Maldives Human Capital Review - November 2023 - Unleashing People’s Full Potential

Jul 19, 2026

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A Human Capital Review examining how the Maldives can unlock people’s full potential to strengthen long-term growth and shared prosperity. The report defines human capital as a driver of sustainable and inclusive development and explains the World Bank Human Capital Project approach. It calculates the first Human Capital Index score nationally and subnationally, including survival, health, and education components, and analyzes utilization-adjusted outcomes across the life cycle.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages136

Reading Time5 h 43 min

Executive Summary

Chapter 1: Human Capital as the Key to Long-Term Economic Growth and Prosperity

Country context

Human capital for sustainable & inclusive development

World Bank Human Capital Project (HCP)

Chapter 2: Calculating the First HCI Score for the Maldives at the National and Subnational Levels

Maldives’ HCI performance in the global context

Maldives’ HCI scores at the subnational level

Chapter 3: Challenges and Drivers of Human Capital Accumulation across the Life Cycle

Early childhood stage

Childhood stage

Adolescence and youth stage

Chapter 4: Overview of the Education, Health and Social Protection Sectors

Education sector overview

Health sector overview

Social protection sector overview

Chapter 5: Shocks That Threaten Human Capital in the Maldives

COVID-19 pandemic and lessons learned

Climate shocks impacting human capital gains

Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations

At the national level

Sector-specific recommendations

Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Pub lic Disclosure Authorized Human Capital Review Unleashing People’s Full Potential November 2023 Human Capital Review Unleashing People’s Full Potential November 2023 © 2023 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 [Internet: www.worldbank.org](Internet: www.worldbank.org) Disclaimer This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Nothing herein shall constitute or be construed or considered to be a limitation upon or waiver of the privileges and immunities of The World Bank, all of which are specifically reserved. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail: [pubrights@worldbank.org](pubrights@worldbank.org). Cover Photos ©trentemoller/Shutterstock, ©Paiboon Chooklin/Shutterstock Photos ©Shutterstock Designing Ricardo Echecopar Table of Contents Acknowledgements iv Abbreviations vi Executive Summary 1 Chapter 1: Human Capital as the Key to Long-Term Economic Growth and Prosperity 9 1.1. Country context 9 1.2. Human capital for sustainable & inclusive development 13 1.3. World Bank Human Capital Project (HCP) 14 Chapter 2: Calculating the First HCI Score for the Maldives at the National and Subnational Levels 17 2.1. Maldives’ HCI performance in the global context 18 2.2. Maldives’ HCI scores at the subnational level 24 2.3. Understanding the regional HCI components 29 2.3.1. Survival 29 2.3.2. Health 30 2.3.3. Education 32 2.4. Utilization-adjusted HCI at the subnational level 36 Chapter 3: Challenges and Drivers of Human Capital Accumulation across the Life Cycle 39 3.1 Human capital challenges and drivers during the early childhood stage (conception to 5) 42 3.2 Human capital challenges and drivers during childhood stage (ages 6-12) 49 3.3 Human capital challenges and drivers during adolescence and youth stage (13-18) 51 3.4 Adulthood stage (19 and older) and implications of the demographic transition 58 Chapter 4: Overview of the Education, Health and Social Protection Sectors 65 4.1 The importance of service delivery for human capital accumulation and utilization 65 4.2 Overview of the education sector 66 4.2.1. Financing 66 4.2.2. Institutions 67 ii Maldives Human Capital Review Unleashing People’s Full Potential 4.2.3. Strategies and programs 71 4.2.4. Efficiency of the education system and transition to the labor market 74 4.3 Overview of the health sector 75 4.3.1 Health financing 77 4.3.2 Institutions and health service delivery system 80 4.3.3 Efficiency in health spending 81 4.3.4 Health strategy and policies 82 4

FAQs

What is the central purpose of the Human Capital Review for the Maldives?

To analyze how human capital can be leveraged to support long-term economic growth and prosperity in the Maldives.

How does the report approach calculating human capital outcomes in the Maldives?

It calculates the first Human Capital Index (HCI) score at national and subnational levels, including components such as survival, health, and education, and then examines utilization-adjusted outcomes.

Which shocks does the report highlight as threats to human capital?

It focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic and climate-related shocks, including food security, education, health, livelihoods, and impacts on at-risk groups.

Jul 19, 2026

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