The Maldives Investment Climate Statement

FEBRUARY 2007

Investment Climate 

Introduction                                                                                             
Maldives is comprised of over 1,190 islands, of which 198 are inhabited and 87 are exclusive resort islands.  Population is about 350,000, while over 600,000 tourists arrive annually.  The capital, Male’, has a population of 103,000.  GDP in 2006 totaled about $900 million, or about $3,000 per capita (exceeding the average of about $700 in the rest of South Asia).  Over the past decade, real GDP growth averaged over 7.5 percent per year except for 2005, when GDP declined following the Indian Ocean tsunami.  Economic growth has been powered mainly by tourism and its spin-offs in transportation, communication, and construction. While income disparity remains high, this growth also resulted in considerable social progress.  The net enrollment in primary education is close to 100 percent.  Literacy rates are about 98 percent.  Infant and maternal mortality are declining rapidly. (full text)