Maldives

Code: MV | Region: South Asia

Introduction

Background

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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

Location

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Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India

Geographic coordinates

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3 15 N, 73 00 E

Map references

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Asia

Area

total

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298 sq km

land

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298 sq km

water

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0 sq km

Area - comparative

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about 1.7 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries

total

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0 km

Coastline

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644 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea

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12 nm

contiguous zone

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24 nm

exclusive economic zone

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200 nm

note

note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

Climate

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

Terrain

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flat coral atolls, with white sandy beaches; sits atop the submarine volcanic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge

Elevation

highest point

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8th tee, golf course, Villingi Island 5 m

lowest point

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Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

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2 m

Natural resources

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fish

Land use

agricultural land

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19.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 13.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.)

forest

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12.5% (2023 est.)

other

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67.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

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0 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

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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

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tsunamis; low elevation of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise

Geography - note

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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 and Society

Population

total

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388,858 (2024 est.)

male

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197,739

female

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191,119

Nationality

noun

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Maldivian(s)

adjective

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Maldivian

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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Dhivehi (official, closely related to Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English (spoken by most government officials)

Religions

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Sunni Muslim (official)

Age structure

0-14 years

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22.4% (male 44,321/female 42,626)

15-64 years

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71.5% (male 143,021/female 135,044)

65 years and over

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6.1% (2024 est.) (male 10,397/female 13,449)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

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39.8 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

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31.3 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

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8.6 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

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11.7 (2024 est.)

Median age

total

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32.4 years (2025 est.)

male

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31.3 years

female

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32.4 years

Population growth rate

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-0.24% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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14.77 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

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4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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-12.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

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Urbanization

urban population

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42% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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2.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

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177,000 MALE (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth

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1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years

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1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

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1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over

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0.77 male(s)/female

total population

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1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

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23.2 years (2016/17 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio

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32 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total

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23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male

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27.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female

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21.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population

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77.4 years (2024 est.)

male

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75.1 years

female

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79.9 years

Total fertility rate

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1.7 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

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0.83 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

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urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

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10% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

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18.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

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2.24 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Hospital bed density

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5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

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urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

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8.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total

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1.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer

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0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

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0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

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0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

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0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total

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28% (2025 est.)

male

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41.5% (2025 est.)

female

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9.2% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

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14.8% (2017 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

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68.4% (2022 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15

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0% (2017)

women married by age 18

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2.2% (2017)

men married by age 18

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2.2% (2017)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

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5.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

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9.6% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy

total population

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98.2% (2019 est.)

male

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98.2% (2019 est.)

female

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98.3% (2019 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total

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13 years (2022 est.)

male

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11 years (2022 est.)

female

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15 years (2022 est.)

Environment

Environmental issues

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

International environmental agreements

party to

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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

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none of the selected agreements

Climate

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

Land use

agricultural land

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19.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 13.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.)

forest

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12.5% (2023 est.)

other

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67.7% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population

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42% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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2.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

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1.908 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

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1.908 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

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12.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

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211,500 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

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20.9% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal

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5.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

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300,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural

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268,194 cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

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30 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Government

Country name

conventional long form

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Republic of Maldives

conventional short form

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Maldives

local long form

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Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa

local short form

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Dhivehi Raajje

etymology

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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

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presidential republic

Capital

name

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Malé

geographic coordinates

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4 10 N, 73 30 E

time difference

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UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology

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the name may come from the Sanskrit word mala, or "garland"

Administrative divisions

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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)

Legal system

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Islamic (sharia) legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters

Constitution

history

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many previous; latest ratified 7 August 2008

amendment process

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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

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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

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citizenship by descent only

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at least one parent must be a citizen of Maldives

dual citizenship recognized

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yes

residency requirement for naturalization

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unknown

Suffrage

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18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state

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President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)

head of government

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President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)

cabinet

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Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, approved by People's Majlis

election/appointment process

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president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)

most recent election date

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9 September 2023, with runoff on 30 September 2023

election results

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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

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2028

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch

legislature name

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People's Majlis (Majlis)

legislative structure

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unicameral

number of seats

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93 (all directly elected)

electoral system

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plurality/majority

scope of elections

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full renewal

term in office

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5 years

most recent election date

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4/21/2024

parties elected and seats per party

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People's National Congress (PNC) (66); Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) (12); Independents (11); Other (4)

percentage of women in chamber

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3.2%

expected date of next election

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April 2029

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices)

judge selection and term of office

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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

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High Court; Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Drug Courts; Magistrate Courts (on each of the inhabited islands)

Political parties

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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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed (since 15 June 2023)

chancery

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1100 H Street NW, Suite 250, Washington, D.C. 20005

telephone

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[1] (202) 516-5458

email address and website

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WashingtonInfo@foreign.gov.mv The Embassy (mdvmission.gov.mv)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

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Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Chunnong SAEGER (since January 2026)

embassy

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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

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[94] (11) 249-8500

FAX

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[94] (11) 243-7345

email address and website

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Homepage - U.S. Embassy in Maldives

International organization participation

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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

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26 July 1965 (from the UK)

National holiday

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Independence Day, 26 July (1965)

Flag

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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

National symbol(s)

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coconut palm, yellowfin tuna

National color(s)

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red, green, white

National anthem(s)

title

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"Gaumee Salaam" (National Salute)

lyrics/music

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Mohamed Jameel DIDI/Wannakuwattawaduge DON AMARADEVA

history

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lyrics adopted 1948, music adopted 1972; the anthem has seven verses, but only the first two are commonly used

Economy

Economic overview

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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) 2024

text

$12.325 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

text

$11.723 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

text

$11.194 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024

text

5.1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

text

4.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

text

13.8% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

text

$23,400 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

text

$22,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

text

$21,400 (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

text

$6.975 billion (2024 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

text

1.4% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

text

2.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

text

2.3% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

text

3% (2024 est.)

industry

text

9% (2024 est.)

services

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73.8% (2024 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

text

51.4% (2023 est.)

government consumption

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17.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

text

35% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

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-2% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services

text

74.4% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

text

-75.7% (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

text

fruits, vegetables, nuts, other meats, papayas, bananas, tomatoes, maize, pulses, chillies/peppers (2023)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries

text

tourism, fish processing, shipping, boat building, coconut processing, woven mats, rope, handicrafts, coral and sand mining

Industrial production growth rate

text

-2.7% (2024 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force

text

270,300 (2024 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024

text

4.7% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

text

4.3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

text

4.5% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total

text

16.1% (2024 est.)

male

text

20% (2024 est.)

female

text

9.5% (2024 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line

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5.4% (2019 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

text

29.3 (2019 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%

text

3.8% (2019 est.)

highest 10%

text

23.3% (2019 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Remittances

Remittances 2024

text

0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances 2023

text

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2022

text

0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Budget

revenues

text

$1.407 billion (2021 est.)

expenditures

text

$1.939 billion (2021 est.)

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

Public debt

Public debt 2016

text

61.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

text

19.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024

text

-$1.257 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance 2023

text

-$1.4 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2022

text

-$1.042 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports

Exports 2024

text

$5.413 billion (2024 est.)

Exports 2023

text

$4.88 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2022

text

$5.096 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - partners

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Thailand 32%, India 21%, Singapore 9%, UK 7%, Germany 5% (2023)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Exports - commodities

text

fish, aircraft, refined petroleum, scrap iron, natural gas (2023)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports

Imports 2024

text

$5.344 billion (2024 est.)

Imports 2023

text

$4.984 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2022

text

$4.939 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - partners

text

India 15%, UAE 15%, Oman 14%, China 12%, Singapore 8% (2023)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Imports - commodities

text

refined petroleum, plastic products, aircraft, granite, ships (2023)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

text

$673.886 million (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

text

$590.523 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

text

$832.094 million (2022 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

text

$3.113 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Exchange rates

Currency

text

rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

text

15.389 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

text

15.387 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

text

15.387 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

text

15.373 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

text

15.381 (2020 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population

text

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity

text

432,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption

text

821.397 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

text

25.867 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

text

93.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

text

6.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

text

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

imports

text

8 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

text

13,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

text

50.886 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions

text

13,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

2 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions

text

745,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

137 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

text

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

text

.mv

Internet users

percent of population

text

85% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total

text

98,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

text

19 (2023 est.)

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

text

Airports

text

20 (2025)

Merchant marine

total

text

82 (2023)

by type

text

general cargo 30, oil tanker 20, other 32

Ports

total ports

text

1 (2024)

large

text

medium

text

small

text

very small

text

ports with oil terminals

text

key ports

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Male

Military and Security

Military and security forces

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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)

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note: in addition to the MNDF, the Maldives Ministry of Defense controls the Aviation Security Command, which provides security for the civil aviation industry, and the National Counter Terrorism Center

Military expenditures

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not available

Military and security service personnel strengths

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approximately 3-4,000 active Defense Forces (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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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

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18-25 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription (2025)

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note: in 2025, the Maldives began allowing Maldivians 16-28 (under 18 with parental consent) who lacked access to further education after completing their secondary education or employment could join the Maldives National Service Program and be recruited to the Army or Police

Military - note

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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)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

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Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

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note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

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54 (2023 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

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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/