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%.

Maldives population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

527,799

Population (2024)

91,189

Population (1960)

527,799

Peak (2024)

2.78%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	91,189	-	-	estimate
1961	93,450	+2,261	+2.48%	estimate
1962	95,802	+2,352	+2.52%	estimate
1963	98,222	+2,420	+2.53%	estimate
1964	100,662	+2,440	+2.48%	estimate
1965	104,102	+3,440	+3.42%	estimate
1966	108,507	+4,405	+4.23%	estimate
1967	112,528	+4,021	+3.71%	estimate
1968	116,075	+3,547	+3.15%	estimate
1969	119,564	+3,489	+3.01%	estimate
1970	123,219	+3,655	+3.06%	estimate
1971	127,035	+3,816	+3.10%	estimate
1972	130,968	+3,933	+3.10%	estimate
1973	134,952	+3,984	+3.04%	estimate
1974	138,978	+4,026	+2.98%	estimate
1975	143,158	+4,180	+3.01%	estimate
1976	147,525	+4,367	+3.05%	estimate
1977	151,930	+4,405	+2.99%	estimate
1978	156,159	+4,229	+2.78%	estimate
1979	160,360	+4,201	+2.69%	estimate
1980	164,835	+4,475	+2.79%	estimate
1981	169,532	+4,697	+2.85%	estimate
1982	174,333	+4,801	+2.83%	estimate
1983	179,128	+4,795	+2.75%	estimate
1984	184,198	+5,070	+2.83%	estimate
1985	190,169	+5,971	+3.24%	estimate
1986	196,935	+6,766	+3.56%	estimate
1987	203,944	+7,009	+3.56%	estimate
1988	210,885	+6,941	+3.40%	estimate
1989	217,738	+6,853	+3.25%	estimate
1990	224,762	+7,024	+3.23%	estimate
1991	231,802	+7,040	+3.13%	estimate
1992	238,543	+6,741	+2.91%	estimate
1993	244,884	+6,341	+2.66%	estimate
1994	250,822	+5,938	+2.42%	estimate
1995	256,649	+5,827	+2.32%	estimate
1996	262,347	+5,698	+2.22%	estimate
1997	267,707	+5,360	+2.04%	estimate
1998	272,723	+5,016	+1.87%	estimate
1999	277,412	+4,689	+1.72%	estimate
2000	282,019	+4,607	+1.66%	estimate
2001	286,767	+4,748	+1.68%	estimate
2002	291,616	+4,849	+1.69%	estimate
2003	296,491	+4,875	+1.67%	estimate
2004	301,413	+4,922	+1.66%	estimate
2005	306,429	+5,016	+1.66%	estimate
2006	313,851	+7,422	+2.42%	estimate
2007	324,479	+10,628	+3.39%	estimate
2008	336,170	+11,691	+3.60%	estimate
2009	348,275	+12,105	+3.60%	estimate
2010	360,792	+12,517	+3.59%	estimate
2011	373,674	+12,882	+3.57%	estimate
2012	386,818	+13,144	+3.52%	estimate
2013	400,070	+13,252	+3.43%	estimate
2014	413,617	+13,547	+3.39%	estimate
2015	428,154	+14,537	+3.51%	estimate
2016	443,308	+15,154	+3.54%	estimate
2017	458,287	+14,979	+3.38%	estimate
2018	473,099	+14,812	+3.23%	estimate
2019	487,731	+14,632	+3.09%	estimate
2020	502,118	+14,387	+2.95%	estimate
2021	516,154	+14,036	+2.80%	estimate
2022	524,106	+7,952	+1.54%	estimate
2023	525,994	+1,888	+0.36%	estimate
2024	527,799	+1,805	+0.34%	estimate

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

Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Sri Lanka

Compare Maldives

vs Bangladesh vs Bhutan vs India vs Nepal

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

Bangladesh (171,466,990)Bhutan (786,385)India (1,438,069,596)Nepal (29,694,614)Sri Lanka (22,037,000)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the World Countries With Highest GDP Per Capita Countries With Highest Life Expectancy Countries With Highest Fertility Rates Countries With Highest Literacy Rates Urbanized Countries in the World Fastest Growing Countries by Population Countries With Highest Infant Mortality Countries With Highest Income Inequality Countries With Most International Tourism All 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.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

Maldives is a country in South Asia with a population of 525,994. The population is growing slowly, about 0.4% annually.

Maldives is a Upper middle income economy, with GDP per capita near $12,588. Life expectancy is high at 81.0 years, with a fertility rate of 1.6 births per woman, and 41.5% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.