The state of digital in the Maldives in 2023

The state of digital in the Maldives in 2023

The highlight of the digital adoption and use in the Maldives in early 2023:

• There were 448.4 thousand internet users in the Maldives at the start of 2023 when internet penetration stood at 85.8 percent.
• The Maldives was home to 372.4 thousand social media users in January 2023, 71.3 percent of the total population.
• 812.3 thousand cellular mobile connections were active in the Maldives in early 2023, equivalent to 155.4 percent of the total population.

To make sense of the actual “state of digital” in the Maldives, the digital trends, and the behaviors of Maldivians we need to dig deeper into the data.

First, we need to consider the population data of 2023 to get some valuable context to the data.

• The total population was 522.6 thousand in January 2023.
• Maldives’s population decreased by 2,284 (-0.4 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
• 42.6 percent of the Maldives population is female, while 57.4 percent is male.
• At the start of 2023, 41.7 percent of the Maldives population lived in the Greater Maale region, while 58.3 percent lived in the islands.

Break down of the Maldives population by age

The median age of the Maldives population is 31.9 and the breakdown of the total population by age group:

• 7.0 percent are between the ages of 0 and 4.
• 11.9 percent are between the ages of 5 and 12.
• 6.4 percent are between the ages of 13 and 17.
• 8.8 percent are between the ages of 18 and 24.
• 21.9 percent are between the ages of 25 and 34.
• 20.8 percent are between the ages of 35 and 44.
• 11.3 percent are between the ages of 45 and 54.
• 7.0 percent are between the ages of 55 and 64.
• 4.9 percent are aged 65 and above.

Internet use in the Maldives in 2023

• There were 448.4 thousand internet users in the Maldives in January 2023.
• The Maldives’ internet penetration rate stood at 85.8 percent of the total population at the start of 2023.
• Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in the Maldives decreased by 1,960 (-0.4 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
• For perspective, these user figures reveal that 74.2 thousand people in the Maldives did not use the internet at the start of 2023, suggesting that 14.2 percent of the population remained offline at the beginning of the year.

Internet connection speeds in the Maldives in 2023

Data published by Ookla indicate that internet users in the Maldives could have expected the following internet connection speeds at the start of 2023:

• Median mobile internet connection speed via cellular networks: 71.40 Mbps.
• Median fixed internet connection speed: 10.45 Mbps.

Ookla’s data reveals that the median mobile internet connection speed in the Maldives increased by 23.09 Mbps (+47.8 percent) since 2022.

Meanwhile, Ookla’s data also shows that fixed internet connection speeds in the Maldives decreased by 0.12 Mbps (-1.1 percent) during the same period.

Social media statistics for the Maldives in 2023

• There were 372.4 thousand social media users in the Maldives in January 2023.

This figure might seem quite different from the values of 2022, and this may be because the source data and the calculation methods have gone through significant changes and wide-ranging revisions over the recent months. Indeed, analysis of various data points from trusted third parties such as GWI and data.ai shows that there has been no discernible drop in overall social media use. Hence, any differences should be viewed as “corrections” in the data, and not as an indication that social media adoption has declined.

• The number of social media users in the Maldives at the start of 2023 was equivalent to 71.3 percent of the total population, but it’s also important to note that social media users may not represent unique individuals.
• Meanwhile, data published in the ad planning tools of top social media platforms indicates that 355.8 thousand users aged 18 and above were using social media in the Maldives at the start of 2023, equivalent to 91.2 percent of the total population aged 18 and above.
• More broadly, 83.0 percent of the Maldives’ total internet user base (regardless of age) used at least one social media platform in January 2023.
• 40.2 percent of the Maldives’ social media users were female, while 59.8 percent were male.

The Facebook users in the Maldives in 2023

• Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicates that Facebook had 296.2 thousand users in the Maldives in early 2023.

However, Meta also has made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data over recent months – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook – so the figures shown here may not be directly comparable with figures for 2022.

The Facebook user growth in the Maldives

• Figures published in Meta’s tools indicate that Facebook’s potential ad reach in the Maldives decreased by 15 thousand (-4.7 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
• For more recent context, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on Facebook in the Maldives decreased by 20 thousand (-6.3 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.

However, it’s important to note that these advertising reach figures are not the same as the monthly active users figure that Meta reports in its investor earnings announcements, and they should not be interpreted as such.

“Estimated audience size is not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, or for engagement. Estimates aren’t designed to match the population, census estimates, or other sources, and may differ depending on factors such as how many accounts across Meta technologies a person has, how many temporary visitors are in a particular geographic location at a given time, and Meta user-reported demographics.”

As a result, changes in ad reach may not necessarily indicate any change in the platform’s overall user base.

But despite these caveats, Meta’s ad reach data still offers valuable insights into how Facebook use is evolving.

The Facebook adoption in the Maldives

• Facebook’s ad reach in the Maldives was equivalent to 56.7 percent of the total population at the start of 2023.

However, Facebook restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s worth highlighting that this can be said as 69.9 percent of the “eligible” audience in the Maldives uses Facebook in 2023.

• For additional context, Facebook’s ad reach in the Maldives was equivalent to 66.1 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) in January 2023.
• At the start of 2023, 38.6 percent of Facebook’s ad audience in the Maldives was female, while 61.4 percent was male.

Instagram users in the Maldives in 2023

• The same data indicate that Instagram had 198.6 thousand users in the Maldives in early 2023.
• Recently revised figures suggest that Instagram’s ad reach in the Maldives was equivalent to 38.0 percent of the total population at the start of the year.

However, Instagram also restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so this can be read as 46.9 percent of the “eligible” audience in the

Maldives uses Instagram in 2023.

• It’s also worth noting that Instagram’s ad reach in the Maldives at the start of 2023 was equivalent to 44.3 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
• In early 2023, 44.2 percent of Instagram’s ad audience in the Maldives was female, while 55.8 percent was male.

Instagram user growth in the Maldives

• Data published in Meta’s planning tools show that Instagram’s potential ad reach in the Maldives decreased by 12 thousand (-5.6 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
• Looking at the quarterly data reveals that the size of Instagram’s ad audience in the Maldives decreased by 11 thousand (-5.2 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.

As we noted in the Facebook section above, changes in the audience reach figures published in Meta’s ad planning tools do not necessarily correlate with overall changes in its platforms’ active user bases.

Facebook Messenger users in the Maldives in 2023

• Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicate that ads on Facebook Messenger reached 219.1 thousand users in the Maldives in early 2023.
• Recently revised audience numbers suggest that Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in the Maldives was equivalent to 41.9 percent of the total population at the start of the year.

Facebook Messenger restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above though, so this also should be read as ads reach 51.7 percent of Facebook Messenger’s “eligible” audience in the Maldives in 2023.

• For additional context, Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in the Maldives is equivalent to 48.9 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
• At the start of 2023, 39.8 percent of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in the Maldives was female, while 60.2 percent was male.

Facebook Messenger user growth in the Maldives

• Data published in Meta’s planning tools show that Facebook Messenger’s potential ad reach in the Maldives decreased by 950 (-0.4 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
• A quarterly basis analysis reveals that the size of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in the Maldives decreased by 11 thousand (-4.8 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.

However, as we noted above, changes in the audience reach figures published in Meta’s ad planning tools do not necessarily correlate with overall changes in its platforms’ active user bases.

LinkedIn users in the Maldives in 2023

• Figures published in LinkedIn’s advertising resources indicate that LinkedIn had 130.0 thousand “members” in the Maldives in early 2023.

However, note that LinkedIn’s advertising tools publish audience reach data based on total registered members, rather than the monthly active users. Hence, these LinkedIn figures are not directly comparable with the figures for other social media platforms.

• Advertising reach figures suggest that LinkedIn’s audience in the Maldives was equivalent to 24.9 percent of the total population at the start of 2023.
• LinkedIn restricts the use of its platform to people aged 18 and above, so this should be read as 33.3 percent of the “eligible” audience in the

Maldives uses LinkedIn in 2023.

• For additional context, LinkedIn’s ad reach in the Maldives was equivalent to 29.0 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
• In early 2023, 22.2 percent of LinkedIn’s ad audience in the Maldives was female, while 77.8 percent was male.

LinkedIn user growth in the Maldives

• Data published in LinkedIn’s planning tools also show that LinkedIn’s potential ad reach in the Maldives increased by 10 thousand (+8.3 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
• A quarterly analysis reveals that the size of LinkedIn’s ad audience in the Maldives remained unchanged between October 2022 and January 2023.

However, because LinkedIn’s ad audience figures are based on total registered members rather than monthly active users, it’s unclear whether these trends might reflect changes in active LinkedIn use too.

Twitter users in the Maldives in 2023

• Numbers published in Twitter’s advertising resources indicate that Twitter had 120.0 thousand users in the Maldives in early 2023.
• This figure means that Twitter’s ad reach in the Maldives was equivalent to 23.0 percent of the total population.

However, it’s important to stress that these advertising reach figures are not the same as monthly active user figures, and there may be meaningful differences between the size of Twitter’s ad audience and its total active user base.

Twitter also restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so these figures suggest that 28.3 percent of the “eligible” audience in the Maldives uses Twitter in 2023.

• For additional context, Twitter’s ad reach in the Maldives was equivalent to 26.8 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
• Data indicated in early 2023, 29.0 percent of Twitter’s ad audience in the Maldives was female, while 71.0 percent was male.

However, it’s worth noting that Twitter infers its users’ gender, by analyzing signals such as the name that users enter in their profile, and their broader activity on the platform. This contrasts with the gender data offered in the advertising tools of platforms like Facebook, which relies on the gender that users themselves enter in their profile. Moreover, analysis suggests that Twitter’s inferences may not be exceptionally reliable in determining users’ gender, especially in countries where English is not the dominant language. For example, consumer research findings published by GWI often offer quite a different picture of Twitter use by gender compared with Twitter’s audience data. But the apparent distortions that frequently appear in Twitter’s inferred gender data may be due in large part to the high number of “non-human” accounts that feature in Twitter’s active user data (e.g. accounts that represent businesses, causes, musicians, etc.), especially because Twitter doesn’t currently separate these accounts from “real” human individuals in the ways that Facebook and Instagram do. Regardless of the cause of these anomalies though, we advise caution when analyzing or interpreting Twitter’s reported figures for use by gender.

Twitter user growth in the Maldives

• Data published in Twitter’s ad planning tools show that Twitter’s potential ad reach in the Maldives increased by 14 thousand (+12.7 percent) between the start of 2022 and early 2023.
• Meanwhile, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on Twitter in the Maldives increased by 6,100 (+5.4 percent) between October 2022 and January 2023.

However, please note that the figures published in Twitter’s planning tools appear to be liable to significant fluctuation – even over short periods – and these anomalies may impact the reliability and representativeness of this change data.

Mobile connections in the Maldives in 2023

• Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 812.3 thousand cellular mobile connections in the Maldives at the start of 2023.

However, note that many people use more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for the total population.

• GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in the Maldives were equivalent to 155.4 percent of the total population in January 2023.
• The number of mobile connections in the Maldives increased by 999 (+0.1 percent) between 2022 and 2023.

For the source and more information: https://o.maldicore.com/digitalmvjan23

---- Data sources

https://kepios.com,  https://www.ookla.com,  https://www.gwi.com,  https://www.data.ai