Where Maldivians move
2.8K Maldivians live abroad — #209 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Considering a move from the Maldives? — See top destinations, regional flows, and how it's changed since 1990.
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 98% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 1424 |
| Australia | 712 |
| India | 574 |
| Seychelles | 38 |
| Denmark | 14 |
| Norway | 4 |
| Slovenia | 3 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Lithuania | 1 |
| Liechtenstein | 1 |
| Costa Rica | 1 |
| Bulgaria | 0 |
| Finland | 0 |
| Greece | 0 |
By destination region
Asia is the leading destination region at 72%
2K
712
38
24
1
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from the Maldives.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 91% to 51%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
Sri Lanka is the primary destination for emigrants
Sri Lanka attracts 51% of all emigrants from the Maldives, while the second-largest destination receives just 26%.
The share of emigrants going to Asia has declined since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Asia has shifted from 91.6% to 72.1% since 1990.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1685 |
| 1995 | 1092 |
| 2000 | 824 |
| 2005 | 1432 |
| 2010 | 2624 |
| 2015 | 2694 |
| 2020 | 2703 |
| 2024 | 2773 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Sri Lanka | Australia | India | Seychelles | Denmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17 | 128 | 1527 | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 | 193 | 180 | 708 | 1 | 1 |
| 2000 | 370 | 165 | 277 | 1 | 3 |
| 2005 | 731 | 280 | 387 | 17 | 7 |
| 2010 | 1474 | 423 | 670 | 34 | 8 |
| 2015 | 1390 | 599 | 645 | 38 | 7 |
| 2020 | 1408 | 636 | 602 | 37 | 9 |
| 2024 | 1424 | 712 | 574 | 38 | 14 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Maldives as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from the Maldives