Is prostitution legal in the Maldives?
Illegal
Prostitution is illegal in the Maldives under Islamic sharia law, despite small-scale occurrence and government efforts to close related spas.
The Maldives is one of 105 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 48% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Prostitution in Asia
- Last checked
- 7 July 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Sri Lanka
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Sri Lanka, with related activities like soliciting and brothels also outlawed.
- Seychelles
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal but remains prevalent, with police not arresting unless other crimes involved.
- India
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal except in private residences, with many brothels operating illegally.
- Oman
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Oman, with women penalized for sex outside marriage and living off prostitution punishable by fines and imprisonment.
- Bangladesh
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated with registration required, and brothel villages exist.
- Somalia
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal, though sex trafficking and child prostitution are problems.
Other laws in Maldives
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized
- Same-Sex Activity
- Illegal
- Pornography
- Illegal
- Marriage Age
- 18+
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.