Share of women using contraceptives in Maldives
Maldives: Share of women using contraceptives was 18.8% in 2017. ▼ Falling
Share of women using contraceptives in Maldives, 1991–2017
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of women ages 15-49.
Analysis
Maldives recorded 18.8% for share of women using contraceptives in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 45.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women using contraceptives in Maldives peaked at 42.0% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 18.8%, in 2017.
That places Maldives 109th out of 116 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Share of women using contraceptives in Maldives, year by year
| Year | % of women ages 15-49 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 29.0% | — |
| 1999 | 42.0% | +44.8% |
| 2004 | 39.0% | -7.1% |
| 2009 | 34.7% | -11.0% |
| 2017 | 18.8% | -45.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 35.5% | 29.0% | 42.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 36.9% | 34.7% | 39.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 18.8% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
More gender data for Maldives
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 86.61 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -2.93 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 2,667 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 2,787 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 2,752 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 2,869 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 2,832 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 2,953 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 2,854 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 3,036 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women using contraceptives in Maldives?
- Share of women using contraceptives in Maldives was 18.8% in 2017, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women using contraceptives recorded in Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 42.0% in 1999.
- What is the lowest share of women using contraceptives recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.8% in 2017.
- How does Maldives rank for share of women using contraceptives?
- Maldives ranks 109th out of 116 countries with data for 2017.
- Is share of women using contraceptives rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Maldives data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and UN Population Division, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women using contraceptives. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Contraceptive prevalence rate is the percentage of women who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, any form of contraception. It is usually measured for women ages 15-49 who are married or in union.