Life Satisfaction and Migration Motivations of the Residents of Hulhumalé from Malé and Other Atolls

Abstract

The Maldivian government has reclaimed Hulhumalé, an artificial island, to reduce the congestion in the capital city Malé and address the rising sea levels due to climate change. The population in Hulhumalé consists mainly of migrants from Malé and other atolls. This study identifies the differences between migrants from Malé and other atolls in terms of attributes such as gender, age, previous place of residents, etc., life events that triggered migration, life satisfaction, and their motivation to migrate. An anonymous online survey was conducted in 2023–2024, and 252 responses were received from the residents of Hulhumalé. Among them, 74% were from Malé and 18% from other atolls. The gender distribution of migrants from Malé was almost balanced, with a higher proportion of men from other atolls. The availability of housing in Hulhumalé was an important life event that triggered migration for those from Malé. They reported high levels of post-migration life satisfaction and a strong intention to settle in Hulhumalé. Conversely, migrants from other atolls reported lower levels of post-migration life satisfaction and a lower intention to settle than those from Malé. Pre-migration expectations of migrants from Malé included new, clean housing, a quiet and pollution-free environment, and affordable living and housing costs. In contrast, migrants from other atolls prioritized job, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and transport accessibility. These results suggest that in order to integrate migrants from other atolls with those from Malé, apart from the provision of housing, comprehensive social development in Hulhumalé is needed.