Maldives
Top Sights & Landmarks
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.
Location
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
644 km
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
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
Natural hazards
tsunamis; low elevation of islands makes them sensitive to sea level rise
Natural resources
Terrain
flat coral atolls, with white sandy beaches; sits atop the submarine volcanic Chagos-Laccadive Ridge
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
1.38 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
14.8% (2017 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
68.4% (2022 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 40.8 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 31.6 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 9.2 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 10.9 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
5.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 9.6% national budget (2025 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.83 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
10% of GDP (2021) 18.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 23.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 27.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: 98.2% (2019 est.) male: 98.2% (2019 est.) female: 98.3% (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population
177,000 MALE (capital) (2018)
Maternal mortality ratio
32 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
23.2 years (2016/17 est.) note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49
Nationality
noun: Maldivian(s) adjective: Maldivian
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
8.6% (2016)
Physician density
2.24 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 13 years (2022 est.) male: 11 years (2022 est.) female: 15 years (2022 est.)
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 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 28% (2025 est.) male: 41.5% (2025 est.) female: 9.2% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
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.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
red with a large green rectangle in the center and a vertical white crescent moon centered on the rectangle
Detailed Government Information
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)
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
conventional long form: Republic of Maldives 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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
Judicial branch
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 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)
Legal system
Islamic (sharia) legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
-$1.257 billion (2024 est.) -$1.4 billion (2023 est.) -$1.042 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$3.113 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 15.389 (2024 est.) 15.387 (2023 est.) 15.387 (2022 est.) 15.373 (2021 est.) 15.381 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
-2.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.4% (2024 est.) 2.9% (2023 est.) 2.3% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Remittances
0.1% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.1% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$673.886 million (2024 est.) $590.523 million (2023 est.) $832.094 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
19.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
approximately 3-4,000 active Defense Forces (2025)
Service & Defense Details
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) 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
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)
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)
18-25 years of age for voluntary service; no conscription (2025) 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