The number of government employees has increased by 6,530 over the past three years since the current administration took office, according to the 2027 budget proposal submitted to the People’s Majlis by the Ministry of Finance.
Details in the budget book show that at the end of 2023—the final year of the previous administration—the government employed 48,936 people. That figure has now risen to 55,466.
The rate of recruitment during the first three years of this administration has accelerated compared with the preceding three-year period. Between 2020 and 2023, a total of 4,808 employees were added, representing an average annual increase of 1,603. In contrast, 6,530 employees were added during the three-year period under the current administration, an average annual increase of 2,177.
The workforce grew from 51,734 in 2024 to 53,879 last year, reaching 55,466 this year.
The projected wage bill for next year stands at MVR 14.4 billion. The expansion of the public sector workforce has been a subject of discussion amid concerns about the size of the public sector relative to the overall economy.
Earlier this year, Finance Minister Hassan Zareer noted that public sector employment, including state institutions and state-owned enterprises, accounts for around 53 percent of the workforce in the Maldives, a higher proportion than in many larger economies.
The budget documents highlight the growth in employment numbers alongside rising salary expenditures.
