Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Maldives
Maldives: Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 was 42.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
42.5%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
183rd
of 238 countries
All-time high
42.5%
in 2025
All-time low
10.7%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Maldives, 1950–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Maldives is 42.5%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Maldives peaked at 42.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 10.7%, in 1950.
Maldives ranks 183rd of 238 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Maldives, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 10.7% | — |
| 1951 | 10.8% | +0.7% |
| 1952 | 10.9% | +0.7% |
| 1953 | 11.0% | +0.7% |
| 1954 | 11.0% | +0.6% |
| 1955 | 11.1% | +0.6% |
| 1956 | 11.2% | +0.6% |
| 1957 | 11.2% | +0.5% |
| 1958 | 11.3% | +0.5% |
| 1959 | 11.3% | +0.4% |
| 1960 | 11.4% | +0.4% |
| 1961 | 11.4% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 11.4% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 11.4% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 11.5% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 11.5% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 11.4% | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 11.3% | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 11.4% | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 11.6% | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 11.9% | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 12.5% | +4.8% |
| 1972 | 13.5% | +7.9% |
| 1973 | 14.7% | +9.4% |
| 1974 | 16.2% | +9.7% |
| 1975 | 17.6% | +9.1% |
| 1976 | 19.0% | +7.8% |
| 1977 | 20.2% | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 21.1% | +4.6% |
| 1979 | 22.0% | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 22.8% | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 23.6% | +3.5% |
| 1982 | 24.3% | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 24.9% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 25.3% | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 25.5% | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 25.6% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 25.7% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 25.8% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 25.8% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 25.9% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 25.8% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 25.7% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 25.6% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 25.6% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 25.5% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 25.7% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 26.0% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 26.5% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 27.0% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 27.6% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 28.5% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 29.9% | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 31.4% | +5.0% |
| 2004 | 32.9% | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 34.1% | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 34.9% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 35.4% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 35.9% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 36.4% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 36.8% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 37.1% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 37.5% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 37.8% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 38.2% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 38.6% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 39.0% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 39.3% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 39.7% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 40.0% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 40.4% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 40.7% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 41.1% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 41.5% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 42.0% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 42.5% | +1.2% |
Maldives compared with similar countries
- Maldives's 42.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 65% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Maldives's 42.5% is above the median for South Asia, which is 39.1%, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 11.1% | 10.7% | 11.3% | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.4% | 11.3% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.9% | 11.9% | 22.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.0% | 22.8% | 25.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.9% | 25.5% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.7% | 27.6% | 36.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.4% | 36.8% | 40.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.4% | 40.4% | 42.5% | 6 |
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 urban areas projected to 2050 in Maldives?
- Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Maldives was 42.5% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 42.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.7% in 1950.
- How does Maldives rank for share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050?
- Maldives ranks 183rd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Maldives data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.