The number of government employees has increased by 6,530 over the past three years, according to figures in the 2027 budget proposal.
At the end of 2023, the final year of the previous administration, the government employed 48,936 people. That figure has now reached 55,466. Recruitment accelerated under the current administration, with an average annual increase of 2,177 employees compared with 1,603 in the preceding three-year period.
The wage bill is projected at MVR 14.4 billion for next year. The growth occurred even as the overall state budget has been reduced relative to the previous year. The data forms part of the documentation submitted by the Ministry of Finance to the People's Majlis.
The expansion of the public sector workforce has drawn attention amid discussions on fiscal sustainability and the allocation of resources across different government functions.