How many people live in the Maldives right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
532,122
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 174 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0064%
- Median age
- 33.4 years
- Children per woman
- 1.53
- Life expectancy
- 81.7 years
- People per km²
- 1,772
According to UN estimates, about 532,122 people live in the Maldives right now. It ranks 174th out of 237 countries and territories by population, between Malta and Cape Verde, and it is home to one in every 15,600 people on the planet.
Every day, about 14 people are born there and about 4 die. More people leave than arrive: net migration reduces the population by about 2,100 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 5 people a day (0.35% a year).
In 1950, about 74,448 people lived there. Today there are 7.1 times as many. The UN expects it to peak around 2057, at about 596,762, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 589,962 people (11% more than today), and by 2100 about 474,919.
Half of its people are younger than 33 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 1.53 children each, below the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 82 years (worldwide, 74). There are 1,772 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of the Maldives in 2026?
- The Maldives has about 532,122 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 531,517.
- How many people are born each day in the Maldives?
- About 14 a day (5,200 a year). About 4 people die each day (1,300 a year).
- Is the population of the Maldives growing?
- Yes: it grows by 0.35% a year, or about 1,800 people.
- What will the population of the Maldives be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 589,962, with a peak around 2057 at about 596,762.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- Montenegro 625,164
- Western Sahara 613,812
- Malta 549,632
- Cape Verde 530,339
- Brunei 470,843
- Belize 430,400
More countries in Asia
- India 1,480,585,694
- China 1,411,888,746
- Indonesia 288,550,195
- Pakistan 260,627,812
- Bangladesh 178,484,335
- Japan 122,207,047
- Philippines 118,018,857
- Vietnam 102,351,305
- Iran 93,380,238
- Turkey 88,012,259
- Thailand 71,536,973
- Myanmar 55,285,237
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.