Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Maldives instead of United Kingdom, you would:

Health

be 34.8% less likely to be obese

In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Maldives, that number is 17.9% of people as of 2024.

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be 84.6% less likely to die by suicide

United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Maldives, it is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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see 65.4% less spent on your healthcare

United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Maldives spends $2,288 as of 2023.

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have 30.7% less access to essential health services

United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Maldives scores 61 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 71.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In United Kingdom, 18.6% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Maldives, however, that number is 5.4% as of 2019.

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make 74.6% less money

United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Maldives, the GDP per capita is $14,615 as of 2025.

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Life

be 4.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 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 14.6% more likely to die during infancy

In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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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Basic Needs

be 10.7% less likely to have internet access

In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Maldives, about 85.2% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 12.5% less on education

United Kingdom spends 5.9% 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 16.9% less on healthcare

United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Maldives, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 94.8% less coastline

United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In Maldives, that number is 644 km.

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Safety

be 44.6% less likely to be murdered

United Kingdom has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Maldives, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2019.

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be 45.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 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 53.4% less home broadband

United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Maldives has 19.6 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 15.4% less CO2

United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Maldives emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution

In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Maldives, it causes 29.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Maldives

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Maldives is 36.1% cheaper than United Kingdom overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
United Kingdom is about 817 times bigger than Maldives.
→
Moving from United Kingdom to Maldives · UN DESA 2020
110 people born in United Kingdom live in Maldives.
→

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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