Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 14.2 years longer

In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Maldives, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 57.4% less likely to be obese

In Marshall Islands, 42.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Maldives, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.

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see 2.6 times more spent on your healthcare

Marshall Islands spends $874 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Maldives spends $2,288 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 25.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Marshall Islands, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Maldives, however, that number is 5.4% as of 2019.

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make 72.2% more money

Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in Maldives, the GDP per capita is $14,615 as of 2025.

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Life

be 79.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Maldives, 32.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 79.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Marshall Islands, approximately 22.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Maldives, on the other hand, 4.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 47.3% fewer children

In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.1 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 29.3% more likely to have internet access

In Marshall Islands, approximately 65.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Maldives, about 85.2% do as of 2024.

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be 14.1% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (86% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Maldives, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 32.9% less on education

Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Maldives spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 31.0% less on healthcare

Marshall Islands spends 13.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Maldives, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 73.9% more coastline

Marshall Islands has a total of 370 km of coastline. In Maldives, that number is 644 km.

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Safety

be 89.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Marshall Islands, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Maldives, they kill 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 8.4 times more home broadband

Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Maldives has 19.6 as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Marshall Islands vs. Maldives

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Maldives is 21.1% cheaper than Marshall Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Marshall Islands is about 1.6 times smaller than Maldives.
→
Moving from Marshall 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 Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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