Statistics have shown that the Maldives saw a significant increase in masks, sanitizers, and plants imported during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to customs data, the number of masks imported in 2020 was a 638 percent increase compared to 2019. The amount of sanitizer imported in 2020 also increased by 342 percent compared to the previous year.
In 2019, before the global outbreak, the Maldives imported three million masks and 300,000 liters of sanitizer. However, 26 million masks and 1.5 million liters of sanitizer were imported in 2020. The following year, the number of masks imported increased to 42 million, and sanitizer imports were at one million liters.
According to statistics, the import of medical drugs in 2020 increased by 17 percent compared to the previous year. Last year, pharmaceutical items worth MVR 879.7 million were imported, up 58 percent from pre-pandemic numbers.
Meanwhile, plant imports in 2020 and 2021 also increased compared to 2019. According to statistics, plants imported to the Maldives in 2019 amounted to MVR 25 million. In 2020, the figure increased by 119 percent to MVR 70 million. Last year, the Maldives imported trees worth MVR 40 million.
