Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Maldives instead of Cook Islands, you would:

Health

live 4.1 years longer

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Maldives, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 75.3% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 72.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Maldives, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.

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have 66.2% more doctors per person

Cook Islands has 13.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Maldives has 22.4 as of 2019.

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have 32.6% more access to essential health services

Cook Islands scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Maldives scores 61 as of 2021.

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Life

be 70.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Maldives, on the other hand, 4.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 12.5% fewer children

In Cook Islands, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Maldives, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 31.5% more likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Maldives, about 85.2% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 12.4% more on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Maldives spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.9 times more on healthcare

Cook Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Maldives, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 5.4 times more coastline

Cook Islands has a total of 120 km of coastline. In Maldives, that number is 644 km.

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Safety

be 92.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Cook Islands, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Maldives, they kill 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Sources: The World Factbook (2020–2024), World Bank (2019–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Cook Islands vs. Maldives

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Maldives is 8.6% more expensive than Cook Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Cook Islands is about 1.3 times smaller than Maldives.
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Moving from Cook Islands to Maldives · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Maldives: At a glance

Maldives is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 298 sq km. A sultanate since the 12th century, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887. It became a republic in 1968, three years after independence. President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM dominated the islands' political scene for 30 years, elected to six successive terms by single-party referendums. Following political demonstrations in the capital Male in August 2003, the president and his government pledged to embark upon a process of liberalization and democratic reforms, including a more representative political system and expanded political freedoms. Progress was sluggish, however, and many promised reforms were slow to be realized. Nonetheless, political parties were legalized in 2005. In June 2008, a constituent assembly - termed the "Special Majlis" - finalized a new constitution, which was ratified by the president in August. The first-ever presidential elections under a multi-candidate, multi-party system were held in October 2008. GAYOOM was defeated in a runoff poll by Mohamed NASHEED, a political activist who had been jailed several years earlier by the former regime. President NASHEED faced a number of challenges including strengthening democracy and combating poverty and drug abuse. In early February 2012, after several weeks of street protests following his sacking of a top judge, NASHEED resigned the presidency and handed over power to Vice President Mohammed WAHEED Hassan Maniku. In mid-2012, a Commission of National Inquiry was set by the government to probe events leading up to NASHEED's resignation. Though the commission found no evidence of a coup, the report recommended the need to strengthen the country's democratic institutions to avert similar events in the future, and to further investigate alleged police misconduct during the crisis. Maldivian officials have played a prominent role in international climate change discussions (due to the islands' low elevation and the threat from sea-level rise) on the UN Human Rights Council and in other international forums, as well as in encouraging regional cooperation, especially between India and Pakistan.
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How big is Maldives compared to Cook Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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