The United Nations’ latest Annual Results Report for the Maldives has raised serious concerns over the country’s limited availability of disaggregated and reliable data, warning that such gaps continue to undermine evidence-based policymaking and the ability to measure progress effectively.
According to the report, the absence of timely, accessible, and disaggregated data is one of the main obstacles to tracking development outcomes and delivering inclusive policies. In key sectors, particularly those affecting women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, there remains a significant lack of data that is broken down by factors such as gender, age, or geographic location—limiting the government’s capacity to respond to specific needs.
The report stresses that in many cases, administrative data is not collected systematically or is incomplete. This leaves policymakers with insufficient evidence to inform decision-making or assess whether programmes are having the intended impact. The fragmentation of information across institutions further complicates coordination between government agencies and development partners.
Outside the scope of the report, other examples further illustrate the issue. The Ministry of Finance and Treasury has not been regularly publishing its Weekly Fiscal Development reports—key documents that provide insight into government revenue, spending, and debt management. These reports are crucial for fiscal transparency and for assessing the government’s economic priorities. Similarly, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment have yet to release any monthly tourist arrival statistics for the year 2025, even though three calendar months have already passed.
The UN report notes that while the Maldives has committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress is difficult to track without an integrated data ecosystem. In areas such as climate change, gender equality, and public health, the lack of standardised indicators and real-time reporting reduces the effectiveness of both policy design and implementation.
To address these gaps, the report recommends investing in the capacity of the National Bureau of Statistics and developing a national strategy for data collection, analysis, and dissemination. It also suggests enhancing collaboration between government institutions and development agencies to improve consistency and reliability.
Ultimately, the report highlights that data is not just a technical necessity, but a foundational pillar of democratic governance and public accountability. Without reliable and disaggregated data, the Maldives risks formulating policies that fail to respond to the realities on the ground.
