Maldives

Official name (in Dhivehi)

ދިވެހި ރާއްޖެ - ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ ޖުމޫރިޔާ

Official name (in Dhivehi, Romanized)

Dhivehi Raajje Jumhooriyya

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

DesignMeaningHistory

The national flag of the Maldives consists of a white crescent in the centre of a green rectangle

surrounded by a red border.

As published in English

Title (in Dhivehi)

ޤައުމީ ސަލާމް

Title (in Dhivehi, Romanized)

Gaumee Salaam

Title (in English, translated)

National Salute

Lyrics

DhivehiRomanizedEnglish

Chorus

ޤައުމީ މިއެކުވެރިކަން މަތީ ތިބެގެން ކުރީމެ ސަލާމް ޤައުމީ ބަހުން ގިނަހެޔޮ ދުޢާ ކުރަމުން ކުރީމެ ސަލާމް

1

ޤައުމީ ނިޝާނަށް ޙުރުމިތާއެކު ބޯލަންބައި ތިބެގެން އައުދާނަކަން ލިބިގެން އެވާދިދައަށް ކުރީމެ ސަލާމް

ޤައުމީ މިއެކުވެރިކަން މަތީ ތިބެގެން ކުރީމެ ސަލާމް

2

ނަސްރާ ނަސީބާ ކާމިޔާބުގެ ރަމްޒަކަށް ހިމެނޭ ފެއްސާ ރަތާއި ހުދާ އެކީފެނުމުން ކުރީމެސަލާމް

ޤައުމީ މިއެކުވެރިކަން މަތީ ތިބެގެން ކުރީމެ ސަލާމް

Land area

298 km²

Water area

0.00 km²

Avg. temperature

27.3 °C

Avg. daily range

26.4 to 27.9 °C

Annual precipitation

1,746 mm

Temperature °CMeanDaily range

°C°F

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Precipitation mm

Monthly climate normals

Month	Avg. high, °C	Mean, °C	Avg. low, °C	Precipitation, mm
January	27.4	26.8	26.1	92
February	27.7	27.2	26.4	52
March	28.3	27.7	26.9	60
April	28.7	28	27	117
May	28.6	27.8	26.8	221
June	28.3	27.7	26.7	139
July	28	27.3	26.3	150
August	27.8	27.2	26.3	147
September	27.7	27	26.1	177
October	27.6	26.9	26	201
November	27.5	26.8	25.9	207
December	27.4	26.7	25.9	184

Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.

Arable land

4,000 hectares (13.4%)

Permanent crops

900 hectares (3.0%)

Permanent meadows & pastures

1,000 hectares (3.4%)

Forest

3,720 hectares (12.5%)

Other land

20,180 hectares (67.7%)

Birth rate

9.8 per 1,000 population

Death rate

2.5 per 1,000 population

Net migration rate

−3.9 per 1,000 population

MaleAgeFemale

80+70-7960-6950-5940-4930-3920-2910-190-9

% of total population

Population by age group, % of total population

Age	Male	Female
80+	0.5%	0.4%
70-79	1.1%	1.0%
60-69	2.8%	2.5%
50-59	5.4%	3.7%
40-49	12.1%	6.1%
30-39	17.8%	7.6%
20-29	8.5%	5.2%
10-19	7.5%	6.5%
0-9	5.9%	5.4%

Share aged 65 and over

5.3%

Share aged under 18

22.8%

Total dependency ratio

31

Youth dependency ratio

24

Elderly dependency ratio

7

Sex ratio

1.6 male / female

The President is elected directly by universal and secret suffrage; the Constitution calls the Maldives "a sovereign, independent, democratic Republic based on the principles of Islam" and a unitary State (Arts. 2, 108).

The President is Head of Government and appoints the Cabinet, whose members need People's Majlis (parliament) approval and can be removed individually by want-of-confidence motions; the Majlis sits a fixed five-year term with no dissolution power (Arts. 79, 101, 106, 129).

1. ThuJan 1New Year's Day
2. WedFeb 18First Day of Ramadan (estimated)
3. FriMar 20Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
4. SatMar 21Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
5. SunMar 22Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
6. FriMay 1International Worker's Day
7. TueMay 26Day of Arafah (estimated)
8. WedMay 27Eid al-Adha (estimated)
9. ThuMay 28Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
10. FriMay 29Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
11. SatMay 30Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
12. TueJun 16Islamic New Year (estimated)
13. SunJul 26Independence Day
14. FriAug 14National Day (estimated)
15. TueAug 25Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
16. SatSep 12The Day Maldives Embraced Islam (estimated)
17. TueNov 3Victory Day
18. WedNov 11Republic Day

Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.

World average 42

highly corruptvery clean

Significant improverUp 10 points since 2019, when it scored 29.

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Confidence interval

Corruption index score by year

Year	Score	Lower bound	Upper bound
2016	36	27	46
2017	33	30	36
2018	31	27	35
2019	29	24.8	33.2
2020	43	30.4	55.6
2021	40	32.8	47.2
2022	40	32.1	47.9
2023	39	32.2	45.8
2024	38	33.3	42.7
2025	39	32.9	45.1

GDP per capita (nominal)

$19,507 (67th in the world)

The shape of the economy

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GDP by end use

Households

+51.8%

Government

+17.5%

Investment

+30.8%

Exports

+78.2%

Imports

−78.3%

Current account

18.6% of GDP, $1.5 billion deficit

By specializationBy volume

ProductSpecialization index

1. 1Papayas92×
2. 2Coconuts (in shell)6.3×
3. 3Bananas5.2×
4. 4Tomatoes1.3×
5. 5Maize (corn)0.1×

Median

MVR 10,000 per month($650)

Men

MVR 12,682 per month($824)

Women

MVR 9,804 per month($637)

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MaldivesWorld

Human Development Index by year

Year	Maldives	World
2000	0.639	0.651
2001	0.639	0.657
2002	0.645	0.662
2003	0.654	0.669
2004	0.655	0.675
2005	0.657	0.681
2006	0.672	0.688
2007	0.672	0.694
2008	0.681	0.698
2009	0.682	0.701
2010	0.689	0.707
2011	0.698	0.713
2012	0.704	0.717
2013	0.710	0.721
2014	0.718	0.726
2015	0.725	0.731
2016	0.732	0.735
2017	0.739	0.739
2018	0.744	0.741
2019	0.749	0.745
2020	0.730	0.742
2021	0.745	0.742
2022	0.764	0.752
2023	0.766	0.756

Expected for a child today

12.8 years

Share of government spending

10.6%

Households with Internet access

92.5%

Fixed telephone lines

11,998

Fixed broadband

19.6 subscriptions per 100 people

Counts subscriptions, not people.

Debit-card ownership

71%

Account at a bank or mobile-money provider

80%

Mobile-money account

23%

Made or received a digital payment

68%

Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2022

Per resident

3.2 arrivals per resident

Same-day visitors

2,000 arrivals(2013, latest available)

Visitor spending in the country

$4.8 billion(2024)

Residents' spending abroad

$619 million(2024)

Hotel beds

59,132

A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.

A low figure can also mean weak recording.

Persons held

1,852

Men

44.2%

Women

11%

CO₂ per capita

3.9 t per person

World Rank80thof 207

Share of global CO₂

< 0.01%

Methane (CH₄)

0.17 Mt CO₂-eq

Nitrous oxide (N₂O)

0.04 Mt CO₂-eq

All greenhouse gases

2.09 Mt CO₂-eq

WHO guideline

5 µg/m³

Treaty	Standing	Joined
Climate
Paris Agreement	in force	2016
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change	in force	1994
Kyoto Protocol	in force	2005
Ozone layer
Montreal Protocol	in force	1989
Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer)	in force	1988
Biodiversity
Convention on Biological Diversity	in force	1993
CITES	in force	2013
Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn)	in force	2019
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety	in force	2003
Nagoya Protocol	in force	2019
Land and heritage
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands	not a party
World Heritage Convention	in force	1986
UN Convention to Combat Desertification	in force	2002
Chemicals and waste
Basel Convention	in force	1992
Rotterdam Convention (PIC)	in force	2007
Stockholm Convention (POPs)	in force	2007
Minamata Convention on Mercury	not a party
Oceans
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea	in force	2000
High Seas Treaty (BBNJ)	in force	2026
MARPOL 73/78	in force	2005

Per person

57 m³ per year

Dependency ratio

0% originates outside the country

Annual water withdrawal

0 billion m³ per year

Withdrawn for agriculture

5%

Water stress

16% of available freshwater withdrawn

Men

13.4%

Women

25.4%

Per capita

52.9 GJ per person

Share of world total

< 0.01%

Supply

No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024

OverviewBy source

Generation

0.9 TWh per year

Consumption

0.8 TWh per year

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.