Who runs local government in Maldives?
The Maldives is a chain of small islands, so local government is organised by island. The 2008 Constitution and the Decentralisation Act 2010 created elected councils at three levels: atoll councils, island councils and city councils. Each inhabited island also has an elected Women's Development Committee. Councils depend heavily on central funding, and the system has been changed several times, most recently with fewer councillors and debate over abolishing atoll councils.
Republic of Maldives · Unitary presidential republic · Southern Asia
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative atolls (about 20): atoll councils | Elected; members drawn from the atoll's islands | Coordinate island councils and atoll-wide services. Their future has been under debate. |
| City councils (5: Malé, Addu, Fuvahmulah, Kulhudhuffushi, Thinadhoo) | Mayor and councillors directly elected | Urban services, land use, roads, waste. |
| Island councils (about 175–180) | President and members directly elected for five years | Island land use, harbours, utilities, local services. |
| Women's Development Committees (one per inhabited island) | Directly elected by island voters | Advise councils on women's issues and run community projects; now paid under rules set by the Pay Commission. |
Three questions about local power in Maldives
Are local leaders elected?
Councillors, city mayors and Women's Development Committee members are elected in elections run by the Elections Commission. Former island chiefs were appointed; the post no longer exists.
Which laws set up local government?
Councils and WDCs are formal under the Constitution and the Decentralisation Act; religious authority is part of the state; elders' influence is informal.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Voters; the Local Government Authority, which supervises councils; the Auditor General; Parliament, which has repeatedly amended the Decentralisation Act.
Traditional and customary authority
Islam is the state religion and every citizen must be Muslim. Mosques and imams are overseen by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, so religious leadership is part of the state rather than a separate local authority. Before 2010, each island was run by a *katheeb* (island chief) appointed by the central government; elected councils replaced them. Island elders and influential families still shape local opinion informally.
Community and neighbourhood power
Island community life is organised through mosque communities, island youth and sports associations and NGOs. Island councils and Women's Development Committees are expected to hold public meetings on local plans.
Points to know
- A 2019 amendment to the Decentralisation Act reserved one-third of council seats for women; later amendments that cut council sizes should be checked for whether this still applies.
- According to the Local Government Authority, newly elected councillors and WDC members took office in May 2026; it lists 677 councillors in total, fewer than in earlier terms.
- The Elections Commission scheduled local council and WDC by-elections for late 2026.
- Councils raise little revenue of their own and depend on central grants and a share of land rents.
Local terms
- Katheeb
- Former appointed island chief, replaced by elected councils after 2010.
- WDC
- Women's Development Committee, an elected body on each inhabited island.
Sources
- Maldives's Constitution of 2008 (Chapter VIII, Decentralised Administration), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Local Government Authority, Government of Maldives, checked 14 October 2026
- Elections Commission of Maldives, Elections Commission of Maldives, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Maldives's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.