Maldives: Asian Development Bank Member Fact Sheet 2018 Updated

Abstract

Comprising around 1,190 small islands in the Indian Ocean, Maldives is home to around 436,330 people in 2017, and famous for some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. High-end tourism has propelled the country’s strong economic expansion over recent decades. This has helped Maldives gain middle-income status with the highest per capita income in South Asia. However, as a relatively small island economy, the country is extremely vulnerable to external economic shocks and the negative impacts of climate change.