Asian Development Bank and Maldives: Fact Sheet

Abstract

Updated yearly, this ADB Fact Sheet provides social and economic indicators on the Maldives as well as concise information on ADB's operations in the country and contact information. Since the country joined ADB in 1978, ADB has provided 22 sovereign and nonsovereign loans, amounting to $158.38 million, $24.45 million for 2 grants, and $27.55 million in funding for 68 technical assistance projects as of 31 December 2013. When the Maldives joined ADB, it was among ADB’s least developed member countries, with low average income levels. The Maldives has enjoyed sustained growth in the decades since, driven largely by its luxury tourism industry. As of January 2011, it graduated to middle-income status, and average incomes are now among the highest in South Asia. However, broad income disparities between Malé and the outer islands remain.