Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Maldives
Maldives: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 0.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Maldives, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2024, population growth in Maldives stood at 0.3%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 4.7% on the previous year and down 89.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Maldives peaked at 3.5% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2024.
Maldives ranks 154th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Maldives, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.0% | — |
| 1971 | 3.0% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 3.0% | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 3.0% | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 3.0% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 2.9% | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | -6.7% |
| 1979 | 2.7% | -3.3% |
| 1980 | 2.8% | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 2.8% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 2.8% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 2.7% | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 2.8% | +2.9% |
| 1985 | 3.2% | +14.3% |
| 1986 | 3.5% | +9.6% |
| 1987 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 3.3% | -4.3% |
| 1989 | 3.2% | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 3.2% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 3.1% | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 2.9% | -7.1% |
| 1993 | 2.6% | -8.5% |
| 1994 | 2.4% | -8.7% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 2.2% | -4.4% |
| 1997 | 2.0% | -7.9% |
| 1998 | 1.9% | -8.2% |
| 1999 | 1.7% | -8.2% |
| 2000 | 1.6% | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | +45.0% |
| 2007 | 3.3% | +39.2% |
| 2008 | 3.5% | +6.3% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 3.5% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 3.5% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 3.3% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 2.9% | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | -44.5% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | -76.5% |
| 2024 | 0.3% | -4.7% |
Maldives compared with similar countries
- Maldives's 0.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5%, 71% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Maldives's 0.3% is below the median for South Asia, which is 0.5%, 69% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Maldives changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | -76.5% | 1.5% | 0.4% |
| 2006 | +45.0% | 1.7% | 2.4% |
| 2022 | -44.5% | 2.8% | 1.5% |
| 2007 | +39.2% | 2.4% | 3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.7% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 1.6% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.4% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 0.3% | 2.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
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)
- Population growth rate -0.305 (2100)
- Population density 1,583 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 21,159 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Maldives?
- Population growth in Maldives was 0.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 3.5% in 2008.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2024.
- How does Maldives rank for population growth?
- Maldives ranks 154th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 89.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Maldives data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release