More than 25 percent of babies born in the Maldives last year were to mothers aged over 35, according to statistics from the Maldives Bureau of Statistics.

According to the Vital Statistics Bulletin, of the 5,625 births registered in the Maldives last year, 1,431 were to mothers aged 35 or older. Of these, 20.37 percent (1,146 babies) were born to mothers aged 35–39. Mothers aged 40–44 had 274 babies, and mothers aged 45–49 had 11 babies.

Meanwhile, the share of babies born to mothers under 25 has dropped to 14.92 percent (839 babies) — 774 to mothers aged 20–24 and 65 to mothers aged 15–19. This indicates Maldivian women are having children later in life.

Most babies are still born to mothers aged 25–34, accounting for 59.64 percent, or 3,355 births. Breaking that down, the largest group was mothers aged 30–34 with 1,794 babies (31.89 percent), followed by mothers aged 25–29 with 1,561 babies (27.75 percent).

Although total births varied across quarters, the share of mothers over 35 stayed roughly steady: 368 (25.79%) in Q1, 368 (26.67%) in Q2, 346 (25.18%) in Q3, and 349 (24.17%) in Q4 — above 24 percent in every quarter.

Health experts note that after 35, conception becomes more difficult, and risks such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes rise during pregnancy. The risk of chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome also increases, making special screenings and close monitoring particularly important.

Experts say the trend of Maldivians delaying childbirth is directly tied to social and economic shifts — women pursuing higher education, entering the workforce, and moving to cities are among the notable factors.

With these changes come growing concerns about a declining population growth rate and an aging society. A recent Bureau of Statistics report shows a large share of the population is now aged 36–64. Those aged 65 and over have reached 26,825, or 7 percent of the population. By 2050, the average age in the Maldives is projected to reach 50.