Share of population living in rural areas in Maldives
Maldives: Share of population living in rural areas was 43.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Maldives, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Maldives recorded 43.5% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Maldives peaked at 87.1% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 43.5%, in 2020.
Maldives ranks 46th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Maldives, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 87.1% | — |
| 1955 | 86.1% | -1.2% |
| 1960 | 84.8% | -1.5% |
| 1965 | 83.3% | -1.8% |
| 1970 | 81.0% | -2.8% |
| 1975 | 78.7% | -2.8% |
| 1980 | 70.4% | -10.6% |
| 1985 | 67.0% | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 59.7% | -10.9% |
| 1995 | 58.7% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 57.5% | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 55.2% | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 52.2% | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 49.2% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 43.5% | -11.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 86.6% | 86.1% | 87.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 84.1% | 83.3% | 84.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 79.8% | 78.7% | 81.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 68.7% | 67.0% | 70.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 59.2% | 58.7% | 59.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 56.4% | 55.2% | 57.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 50.7% | 49.2% | 52.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 43.5% | 43.5% | 43.5% | 1 |
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)
- 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 share of population living in rural areas in Maldives?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Maldives was 43.5% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 87.1% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.5% in 2020.
- How does Maldives rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Maldives ranks 46th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Maldives data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.