Maldives

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.  

land

298 sq km

total

298 sq km

water

0 sq km

about 1.7 times the size of Washington, DC

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

644 km

highest point

8th tee, golf course, Villingi Island 5 m

lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

2 m

3 15 N, 73 00 E

smallest Asian country; archipelago of 1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean

0 sq km (2012)

total

0 km

agricultural land

23.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 10% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.3% (2018 est.)

forest

3% (2018 est.)

other

73.7% (2018 est.)

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

Asia

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

note

measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

territorial sea

12 nm

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

fish

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

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

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)

beer

0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

15.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

men married by age 18

2.2% (2017 est.)

women married by age 18

2.2%

14.8% (2016/17)

18.8% (2016/17)

11.4% of GDP (2020)

71.9% (2023 est.)

4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

6.2

potential support ratio

16.2 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

35.6

youth dependency ratio

29.5

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 99.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1% of population

5.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

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

0.83 (2024 est.)

4.3 beds/1,000 population

female

21.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

27.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

24.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

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

female

79.9 years

male

75.1 years

total population

77.4 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.4% (2021)

male

97.6%

total population

97.9%

177,000 MALE (capital) (2018)

57 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

32.4 years

male

31.3 years

total

31.9 years (2024 est.)

23.2 years (2016/17 est.)

note

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

adjective

Maldivian

noun

Maldivian(s)

-12.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

8.6% (2016)

2.05 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

female

191,119 (2024 est.)

male

197,739

total

388,858

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

-0.2% (2024 est.)

Sunni Muslim (official)

improved: rural

rural: 99.1% of population

improved: total

total: 99.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

female

14 years (2019)

male

12 years

total

13 years

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

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

female

6% (2020 est.)

male

44.4% (2020 est.)

total

25.2% (2020 est.)

1.7 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

42% of total population (2023)

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)

etymology

derived from the Sanskrit word "mahaalay" meaning "big house"

geographic coordinates

4 10 N, 73 30 E

name

Male

time difference

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

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

amendments

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; amended 2015

history

many previous; latest ratified 7 August 2008

conventional long form

Republic of Maldives

conventional short form

Maldives

etymology

archipelago apparently named after the main island (and capital) of Male; the word "Maldives" means "the islands (dives) of Male"; alternatively, the name may derive from the Sanskrit word "maladvipa" meaning "garland of islands"; Dhivehi Raajje in Dhivehi means "Kingdom of the Dhivehi people"

local long form

Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa

local short form

Dhivehi Raajje

chief of mission

Ambassador Hugo Yue-Ho YON (since 6 September 2023); note - Ambassador YON is the first resident US ambassador to the Republic of Maldives

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

FAX

[94] (11) 243-7345

telephone

[94] (11) 249-8500

chancery

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed (since 15 June 2023)

email address and website

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

telephone

[1] (202) 516-5458

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%2018: Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president in first round; Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); first round held on 9 September 2023 and runoff held on 30 September 2023 (next to be held in 2028)

head of government

President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023)

red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent moon; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag; red recalls those who have sacrificed their lives in defense of their country, the green rectangle represents peace and prosperity, and the white crescent signifies Islam

presidential republic

26 July 1965 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices

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 high government officials and the public - and upon 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)

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

description

unicameral People's Majlis (93 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNC 66, MDP 12, MDA 2, JP 1, MNP 1, independent 11; composition - men 90, women 3, percentage women 3.3%

elections

last held on 21 April 2024 (next to be held in 2029)

lyrics/music

Mohamed Jameel DIDI/Wannakuwattawaduge DON AMARADEVA

name

"Gaumee Salaam" (National Salute)

note

note: lyrics adopted 1948, music adopted 1972; between 1948 and 1972, the lyrics were sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne"

Independence Day, 26 July (1965)

coconut palm, yellowfin tuna; national colors: red, green, white

Adhaalath (Justice) Party or APDhivehi Rayyithunge Party or DRPMaldives Development Alliance or MDAMaldivian Democratic Party or MDPMaldives Third Way Democrats or MTDPeople's National Congress or PNCPeople's National FrontRepublican (Jumhooree) Party or JP

18 years of age; universal

fruits, vegetables, nuts, other meats, tomatoes, bananas, maize, pulses, coconuts, papayas (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

expenditures

$1.548 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

revenues

$1.407 billion (2021 est.)

Fitch rating

CCC (2020)

Moody's rating

B3 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance 2020

-$1.327 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$455.003 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$1.033 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

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

Currency

rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

15.382 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports 2020

$1.787 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$3.985 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$5.096 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

aircraft, fish, natural gas, scrap iron, refined petroleum (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

India 71%, Thailand 12%, Germany 3%, Oman 2%, UK 2% (2022)

note

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

exports of goods and services

93.6% (2016 est.)

imports of goods and services

89% (2016 est.)

agriculture

4.9% (2022 est.)

industry

10.3% (2022 est.)

note

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

services

73.3% (2022 est.)

$6.6 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

29.3 (2019 est.)

note

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

highest 10%

23.3% (2019 est.)

lowest 10%

3.8% (2019 est.)

note

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

Imports 2020

$2.449 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$3.484 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$4.904 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

refined petroleum, ships, aircraft, plastic products, broadcasting equipment (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

India 16%, China 16%, UAE 10%, Oman 9%, Malaysia 6% (2022)

note

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

7.26% (2023 est.)

note

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

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

-1.37% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

0.54% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.33% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

260,000 (2023 est.)

note

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

5.4% (2019 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2017

63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$9.838 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$11.206 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$11.651 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

37.69% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

13.91% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.97% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$18,900 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$21,400 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$22,400 (2023 est.)

note

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

Remittances 2021

0.09% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.08% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.07% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$805.808 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$832.094 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$590.523 million (2023 est.)

19.45% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.02% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.42% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.13% (2023 est.)

female

9.2% (2023 est.)

male

18.6% (2023 est.)

note

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

total

14.9% (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.247 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

2.247 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

imports

1 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

821.397 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

566,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

25.867 million kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

93.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

6.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

56.264 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

14,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

12 (2020 est.)

total

63,685 (2020 est.)

state-owned radio and TV monopoly until recently; 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned TV stations and 4 state-operated and 7 privately owned radio stations (2019)

.mv

percent of population

86% (2021 est.)

total

447,200 (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line is at nearly 3 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at nearly 135 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

with its economy so heavily dependent on tourism, the Maldives has suffered heavy economic as well as health casualties during the pandemic; the country had a relatively short period of lock down and was willing to welcome visitors back as early as July 2020; but the effective shutdown of international air travel for most of the year resulted in the bottom falling out of the Maldives’ tourism industry, taking GDP down 32% in the process; the economy fared better in 2021, with a return to growth, yet it may still be a few years before the country’s key industries can return to the same level of prosperity that they previously enjoyed; the country’s high number of tourists and expatriate workers has inflated the penetration rate for mobile services, making it one of the highest in the world; that rate crashed in 2020 as demand for SIM cards (primarily prepaid) dried up; however, the number of contract subscribers increased as locals took advantage of competitive pricing offers from operators; with commercial 5G services already launched and fiber networks rapidly expanding around the country, the Maldives is primed to deliver world-class telecommunications services to its domestic and international customers (2021)

international

country code - 960; landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

13,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

137 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

715,000 (2022 est.)

19 (2024)

8Q

by type

general cargo 30, oil tanker 20, other 32

total

82 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

7.75 million (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,147,247 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

36

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

key ports

Male

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

1

note

note: island roads are mainly compacted coral

paved

93 km (2018) - 60 km in Malée; 16 km on Addu Atolis; 17 km on Laamu

total

93 km

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; the MNDF is organized into four area commands and a functional Special Forces command; the head of the MNDF reports to the Minister of Defense (2024)

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF): the MNDF has combined force structure with seven services divided into Combat and Maneuver Forces (Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Fire and Rescue Service) and Support Services (Service Corps, Defense Intelligence Service, Medical Corps, Adjutant General's Corps); there is also a separate Special Forces command and a Special Protection Service (2024)

note

note: the Maldives Police Service is responsible for internal security and reports to the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology 

approximately 3-4,000 personnel (2023)

the Defense Force has a limited inventory consisting of a mix of mostly secondhand or donated equipment from suppliers such as Germany, India, Japan, and the UK; in 2024, the Maldives received surveillance drones from Turkey (2024)

not available

18-28 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription; 10th grade or equivalent education required; must not be a member of a political party (2023)

NA

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — the Maldives did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/maldives/

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

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

carbon dioxide emissions

1.44 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.14 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

13 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

rising sea levels threaten land; depletion of freshwater aquifers threatens water supplies; inadequate sewage treatment; coral reef bleaching

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

agricultural land

23.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 10% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.3% (2018 est.)

forest

3% (2018 est.)

other

73.7% (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

300,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

42% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

211,506 tons (2015 est.)