MMA to Conduct Maldivians Travelling Abroad Survey 2026

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) will conduct the Maldivians Travelling Abroad Survey 2026 at the Velana International Airport Arrival Hall from July 25 to July 31, according to a circular issued by the central bank.

The survey will collect information from returning Maldivian travellers. It covers five areas: travel destination, purpose of travel, expense arrangements, airfare expenditure, and expenditure during the trip.

The MMA said no personal information will be collected. Names and identity card numbers will not be recorded. The authority said all responses will be used solely for statistical purposes.

The survey is part of a series that the MMA has run periodically since at least 2014 to measure the travel spending of Maldivians going abroad. The central bank's Statistics Division has previously conducted the exercise with support from the Maldives Airports Company Limited, Maldives Immigration, Aviation Security Command, and Maldives Customs Services.

The stated aim of the survey is to gather data on outbound travel expenditure, which feeds into the compilation of the country's balance of payments statistics.

Past editions of the survey have found that a majority of Maldivian travelers cite medical treatment as their main purpose of travel, followed by vacation. Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore have consistently ranked among the top destinations for Maldivian travelers in past surveys.

Earlier editions of the survey were carried out in December, coinciding with the school holiday period. This year's survey is scheduled for late July. The MMA circular does not explain the change in timing.

The MMA has not yet said when results of the 2026 survey will be published. Past editions have taken several months to be compiled and released.