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Topic 04 of 18 · Country Index 2026

Maldives: Education & Knowledge

How far does a country's schooling carry its children?

Maldives is placed 79th of 198 countries on education & knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Out-of-School Rate, Primary 0.946 (2024); Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary 81.4 (2024).

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Education & Knowledge

79th

of 198 countries placed

Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics

Country Index 2026, all topicsjoint 91st of 183 →

01The evidence

The 4 key statistics that decide it

Only these place Maldives on education & knowledge — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.

Why these keys

  1. Key 1 of 4

    Out-of-School Rate, Primary

    UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

    Why it is a key

    Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Maldives’s is from 2024 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    0.946

    Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)

    Lower is better

    Maldives: 0.946. Across the 192 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.004 (United Arab Emirates) to 65.6 (Equatorial Guinea); the world median is 3.691.

    World median
    3.691
    Best in Southern Asia
    0.103 Iran

  2. Key 2 of 4

    Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary

    UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

    Why it is a key

    Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Maldives’s is from 2024 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    81.4

    Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)

    Higher is better

    Maldives: 81.4. Across the 187 countries at their latest reading, values run from 3.411 (Yemen) to 100 (United Arab Emirates); the world median is 85.9.

    World median
    85.9
    Best in Southern Asia
    94.42 India

  3. Key 3 of 4

    Upper Secondary Completion Rate

    UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

    Why it is a key

    2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    40.49

    Upper secondary completion rate (%)

    Higher is better

    Maldives: 40.49. Across the 164 countries in this edition, values run from 2.13 (South Sudan) to 99.27 (South Korea); the world median is 64.87.

    World median
    64.87
    Best in Southern Asia
    76.82 Bhutan

  4. Key 4 of 4

    Government Spending on Education

    UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

    Why it is a key

    2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0

    5.167

    Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)

    Higher is better

    Maldives: 5.167. Across the 123 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Somalia) to 16.39 (Kiribati); the world median is 3.709.

    World median
    3.709
    Best in Southern Asia
    5.845 Bhutan

03In context

Maldives beside its neighbours

A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on education & knowledge, never a place within the region.

Southern Asia
1st198thNot placed · 26 countries with too few key statisticsNo data

The whole world on education & knowledge

Maldives and Southern Asia

Maldives has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.

CountryStandingOut-of-School Rate, PrimaryOut-of-school rate, primary age (%)Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before PrimaryChildren one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)Upper Secondary Completion RateUpper secondary completion rate (%)Government Spending on EducationGovernment expenditure on education (% of GDP)
India44th0.10494.4265.05—
Maldives79th0.94681.440.495.167
Iran104th0.10359.8275.52.824
Nepal111th2.03480.0242.483.956
Bhutan120th10.542.0776.825.845
Bangladesh150th5.86288.438.882.162
Sri Lanka171st9.13765.95—1.828
Pakistan=176th17.9350.9138.951.947
Afghanistannot placed——36.28—

“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is

Across Southern Asia

Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.

Placed either side on education & knowledge

The countries immediately above and below Maldives in the topic’s list.

04Context, no vote

Where Maldives is ahead of the world, and behind

15 more statistics filed under education & knowledge, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.

Every country

Ahead of the world median8

Statistics on which Maldives does better than the middle country measured.

  • Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.123No earlier reading

    Maldives: 0.123 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.

    Position 153rd of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.

    Chart and every countryThe 2017 dataset

  • Pupils per Qualified Teacher, PrimaryUIS · 2024 · world median 20.6712.18▲ Improved since 2014

    Maldives: 12.18 · world median 20.67 · Primary pupils per qualified teacher (headcount basis). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 8.244 to 284.7; lower is better.

    Position 81st of 92 · derived, 1st = worst.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Primary Schools with Internet for TeachingUIS · 2024 · world median 98.66100No real change since 2017

    Maldives: 100 · world median 98.66 · Primary schools with internet access for teaching (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Adult Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 93.9998.21No earlier reading

    Maldives: 98.21 · world median 93.99 · Adults 15+ who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 26.83 to 100; higher is better.

    Position 43rd of 172 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Lower Secondary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 89.2197.89▲ Improved since 2015

    Maldives: 97.89 · world median 89.21 · Lower secondary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 13.73 to 100; higher is better.

    Position 42nd of 164 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.86No earlier reading

    Maldives: 0.86 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Primary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 97.4399.36▲ Improved since 2015

    Maldives: 99.36 · world median 97.43 · Primary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 7.94 to 100; higher is better.

    Position 50th of 165 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Youth Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 98.2298.74No earlier reading

    Maldives: 98.74 · world median 98.22 · 15–24 year-olds who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 36.7 to 100; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

Behind the world median5

Statistics on which Maldives does worse than the middle country measured.

  • Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.555▲ Improved since 2015

    Maldives: 0.555 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.

    Position 103rd of 176 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

  • Pre-Primary Net Enrolment RateUIS · 2024 · world median 65.9353.45▼ Worsened since 2014

    Maldives: 53.45 · world median 65.93 · Net enrolment rate, pre-primary (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.779 to 99.85; higher is better.

    Position 73rd of 120 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.3412.77No real change since 2013

    Maldives: 12.77 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.

    Position 121st of 195 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary AgeUIS · 2024 · world median 6.3439.462▲ Improved since 2014

    Maldives: 9.462 · world median 6.343 · Out-of-school rate, lower secondary age (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 0.011 to 79.71; lower is better.

    Position 44th of 116 · derived, 1st = worst.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.9337.41▲ Improved since 2013

    Maldives: 7.41 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.

    Position 135th of 193 · derived.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

Level with the median, or no median to compare1

  • Primary Schools with ElectricityUIS · 2024 · world median 100100No real change since 2016

    Maldives: 100 · world median 100 · Primary schools with access to electricity (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.

    Published values in that edition run from 1.246 to 100; higher is better.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

No better end1

These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.

  • Scholarly ArticlesOurResearch · 2025 · world median 2,240228Moved since 2022

    Maldives: 228 · world median 2,240 · Articles with at least one author at an institution in the country (full counting). OpenAlex (OurResearch), 2025 edition, data for 2025.

    Published values in that edition run from 1 to 1,094,890.

    Chart and every countryThe 2025 dataset

No current reading for Maldives

Bachelor's or Higher Attainment (last 2019), Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of STEM Graduates (last 2019), Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2022), Government Funding per Primary Student (last 2019), Harmonized Test Scores, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary (last 2003), Learning Poverty, Learning-Adjusted Years of School, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Primary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary (last 2019), PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education (last 2022), Research and Development Spending, Researchers per Million Inhabitants, School Life Expectancy (last 2022), Secondary School Enrolment (last 2023), Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes (last 2019), Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (last 2022), Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment (last 2017). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.

“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing

05Country Index 2026

Education & Knowledge among Maldives’s 16 topics

Education & Knowledge is Maldives’s 6th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.

On the profile
  1. Poverty & Inequality13th of 159
  2. Risk & Resiliencejoint 56th of 193
  3. Health & Wellbeing62nd of 200
  4. Work & Labourjoint 64th of 182
  5. Peace & Security68th of 177
  6. Education & Knowledge79th of 198
  7. Economy & Innovation79th of 176
  8. Democracy & Civil Liberties97th of 198
  9. Food & Agriculture92nd of 184
  10. Development & Human Capital103rd of 196
  11. Governance & Institutions105th of 194
  12. Environment & Sustainability128th of 186
  13. Gender & Equality149th of 183
  14. Digital & Technology162nd of 198
  15. Energy136th of 165
  16. Mobility & Trade169th of 177

06The top of the list

Who leads on education & knowledge

The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Maldives can most readily be measured against.

All 198 countries
  1. 1

    United Arab Emirates

    Western Asia

    1st of 198 · 2 of 4 keys

    Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  2. 2

    Greece

    Southern Europe

    2nd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys

    Photo: User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  3. 3

    Poland

    Eastern Europe

    3rd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys

    Photo: Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich) · CC BY 3.0, greyscale

Placed highest nearby

  1. Highest placed on all 4 keys

    Moldova7th4/4 keys

  2. Highest in Asia

    United Arab Emirates1st2/4 keys

  3. Highest in Southern Asia

    India44th3/4 keys

  4. This page

    Maldives79th4/4 keys

Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.

07Questions

Maldives on education & knowledge: questions answered

Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.

How does Maldives rank on education & knowledge?

Maldives is placed 79th of 198 countries on Education & Knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, Upper Secondary Completion Rate and Government Spending on Education). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.

What is the latest Out-of-School Rate, Primary figure for Maldives?

0.946 in 2024 (out-of-school rate, primary age (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 3.691.

What is the latest Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary figure for Maldives?

81.4 in 2024 (children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 85.9.

How have Maldives’s education & knowledge figures changed?

Out-of-School Rate, Primary fell from 3.169 in 2000 to 0.946 in 2024; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary rose from 69.99 in 2000 to 81.4 in 2024; Upper Secondary Completion Rate rose from 12.09 in 2000 to 40.49 in 2025; Government Spending on Education fell from 5.792 in 2002 to 5.167 in 2023.

Which education & knowledge statistics are missing for Maldives?

No current reading is published for Maldives on Bachelor's or Higher Attainment, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Government Funding per Primary Student, Harmonized Test Scores, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Learning Poverty, Learning-Adjusted Years of School, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Primary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary, PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education, Research and Development Spending, Researchers per Million Inhabitants, School Life Expectancy, Secondary School Enrolment, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Tertiary Enrolment Ratio, Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.

08Method

Method, sources and how to cite

What this topic does not measure

How much children actually learn is only partly covered. International test scores exist for a limited group of countries, and they are published here as context rather than used as a key, because a key must describe most of the world. Universities, research, and youth and adult literacy also appear as context.

About education & knowledge, in full

How the Education & Knowledge standing is decided

A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.

The education & knowledge method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built

The key statistics and their licences

The other 15 statistics on this page come from 5 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.

The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photographs

Maldives’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Maldives: Education & Knowledge — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/maldives/education

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