Population 290,211 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 47% (male 70,244; female 66,758)
15-64 years: 50% (male 73,784; female 70,539)
65 years and over: 3% (male 4,735; female 4,151) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate 3.42% (1998 est.)

Birth rate 40.12 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate 5.96 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate 41.12 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.57 years
male: 65.87 years
female: 69.35 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate 5.84 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality
noun: Maldivian(s)
adjective: Maldivian

Ethnic groups Sinhalese, Dravidian, Arab, African

Religions Sunni Muslim

Languages Maldivian Divehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.2%
male: 93.3%
female: 93% (1995 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Maldives on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Maldives People 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Maldives People 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.