The Maldives Bureau of Statistics has projected that more than half of the country’s population will be living in the capital over the next 36 years.
According to the Maldives Population Projection 2022–2062 report, 53 percent of residents are expected to be concentrated in Male’ by 2062, continuing a long-term trend of population movement away from the atolls and towards the capital.
The report estimates that the Maldives’ total resident population, including foreigners, will rise from the current 547,651 to around 678,000 by 2062.
A major driver of this growth is the resident foreign population, which is projected to increase significantly to more than 263,000 people. By 2062, foreigners are expected to make up nearly 39 percent of the country’s total population.
Male’ City alone is forecast to grow to over 361,000 residents, up from about 228,000 today. Among Maldivians, the shift towards the capital is even more pronounced, with nearly 60 percent of the resident Maldivian population expected to live in Male’ by 2062. The number of Maldivians residing in the capital is projected to rise from around 157,000 to more than 246,000.
The report also highlights widening demographic changes across the atolls. By 2062, only six atolls are expected to have more than 10,000 resident Maldivians—Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, Raa, Kaafu, Laamu and Addu.
In several atolls, the foreign resident population is projected to increase sharply. In Vaavu Atoll, more than half of all residents are expected to be foreign nationals, while in Addu City, foreigners are forecast to make up more than 36 percent of the resident population.
The findings underscore the scale of demographic transformation facing the Maldives, raising long-term questions about urban planning, housing, infrastructure, and regional development.