Population and Demographics

Maldives comprises some 1,900 islands in the Indian Ocean. The earliest settlers were probably the Dravidian from the shores of southern India and Sri Lanka. In the 12th century, sailors from East Africa and Arab countries came to the islands. Today, the Maldivian ethnic identity is a blend of these cultures, reinforced by religion and language.

Originally Buddhists, Maldivians were converted to Sunni Islam in the mid-12th century. Islam is the official religion of the entire population and adherence to it is required for citizenship.

The official and common language is Divehi (the written script is called Thaana), an Indo-European language related to Sinhalese, the language of Sri Lanka. The writing system is from right to left. English is used widely in commerce and increasingly as the medium of instruction in government schools.

Some social stratification along lines similar to the Indian caste system exists on the islands. It is not rigid, since rank is based on varied factors, including occupation, wealth, Islamic virtue, and family ties. Members of the social elite are concentrated in Malé. Outside of the service industry, this is the only location where the foreign and domestic populations are likely to interact. The tourist resorts are not on islands where the natives live, and casual contacts between the two groups are discouraged.

Census has been recorded since 1905, which shows that the population of the country remained around 100,000 for the first 7 decades of the last century. Following independence in 1965, the health status of the population improved so much that the population doubled by 1978, and the population growth rate peaked at 3.4% in 1985. By 2005, the population had reached 300,000, although the census in 2000 showed that the population growth rate had declined to 1.9%. Life expectancy at birth stood at 46 years in 1978, while it has now risen to 64 years. Infant mortality has declined from 127 per thousand in 1977 to 53 today, and adult literacy stands at 96%.

Facts and Figures

• Population: 369,031
• Age Structure:
  • 0-14 years: 42.9% (male 81,383/female 76,984)
  • 15-64 years: 54% (male 101,699/female 97,518)
  • 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 5,619/female 5,828)
• Median Age:
  • Total: 18.1 years
  • Male: 18 years
  • Female: 18.2 years
• Population Growth Rate: 2.732%
• Birth Rate: 34.2 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate: 6.88 deaths/1,000 population
• Net Migration Rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio:
  • At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  • Under 15 years: 1.057 male(s)/female
  • 15-64 years: 1.043 male(s)/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.964 male(s)/female
  • Total population: 1.046 male(s)/female
• Infant Mortality Rate:
  • Total: 53.25 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Male: 52.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Female: 54.15 deaths/1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy at Birth:
  • Total population: 64.76 years
  • Male: 63.41 years
  • Female: 66.19 years
• Total Fertility Rate: 4.78 children born/woman
• HIV/AIDS:
  • Adult prevalence rate: 0.1%
  • People living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100
• Ethnic Groups:
• South Indians
  • Sinhalese
  • Arabs
• Religions: Sunni Muslim
• Languages:
  • Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic)
  • English spoken by most government officials
• Literacy:
  • Total population: 96.3%
  • Male: 96.2%
  • Female: 96.4%