Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Maldives instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 4.1 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In Maldives, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 72.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Hong Kong, 19.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Maldives, however, that number is 5.4% as of 2019.

View global rankings →

be 61.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Maldives, that number is 4.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 74.4% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Maldives, the GDP per capita is $14,615 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 2.2 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Maldives, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 84.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 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.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 11.0% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Maldives, about 85.2% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 35.7% more on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Maldives spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 12.1% less coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In Maldives, that number is 644 km.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 51.2% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Maldives has 19.6 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 22.4% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Maldives emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), The World Factbook (2016–2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. Maldives

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Maldives is 45.7% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 3.7 times bigger than Maldives.
→
Moving from Hong Kong 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.
Read more

How big is Maldives compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Maldives or Hong Kong. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.