gov.mv
The Embassy (mdvmission.gov.mv)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka; note - as of early November 2023, the US has no consular or diplomatic offices in Maldives; the US Mission to Maldives operates from US Embassy Colombo, Sri Lanka
telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500
FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345
email address and website:
Homepage - U.S. Embassy in Maldives
International organization participation
ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence
26 July 1965 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Flag
meaning: red stands for those who have sacrificed their lives to defend the country, green for peace and prosperity, and the white crescent is a symbol of Islam
National symbol(s)
coconut palm, yellowfin tuna
National color(s)
red, green, white
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Mohamed Jameel DIDI/Wannakuwattawaduge DON AMARADEVA
history: lyrics adopted 1948, music adopted 1972; the anthem has seven verses, but only the first two are commonly used
Economy31
Economic overview
upper middle-income Indian Ocean island economy; major tourism, fishing, and shipping industries; high public debt; systemic corruption; crippled by COVID-19; ongoing deflation; poverty has tripled since pandemic began
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $11.723 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $11.194 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.7% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 13.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $22,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $21,400 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$6.975 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 2.9% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 2.3% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 9% (2024 est.)
services: 73.8% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption
government consumption
investment in fixed capital
investment in inventories
exports of goods and services
imports of goods and services
Agricultural products
fruits, vegetables, nuts, other meats, papayas, bananas, tomatoes, maize, pulses, chillies/peppers (2023)
Industries
tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining
Industrial production growth rate
-2.7% (2024 est.)
Labor force
270,300 (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 4.3% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 4.5% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 20% (2024 est.)
female: 9.5% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line
5.4% (2019 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 23.3% (2019 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2023: 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $1.939 billion (2021 est.)
Public debt
Taxes and other revenues
19.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Current account balance
Current account balance 2023: -$1.4 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$1.042 billion (2022 est.)
Exports
Exports 2023: $4.88 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $5.096 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners
Thailand 32%, India 21%, Singapore 9%, UK 7%, Germany 5% (2023)
Exports - commodities
fish, aircraft, refined petroleum, scrap iron, natural gas (2023)
Imports
Imports 2023: $4.984 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $4.939 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners
India 15%, UAE 15%, Oman 14%, China 12%, Singapore 8% (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, plastic products, aircraft, granite, ships (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $590.523 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $832.094 million (2022 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy6
Electricity access
Electricity
consumption: 821.397 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 25.867 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 6.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
Petroleum
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 137 (2022 est.)
Broadcast media
formerly a state-owned radio and TV monopoly; now 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned TV stations; 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned radio stations (2019)
Internet country code
.mv
Internet users
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2023 est.)
Transportation4
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
8Q
Airports
20 (2025)
Merchant marine
by type: general cargo 30, oil tanker 20, other 32
Ports
total ports
large
medium
small
very small
ports with oil terminals
key ports
Military & Security6
Military and security forces
Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology (MOHST): Maldives Police Service (2025)
Military expenditures
not available
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 3-4,000 active Defense Forces (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Defense Force has a limited inventory consisting of mostly secondhand or donated equipment from suppliers such as Germany, India, Japan, Türkiye, and the UK (2025)
Military service age and obligation
18-25 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription (2025)
Military - note
the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) is responsible for defending and safeguarding the Maldives' territorial integrity, economic exclusion zone, and people; it is also responsible for disaster relief, and if requested, assisting the Maldives Police Service in maintaining internal security and law and order; maritime security is its largest focus; the Indian Armed Forces have long been the MNDF's most important partner (2025)