Rank #117 by World Population
🇲🇻Maldives
Maldives has a population of 525,994, ranking #117 in the world. The capital is Male. Located in South Asia.
World Bank: Upper middle income
525,994
Population
#117
World Rank
81.0
Life Expectancy
$12,588
GDP Per Capita
Maldives, #117 by world population
Maldives Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Maldives had a population of 91,189 in 1960 and 527,799 in 2024, a 5.8× growth over 64 years. The peak was 527,799 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.78%.
527,799
Population (2024)
91,189
Population (1960)
527,799
Peak (2024)
2.78%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 91,189 |
| 1961 | 93,450 |
| 1962 | 95,802 |
| 1963 | 98,222 |
| 1964 | 100,662 |
| 1965 | 104,102 |
| 1966 | 108,507 |
| 1967 | 112,528 |
| 1968 | 116,075 |
| 1969 | 119,564 |
| 1970 | 123,219 |
| 1971 | 127,035 |
| 1972 | 130,968 |
| 1973 | 134,952 |
| 1974 | 138,978 |
| 1975 | 143,158 |
| 1976 | 147,525 |
| 1977 | 151,930 |
| 1978 | 156,159 |
| 1979 | 160,360 |
| 1980 | 164,835 |
| 1981 | 169,532 |
| 1982 | 174,333 |
| 1983 | 179,128 |
| 1984 | 184,198 |
| 1985 | 190,169 |
| 1986 | 196,935 |
| 1987 | 203,944 |
| 1988 | 210,885 |
| 1989 | 217,738 |
| 1990 | 224,762 |
| 1991 | 231,802 |
| 1992 | 238,543 |
| 1993 | 244,884 |
| 1994 | 250,822 |
| 1995 | 256,649 |
| 1996 | 262,347 |
| 1997 | 267,707 |
| 1998 | 272,723 |
| 1999 | 277,412 |
| 2000 | 282,019 |
| 2001 | 286,767 |
| 2002 | 291,616 |
| 2003 | 296,491 |
| 2004 | 301,413 |
| 2005 | 306,429 |
| 2006 | 313,851 |
| 2007 | 324,479 |
| 2008 | 336,170 |
| 2009 | 348,275 |
| 2010 | 360,792 |
| 2011 | 373,674 |
| 2012 | 386,818 |
| 2013 | 400,070 |
| 2014 | 413,617 |
| 2015 | 428,154 |
| 2016 | 443,308 |
| 2017 | 458,287 |
| 2018 | 473,099 |
| 2019 | 487,731 |
| 2020 | 502,118 |
| 2021 | 516,154 |
| 2022 | 524,106 |
| 2023 | 525,994 |
| 2024 | 527,799 |
Demographics
| Population | 525,994 |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.36% |
| Urban Population | 41.5% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.57 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 81.0 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 5.0 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | - |
Economy & Trade
$12,588
GDP Per Capita
4.0%
Unemployment Rate
Upper middle income
Income Level
29.3
Gini Index (inequality)
149.3%
Trade (% of GDP)
555,000
Tourism Arrivals
Health & Education
9.2%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
5.2%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
5.0
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
100.0%
Electricity Access
83.9%
Internet Users
137
Mobile Subs per 100
1765.1
People per km2
-2,877
Net Migration
Environment
2.8%
Forest Area
Other Countries in South Asia
Compare Maldives
Maldives in global context
Maldives is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Maldives has a population of 525,994, ranking #117 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 0.36%.
Life expectancy in Maldives is 81.0 years. The infant mortality rate is 5.0 per 1,000 live births.
Maldives's GDP per capita is $12,588. It is classified as a upper middle income country by the World Bank.
41.5% of Maldives's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 1765.1 people per square kilometer.
Literacy data for Maldives is available from the World Bank.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.