Maldives’ national Zakat collections double in June

MALE, Maldives (MNTV) — The Maldives has recorded a sharp increase in contributions to its national Zakat fund, with collections doubling in June compared with the same month last year, providing a significant boost to the country’s Islamic welfare system that finances healthcare and assistance for vulnerable families.

According to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), the government collected $1.37 million in Zakat al-Mal during June, up from $687,419 in June 2025. Official figures also show that collections reached $5.16 million during the first half of this year, a 29% increase over the same period last year.

Zakat al-Mal is one of Islam’s mandatory forms of charitable giving, requiring eligible Muslims to contribute a portion of their accumulated wealth each year once it exceeds a minimum threshold, known as the nisab. 

In the Maldives, the contributions are collected through a centralized state-administered system and are used to support a range of social welfare programs.

The increase in collections is expected to strengthen assistance for low-income households, people facing financial hardship and patients requiring costly medical treatment that would otherwise be beyond their families’ means.

One of the fund’s most significant programs finances bone marrow transplants for children living with thalassaemia, a hereditary blood disorder that requires lifelong treatment and, in severe cases, can only be cured through transplantation.

Maldives Zakat House announced that six children whose families cannot afford the procedure are scheduled to travel to India for bone marrow transplants with financial support from the Zakat Fund. Four additional children are expected to follow once administrative procedures are completed.

Last month, the Zakat House transferred $162,127 from the fund to the National Social Protection Agency to cover transplant costs for eligible thalassaemia patients, underscoring the fund’s growing role in financing critical healthcare services.

The value of Zakat contributions varies each year because eligibility is linked to the nisab, the minimum level of wealth above which Muslims are required to pay Zakat. In April, Maldives Zakat House set this year’s cash nisab at $1,416.12, based on the market value of silver.