Foreign Residents Account for One-Third of Maldives Population in 2026

The Maldives’ demographic structure is being shaped by a large migrant workforce, a strong gender imbalance and the continued concentration of residents in Malé, according to population projections published by the Maldives Bureau of Statistics.

The country’s resident population is projected at 590,079 in 2026, comprising 394,054 Maldivians and 196,024 foreign residents. Foreign residents therefore account for approximately one in every three people living in the Maldives.

The figures are projections based on the Maldives Population Projection 2022-2062 and do not represent a new population census.

Of the foreign resident population, 174,005 are men and 22,019 are women. Nearly 89 per cent of foreign residents are therefore male, while foreign nationals account for approximately 47 per cent of all men living in the Maldives.

The population structure also shows that foreign men outnumber Maldivian men across several core working-age groups. This is particularly evident among residents aged between their early twenties and early forties, illustrating the country’s reliance on expatriate workers across labour-intensive industries.

Population concentration remains another defining feature. Around 43 per cent of residents, or 254,556 people, are projected to live in Malé. This includes 168,931 Maldivians and 85,625 foreign residents, meaning approximately one in three people living in the capital is a foreign national.

The remaining 335,522 residents are projected to live outside Malé. Foreign residents account for 18 per cent of the population on administrative islands, compared with 34 per cent in the capital.

The pattern changes considerably on non-administrative islands, including resorts and industrial islands, where foreign nationals represent 80 per cent of residents. The population in these locations is largely concentrated between the ages of 20 and 44, reflecting their role as employment centres.

Administrative islands, by comparison, have fewer residents aged between 20 and 29. The pattern is consistent with younger adults moving towards Malé, resorts and other employment centres, although the projections do not directly measure internal migration.

Among Maldivians, adults aged between 36 and 64 form the largest individual age group, accounting for 144,606 people, or 37 per cent of the local population. Children aged below 18 account for 114,361 residents, while people aged between 18 and 35 number 108,262.

Together, children and young adults represent 56 per cent of the Maldivian population. Residents aged 65 and above account for 26,825 people, or seven per cent.

Outside the capital, Addu City has the largest projected resident population among the five most populated atolls and cities, with 26,913 residents. It is followed by Haa Dhaalu Atoll with 23,371, Kaafu Atoll with 20,163, Raa Atoll with 18,654 and Laamu Atoll with 15,543.

Kaafu Atoll has the largest foreign population share among these locations, with 6,403 foreign residents accounting for 32 per cent of its projected population.

The projections indicate that the Maldives’ demographic challenges extend beyond the overall size of its population. The distribution of residents between Malé, the islands and employment centres, together with the country’s dependence on working-age foreign men, will remain important considerations for housing, public services, labour planning and regional development.