According to financial statistics from the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), the central bank, the country's imports increased by 4 per cent compared to the previous year, with food products showing the highest growth.

The MMA's December statistics reveal that imports totalled USD 3.6 billion from January to December last year, marking a 4 percent increase from the previous year's USD 3.4 billion.

Food imports reached USD 755 million last year, representing an 11.9 per cent increase from USD 674.5 million in 2023.

Vegetable, tuber, and spice imports rose from USD 92.9 million in 2023 to USD 104.8 million in 2024. Similarly, seafood, including fish and marine products, increased from USD 131.1 million to USD 155.6 million. Fruit, nuts, and seeds imports amounted to USD 96.2 million last year.

Dairy products and egg imports rose to USD 102.2 million, up from USD 94.8 million in the previous year.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged as the largest import partner, with imports valued at 723.1 million dollars, exceeding India's second-place figure of USD 514.6 million by USD 208 million. This represents a 57 per cent increase in imports from the UAE compared to 2023.

Chinese imports reached USD 485 million, showing a 19.7 per cent increase from the previous year, whilst Singapore contributed USD 375 million worth of imports.

Economic experts note that the rise in imports reflects the robust growth of the Maldivian economy.