Maldives

Presidential RepublicPop528KGDP (PPP)$12.3BCI43Beta CP0.0→Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

Maldives

⌘K

Overview

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.

Geography

Area

Land: 298 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
Total: 298 sq km

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

Land Use

Other: 67.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 12.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 19.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 13.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.)

Location: Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Coastline: 644 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: 8th tee, golf course, Villingi Island 5 m
Mean elevation: 2 m

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (2012)
Map references: Asia

Land Boundaries

Total: 0 km

Maritime Claims

Note: note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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
Natural resources: fish
Area comparative: about 1.7 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates: 3 15 N, 73 00 E
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

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 98.2% (2019 est.)
Female: 98.3% (2019 est.)
Total population: 98.2% (2019 est.)

Languages: Dhivehi (official, closely related to Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials)
Religions: Sunni Muslim (official)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 14.77 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 31.3 years
Total: 32.4 years (2025 est.)
Female: 32.4 years

Population

Male: 197,739
Total: 388,858 (2024 est.)
Female: 191,119

Nationality

Noun: Maldivian(s)
Adjective: Maldivian

Tobacco Use

Male: 41.5% (2025 est.)
Total: 28% (2025 est.)
Female: 9.2% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 42% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 22.4% (male 44,321/female 42,626)
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)

Ethnic groups: homogeneous mixture of Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, Australasian, and African resulting from historical changes in regional hegemony over marine trade routes

Child Marriage

Men married BY age 18: 2.2% (2017)
Women married BY age 15: 0% (2017)
Women married BY age 18: 2.2% (2017)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 39.8 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 31.3 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 11.7 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.6 (2024 est.)

Physician density: 2.24 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 10% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 18.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 9.6% national budget (2025 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 21.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: -0.24% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.83 (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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 75.1 years
Female: 79.9 years
Total population: 77.4 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 32 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 1.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 177,000 MALE (capital) (2018)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8.6% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 23.2 years (2016/17 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 68.4% (2022 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 14.8% (2017 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 11 years (2022 est.)
Total: 13 years (2022 est.)
Female: 15 years (2022 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: description: red with a large green rectangle in the center and a vertical white crescent moon centered on the rectangle

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

Capital

Name: Malé
Etymology: the name may come from the Sanskrit word mala, or "garland"
Time difference: UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 4 10 N, 73 30 E

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship BY birth: no
Citizenship BY descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Maldives
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: unknown

Constitution

History: many previous; latest ratified 7 August 2008
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

Country Name

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
Local long form: Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
Local short form: Dhivehi Raajje
Conventional long form: Republic of Maldives
Conventional short form: Maldives

Independence: 26 July 1965 (from the UK)
Legal system: Islamic (sharia) legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters
Government type: presidential republic

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices)
Subordinate courts: High Court; Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Drug Courts; Magistrate Courts (on each of the inhabited islands)
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

Executive Branch

Note: note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by People's Majlis
Chief of state: President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)
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%
Head of government: President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)
Most recent election date: 9 September 2023, with runoff on 30 September 2023
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)
Expected date of next election: 2028

National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
National color(s): red, green, white
Political parties: Adhaalath (Justice) Party or AP
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

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 93 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Legislature name: People's Majlis (Majlis)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 4/21/2024
Expected date of next election: April 2029
Percentage of women in chamber: 3.2%
Parties elected and seats per party: People's National Congress (PNC) (66); Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) (12); Independents (11); Other (4)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "Gaumee Salaam" (National Salute)
History: lyrics adopted 1948, music adopted 1972; the anthem has seven verses, but only the first two are commonly used
Lyrics/music: Mohamed Jameel DIDI/Wannakuwattawaduge DON AMARADEVA

National symbol(s): coconut palm, yellowfin tuna
Administrative divisions: 21 administrative atolls (atholhuthah, singular - atholhu); Addu (Addu City), Ariatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Ari Atoll), Ariatholhu Uthuruburi (North Ari Atoll), Faadhippolhu, Felidhuatholhu (Felidhu Atoll), Fuvammulah, Hahdhunmathi, Huvadhuatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Huvadhu Atoll), Huvadhuatholhu Uthuruburi (North Huvadhu Atoll), Kolhumadulu, Maale (Male), Maaleatholhu (Male Atoll), Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi (South Maalhosmadulu), Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi (North Maalhosmadulu), Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi (South Miladhunmadulu), Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi (North Miladhunmadulu), Mulakatholhu (Mulaku Atoll), Nilandheatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Nilandhe Atoll), Nilandheatholhu Uthuruburi (North Nilandhe Atoll), Thiladhunmathee Dhekunuburi (South Thiladhunmathi), Thiladhunmathee Uthuruburi (North Thiladhunmathi)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Chancery: 1100 H Street NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20005
Telephone: [1] (202) 516-5458
Chief of mission: Ambassador Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed (since 15 June 2023)
Email address and website: WashingtonInfo@foreign.gov.mv

The Embassy (mdvmission.gov.mv)

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [94] (11) 243-7345
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
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Chunnong SAEGER (since January 2026)
Email address and website: Homepage - U.S. Embassy in Maldives

International organisations: 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
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Legislature

MALDIVES · LEGISLATURE

People's Majlis

93 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

People's National Congress (PNC)

Parties

All political parties6 parties · 93 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Leaders

Current

MM
Mohamed Muizzu
- Head of StateSince 2023
- Head of GovernmentSince 2023

Economy

Budget

Note: note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $1.407 billion (2021 est.)
Expenditures: $1.939 billion (2021 est.)

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $5.5B

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports 2022: $5.096 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $4.88 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $5.413 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $5.5B

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports 2022: $4.939 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $4.984 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $5.344 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining
Labor force: 270,300 (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 61.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2016: 61.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Exchange Rates

Currency: rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 15.381 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 15.373 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 15.387 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 15.387 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 15.389 (2024 est.)

Debt External

Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Debt external 2023: $3.113 billion (2023 est.)

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

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 4.5%

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 4.5% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 4.3% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 4.7% (2024 est.)

Exports partners: Thailand 32%, India 21%, Singapore 9%, UK 7%, Germany 5% (2023)
Imports partners: India 15%, UAE 15%, Oman 14%, China 12%, Singapore 8% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $26,183

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $21,400 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $22,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $23,400 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.5%

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 13.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 4.7% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 5.1% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: fruits, vegetables, nuts, other meats, papayas, bananas, tomatoes, maize, pulses, chillies/peppers (2023)
Exports commodities: fish, aircraft, refined petroleum, scrap iron, natural gas (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, plastic products, aircraft, granite, ships (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$1.3B

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Current account balance 2022: -$1.042 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$1.4 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: -$1.257 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 19.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $6.975 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Household consumption: 51.4% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 17.1% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: -2% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 35% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 74.4% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -75.7% (2023 est.)

Population below poverty line: 5.4% (2019 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 1.4%

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 2.3% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 2.9% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 1.4% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: -2.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $12.325 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $11.194 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $11.723 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $12.325 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 20% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 16.1% (2024 est.)
Female: 9.5% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $832.094 million (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $590.523 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $673.886 million (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 9% (2024 est.)
Services: 73.8% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 3% (2024 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Lowest 10%: 3.8% (2019 est.)
Highest 10%: 23.3% (2019 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2019: 29.3 (2019 est.)

Energy

Coal

Imports: 8 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption: 13,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 821.397 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 432,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 25.867 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 50.886 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 6.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 93.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 85% (2023 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

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 13,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Total subscriptions: 745,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 137 (2022 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 98,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 0
Medium: 0
Key ports: Male
Very small: 1
Total ports: 1 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 1

Airports: 20 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 82 (2023)
BY type: general cargo 30, oil tanker 20, other 32

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 8Q

Environment

Climate: tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)

Land Use

Other: 67.7% (2023 est.)
Forest: 12.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 19.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 13.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 42% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 211,500 tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 20.9% (2022 est.)

Environmental issues: rising sea levels; depletion of freshwater aquifers; inadequate sewage treatment; coral reef bleaching

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 5.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 300,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)
Agricultural: 268,194 cubic meters (2022 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 1.908 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.908 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 12.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 30 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Military & Security

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)
Military expenditures: not available
Military and security forces: Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Corps, Fire and Rescue Service

Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology (MOHST): Maldives Police Service (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription (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 and security service personnel strengths: approximately 3-4,000 active Defense Forces (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

Transnational Issues

Trafficking in Persons

Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Maldives remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/maldives/

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 54 (2023 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index43.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4102 / 1902024-Q4

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.42as of 2024-Q473 / 1702024-Q4

Freedom House StatusNot Free (42/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024

Cite this page

Cite this pageAPA · BibTeX · Chicago · JSON

Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Maldives — vintage 2026-Q1: Maldives factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/maldives

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

Maldives

Area

Land Use

Elevation

Land Boundaries

Maritime Claims

Literacy

Sex Ratio

Median Age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco Use

Urbanization

Age Structure

Child Marriage

Dependency Ratios

Health Expenditure

Drinking Water Source

Education Expenditure

Infant Mortality Rate

Life Expectancy at Birth

Sanitation Facility Access

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

How power is organised

Capital

Citizenship

Constitution

Country Name

Judicial Branch

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

National Anthem(s)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Diplomatic Representation from the US

People's Majlis

Current

Mohamed Muizzu

Budget

Exports

Imports

Public Debt

Remittances

Exchange Rates

Debt External

Unemployment Rate

Real GDP Per Capita

Real GDP Growth Rate

Current Account Balance

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Electricity Access

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Electricity Generation Sources

Internet Users

Telephones Fixed Lines

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Ports

Merchant Marine

Land Use

Urbanization

Waste and Recycling

Total Water Withdrawal

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

International Environmental Agreements

Trafficking in Persons

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

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