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Maldives: Quick Facts

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News •

Foreign debt nearly triples in a decade • Nov. 7, 2026, 12:42 PM ET (Daily Star)
Scuba divers brawl underwater at overcrowded reef • Nov. 5, 2026, 12:06 PM ET (The Telegraph)
Muizzu could stir up anti-India campaign again: Former Maldives Minister Abdullah Shahid • Oct. 25, 2026, 1:09 PM ET (The Hindu)
Kalaburagi’s GI-tagged tur dal wins PM’s praise after export to Maldives • Oct. 25, 2026, 11:47 AM ET (The Hindu)
Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives Celebrates Thanksgiving for the First Time as US Guest Demand Grows • Oct. 15, 2026, 6:27 AM ET (Des Moines Register)

Facts

Also Known As Maldive Islands • Republic of Maldives • Divehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
Head Of State And Government President: Mohamed Muizzu
Capital Male2
Population (2026 est.) 579,6003
Form Of Government multiparty republic1 with one legislative house (People’s Majlis [93])
Official Language Dhivehi (Maldivian)
Official Religion Islam
Official Name Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa (Republic of Maldives)
Total Area (Sq Km) 298
Total Area (Sq Mi) 115
Monetary Unit rufiyaa (Rf)
Population Rank (2026) 175
Population Projection 2030 474,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi (2026) 4,084.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km (2026) 1,945
Urban-Rural Population Urban: (2024) 42.4% • Rural: (2024) 57.6%
Life Expectancy At Birth Male: (2021) 74.5 years • Female: (2021) 76.6 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000) (2024) 6,145
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$) (2024) 11,640
1A new constitution was ratified on August 7, 2008; the first multiparty election was held in October 2008.2Also spelled Maale and Male’.3Excludes (based on the 2014 census) 63,637 legal foreign workers and (in 2011) c. 44,000 undocumented workers. Most foreign workers are Indian or Bangladeshi.

Photos

Maldives
Map of the Maldives showing the chain of small islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, with the capital city Male marked. An inset locator map in the upper left shows the Maldives' position southwest of India and Sri Lanka.
Tropical beach resort in the Maldives with palm trees, sandy shoreline, and open-air structures beside lush greenery under a bright blue sky.
Map showing the location of the Maldives as a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka, with surrounding countries including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Iran labeled for regional context. The Maldives is outlined in orange.
Map showing the physical features of the Maldives, a chain of atolls and islands in the Indian Ocean south-southwest of India and Sri Lanka. The map labels major atolls and channels, and includes a locator inset showing the Maldives' position relative to India and Sri Lanka.
Mohamed Waheed Hassan, President of the Maldives, speaks at a podium with the United Nations emblem during the General Assembly in New York.
A scuba diver swims above a colorful coral reef in the Maldives, surrounded by schools of small orange fish and several butterflyfish among the rocks.
Maldives
National anthem of Maldives
See All Images, Audio and Interactives →

Related Topics and References

Topics
President of the Maldives, 2008–12
Mohamed Nasheed
president of Maldives
Engraving of Ibn Battuta in Egypt, standing on a decorated stone block with another man, overlooking ancient Egyptian columns and palm trees in the background.
Ibn Battuta
Muslim explorer and writer

Related Places

A map of the continent of Asia, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities, as well as parts of Europe, Africa, and surrounding oceans.
Asia
continent
Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
Indus River
South Asia
region, Asia
Male
Male
island, Maldives

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