Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Maldives
Maldives: Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception was 1.56 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.56 births per woman
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
139th
of 215 countries
All-time high
7.4 births per woman
in 1973
All-time low
1.56 births per woman
in 2024
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Maldives, 1960–2024
Source: United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Maldives recorded 1.56 births per woman for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Maldives peaked at 7.4 births per woman in 1973 and was at its lowest, 1.56 births per woman, in 2024.
Maldives ranks 139th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Maldives, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.71 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 6.79 births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 6.89 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 6.94 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 7 births per woman | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 7.07 births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 7.14 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 7.23 births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 7.28 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 7.33 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 7.39 births per woman | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 7.38 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 7.37 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 7.4 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 7.38 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 7.32 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 7.29 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 7.27 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 7.23 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 7.23 births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 7.23 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 7.19 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 7.15 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 7.09 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 7.03 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 6.94 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 6.85 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 6.73 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 6.58 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 6.39 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 6.13 births per woman | -4.0% |
| 1991 | 5.8 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 1992 | 5.43 births per woman | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 5.06 births per woman | -6.8% |
| 1994 | 4.69 births per woman | -7.4% |
| 1995 | 4.29 births per woman | -8.4% |
| 1996 | 3.86 births per woman | -10.1% |
| 1997 | 3.48 births per woman | -9.9% |
| 1998 | 3.17 births per woman | -8.8% |
| 1999 | 2.9 births per woman | -8.6% |
| 2000 | 2.69 births per woman | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 2.53 births per woman | -5.9% |
| 2002 | 2.42 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 2.34 births per woman | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 2.26 births per woman | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 2.2 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 2.2 births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 2.29 births per woman | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 2.37 births per woman | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 2.39 births per woman | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 2.35 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 2.31 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 2.25 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 2.17 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 2.09 births per woman | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 2 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 1.9 births per woman | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 1.8 births per woman | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 1.71 births per woman | -4.9% |
| 2019 | 1.64 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 1.61 births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 1.6 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 1.58 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 1.57 births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 1.56 births per woman | -1.0% |
Maldives compared with similar countries
- Maldives's 1.56 births per woman is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.8 births per woman, 86% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Maldives's 1.56 births per woman is below the median for South Asia, which is 1.96 births per woman, 80% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.04 births per woman | 6.71 births per woman | 7.33 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.33 births per woman | 7.23 births per woman | 7.4 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.92 births per woman | 6.39 births per woman | 7.23 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.48 births per woman | 2.9 births per woman | 6.13 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.37 births per woman | 2.2 births per woman | 2.69 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.02 births per woman | 1.64 births per woman | 2.35 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.59 births per woman | 1.56 births per woman | 1.61 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
- 136 Aruba 1.61 births per woman compare
- 137 Antigua and Barbuda 1.58 births per woman compare
- 138 New Zealand 1.57 births per woman compare
- 139 Iceland 1.56 births per woman compare
- 139 Kuwait 1.56 births per woman compare
- 142 United Kingdom 1.55 births per woman compare
More population data for Maldives
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.3006 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.44 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.3006 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.378 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 569.91 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.1872 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2781 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.3% (2100)
- Population density 1,583 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 21,159 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Maldives?
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception in Maldives was 1.56 births per woman in 2024, according to United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4 births per woman in 1973.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.56 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Maldives rank for fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception?
- Maldives ranks 139th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Maldives data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The total fertility rate, in a given year. The unmet need for contraception shows the estimated share of married fertile women of reproductive age who do not want to become pregnant and are not using contraception.