Population
The population of the Republic of Maldives was 282 000 persons in 1998 (FAO, SIDS 1999) of which 48.8 percent were women (ESCAP 1999). At 2.8 percent in 1995-1998, the Maldives has one of the highest population growth rates among developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The population is young: almost half of the population is under 15 years; 52.5 percent is in the working age group (15-64 years) and just 3.5 percent is 65 years or older. Life expectancy for both men and women is 70 years (ADB 2001). The sex ratio is 105 men per 100 women (Fifth National Development Plan, Government of the Maldives). Total population is projected to reach 373 000 by 2010 (ESCAP/WID 1999).
|
Population Growthrate,
|
Source: ESCAP/WID 1999
Of the approximately 1200 islands in the Maldivian archipelago, only 198 are inhabited. Five islands are industrial and 72 have been developed as tourist resorts. Over 26 percent of the population lives in the capital, Malé (1995 Census). Outside the capital, the population distribution among the twenty administrative atolls is relatively uniform, varying from less than one percent to more than seven percent of the country's total population. There is concern that disparities in population distribution between Malé and the atolls, attributable to slower growth in agriculture and fishery as compared to other sectors, are increasing. This trend has been described as a 'backwash effect' whereby Malé and the resort and industrial islands act as centres of growth, while the remaining islands act as the hinterland (ILO/ARTEP 1993).
Education
The education system consists of seven years of basic education, three years of lower secondary (ordinary level) and two years of higher secondary education (advanced level). The Maldives increased enrolment by 263 percent between 1977 and 1995, from 24 203 to 87 878 students. The 1995 rate of enrolment was 100 percent, while the dropout rate was only seven percent. There are no gender disparities in education at any level (Haq and Haq 1998). On the atolls, students are 'forced out' of education owing to the complete lack of higher education opportunities. Although a few vocational training institutes exist at the post-secondary level, students seeking tertiary education must go abroad. The government provides overseas training for its employees. In 1992, the gross enrolment ratio for females was 132 compared to 136 for males (ESCAP 1999). As of 1998, the adult literacy rate was 98 percent for both females and males (ADB 2001).
Labour
In the 1995 census, the economically active population was 66 887 persons, an increase of 3.1 percent per year since 1990. In the same period, the number of foreign nationals grew at an annual rate of 16.5 percent to reach 18 510. Foreign nationals comprised 21.7 percent of the total workforce in 1995. In 1998, the total rate of participation among nationals in the workforce was 49.5 percent. The participation rate was 72 percent for men and women's rate of participation was just 27 percent.
Recent shifts in the economy, characterized by a move away from primary industry towards tertiary industry, have affected employment for both men and women. The drop in the primary sector's contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) has been reflected by a fall in the employment share of fishing, agriculture, forestry and quarrying, and a reduction in the share of agricultural and fishery workers in the employed labour force. In contrast, the increase in the tertiary sector's share of GDP has been mirrored in increased employment in wholesaling and retailing, hotels and restaurants, as well as finance, insurance and business.
Employment lost by men on the atolls in one sector has usually been gained in another. In contrast, the number of employed women on the atolls declined from 9 010 in 1985 to 7 851 in 1990. The marked decline in female employment in manufacturing is primarily due to a decline in local demand for handicraft products resulting from changes in consumer tastes and the use of substitute synthetic materials. With the progressive mechanization of the fishing industry and a shift in the external demand for dried and salted fish, women's employment in fish-processing industries has declined sharply. On the atolls, women's share of the economically active population fell in 1990, before increasing again in 1995. In 1995, two sectors dominated employment on the atolls:
fishing, which represented 34 percent of male employment.
The 1999 Human Development Index (HDI) rank for the Maldives was 84 out of 173 countries, indicating medium human development, defined by medium life expectancy at birth, high educational attainment and medium levels of income. The Gender-Related Development Index (GDI) rank was 68 out of 173 countries, indicating that the Maldives has built basic human capacities for both women and men without substantial gender disparities (UNDP 2002).
