Urban Population: Maldives

Analysis# Maldives Urban Population As of 2024, Maldives has an urban population of 41.998%, marking both its current value and all-time peak. This represents a dramatic shift from 1967, when only 11.33% of the population lived in urban areas—a 269.5% increase over the past six decades. The steady upward trajectory reflects the nation's transformation from a predominantly rural, fishing-based economy toward greater urbanization and economic centralization. The period from 2015 onward shows consistent annual growth, rising from 38.577% to the current 41.998%. This sustained acceleration indicates ongoing rural-to-urban migration driven by economic opportunities and development concentrated in urban centers, particularly Malé. With urbanization rates climbing nearly 0.5 percentage points annually in recent years, the Maldives continues moving toward a more predominantly urban population structure.