Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Maldives

Maldives: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 78.3% in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
78.3%
World rank
4th
of 179 countries
All-time high
81.0%
in 1985
All-time low
64.4%
in 1995
Years of data
8
1985–2020

Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Maldives, 1985–2020

0204060801985200220201985: 81 %1990: 68.6 %1995: 64.4 %2000: 66.2 %2005: 74.5 %2010: 73.5 %2015: 70.5 %2020: 78.3 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of urban population who live in the largest city in Maldives is 78.3%, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 6.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Maldives peaked at 81.0% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 64.4%, in 1995.

That places Maldives 4th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 81.0% 81.0% 81.0% 1
1990s 66.5% 64.4% 68.6% 2
2000s 70.3% 66.2% 74.5% 2
2010s 72.0% 70.5% 73.5% 2
2020s 78.3% 78.3% 78.3% 1

Countries ranked near Maldives

  1. 1 Bahrain 91.4% compare
  2. 2 Kuwait 87.4% compare
  3. 3 Singapore 84.8% compare
  4. 5 Solomon Islands 75.9% compare
  5. 6 Qatar 75.7% compare
  6. 7 Bahamas 75.4% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More population data for Maldives

All data for Maldives →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Maldives?
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Maldives was 78.3% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Maldives?
The highest recorded value was 81.0% in 1985.
What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Maldives?
The lowest recorded value was 64.4% in 1995.
How does Maldives rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
Maldives ranks 4th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Maldives?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Maldives data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Share of urban population who live in the largest city
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 2,452 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.