Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Maldives instead of Serbia, you would:

Health

live 5.3 years longer

In Serbia, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 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 18.2% less likely to be obese

In Serbia, 21.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Maldives, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 90.3% less likely to die by suicide

Serbia has a suicide rate of 15.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Maldives, it is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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have 27.9% fewer doctors per person

Serbia has 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Maldives has 22.4 as of 2019.

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have 15.3% less access to essential health services

Serbia scores 72 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Maldives scores 61 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 36.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Serbia, 7.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Maldives, that number is 4.5% as of 2025.

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Life

have 15.1% more children

In Serbia, there are approximately 9.2 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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be 2.9 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Serbia, approximately 11.0 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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Expenditures

spend 52.1% more on education

Serbia spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Maldives spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 15.2% more on healthcare

Serbia spends 8.0% 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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Safety

be 82.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Serbia, road accidents kill 7.4 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 41.1% less home broadband

Serbia has 33.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Maldives has 19.6 as of 2024.

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live with 2.7 times more strain on fresh water

Serbia withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Maldives withdraws 16% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 35.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Serbia, air pollution causes 45.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Maldives, it causes 29.0 as of 2019.

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

Compare further: Serbia vs. Maldives

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Maldives is 40.9% more expensive than Serbia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Serbia is about 260 times bigger than Maldives.
→
Moving from Serbia 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 Serbia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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