Map of Marshall Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background:


top of page


Location: Oceania, consists of 29 atolls and five isolated islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia; the atolls and islands are situated in two, almost-parallel island chains - the Ratak (Sunrise) group and the Ralik (Sunset) group; the total number of islands and islets is about 1,225; 22 of the atolls and four of the islands are uninhabited

Geographic coordinates: 9 00 N, 168 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 181 km²
Land: 181 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: the archipelago includes 11,673 km² of lagoon waters and encompasses the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik
Comparative: about the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 370.4 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguouszone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt

Terrain: low coral limestone and sand islands

Elevation
Highest point: East-central Airik Island, Maloelap Atoll 14 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 2 m

Natural resources: coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals

Land use
Agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 49.3% (2018 est.)
Other: 0% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: infrequent typhoons

Geography
Note: the islands of Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein atoll, famous as a World War II battleground, surrounds the world's largest lagoon and is used as a US missile test range; the island city of Ebeye is the second largest settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific


top of page


Population
Distribution: most people live in urban clusters found on many of the country's islands; more than two-thirds of the population lives on the atolls of Majuro and Ebeye: 79,906 (2022 est.)
Growth rate: 1.34% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic groups: Marshallese 92.1%, mixed Marshallese 5.9%, other 2% (2006 est.)

Languages: Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 est.)
Major language samples:

Religions: Protestant 80.5% (United Church of Christ 47%, Assembly of God 16.2%, Bukot Nan Jesus 5.4%, Full Gospel 3.3%, Reformed Congressional Church 3%, Salvation Army 1.9%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, Meram in Jesus 1.2%, other Protestant 1.1%), Roman Catholic 8.5%, Church of Jesus Christ 7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 1.2%, none 1.1% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.94% (male 13,090/female 12,575)
15-24 years: 19.09% (male 7,568/female 7,308)
25-54 years: 37.35% (male 14,834/female 14,270)
55-64 years: 5.92% (male 2,269/female 2,341)
65 years and over: 4.7% (male 1,805/female 1,857) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 59.9
Youth dependency ratio: 53
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.8
Potential support ratio: 14.7 (2021)

Median age
Total: 23.8 years
Male: 23.6 years
Female: 23.9 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.34% (2022 est.)

Birth rate: 22 births/1000 population (2022 est.)

Death rate: 4.28 deaths/1000 population (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.37 migrant(s)/1000 population (2022 est.)

Population distribution: most people live in urban clusters found on many of the country's islands; more than two-thirds of the population lives on the atolls of Majuro and Ebeye

Urbanization
Urban population: 78.9% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 31,000 MAJURO (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels; sea level rise
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 9.43 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.14 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.03 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 21.66 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 25.19 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 17.96 deaths/1000 live births (2022 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.65 years
Male: 72.4 years
Female: 77.01 years (2022 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.76 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved:
Unimproved:

Current health expenditure: 16.3% of GDP (2019)

Physicians density: 0.42 physicians/1000 population (2012)

Hospital bed density: 2.7 beds/1000 population

Sanitation facility access
Improved:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vector borne diseases: malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 52.9% (2016)

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use
Total: 28.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 48.7% (2020 est.)
Female: 8.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11.9% (2017)

Education expenditures: 13.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.3%
Male: 98.3%
Female: 98.2% (2011)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 10 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 10 years (2019)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 26%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 31%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 14.2% (2019 est.)


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
Conventional short form: Marshall Islands
Local long form: Republic of the Marshall Islands
Local short form: Marshall Islands
Former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Marshall Islands District
Abbreviation: RMI
Etymology: named after British Captain John MARSHALL, who charted many of the islands in 1788

Government type: mixed presidential-parliamentary system in free association with the US

Capital
Name: Majuro; note - the capital is an atoll of 64 islands; governmental buildings are housed on three fused islands on the eastern side of the atoll: Djarrit, Uliga, and Delap
Geographic coordinates: 7 06 N, 171 23 E
Time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: Majuro means "two openings" or "two eyes" and refers to the two major northern passages through the atoll into the Majuro lagoon

Administrative divisions: 24 municipalities; Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur, Bikini & Kili, Ebon, Enewetak & Ujelang, Jabat, Jaluit, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili, Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Ujae, Utrik, Wotho, Wotje

Dependent areas

Independence: 21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)

Constitution
History: effective 1 May 1979
Amendments: proposed by the National Parliament or by a constitutional convention; passage by Parliament requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership in each of two readings and approval by a majority of votes in a referendum; amendments submitted by a constitutional convention require approval of at least two thirds of votes in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2018

Legal system: mixed legal system of US and English common law, customary law, and local statutes

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Marshall Islands
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President David KABUA (since 13 January 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President David KABUA (since 13 January 2020)
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president from among members of the Nitijela, appointed by Nitijela speaker
Elections and appointments: president indirectly elected by the Nitijela from among its members for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 6 January 2020 (next to be held in 2024)
Election results: David KABUA elected president; Parliament vote - David KABUA 20, Hilda C. HEINE 12

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Parliament consists of:
Nitijela (33 seats; members in 19 single- and 5 multi-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the Council of Iroij, a 12-member group of tribal leaders advises the Presidential Cabinet and reviews legislation affecting customary law or any traditional practice); members appointed to serve 1-year terms
Elections: last held on 18 November 2019 (next to be held by November 2023)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 33; composition - men 31, women 2, percent of women 6.1%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices)
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the Cabinet upon the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission (consists of the chief justice of the High Court, the attorney general and a private citizen selected by the Cabinet) and upon approval of the Nitijela; the current chief justice, appointed in 2013, serves for 10 years; Marshallese citizens appointed as justices serve until retirement at age 72
Subordinate courts: High Court; District Courts; Traditional Rights Court; Community Courts

Political parties and leaders: traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures

International organization participation: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gerald M. ZACKIOS (since 16 September 2016)
In the us chancery: 2,433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-5,414
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-3,236
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Roxanne CABRAL (since 6 February 2020)
From the us embassy: Mejen Weto, Ocean Side, Majuro
From the us mailing address: 4,380 Majuro Place, Washington DC 20,521-4,380
From the us telephone: [692] 247-4,011
From the us FAX: [692] 247-4,012
From the us email address and website:

Flag description: blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays appears on the hoist side above the two stripes; blue represents the Pacific Ocean, the orange stripe signifies the Ralik Chain or sunset and courage, while the white stripe signifies the Ratak Chain or sunrise and peace; the star symbolizes the cross of Christianity, each of the 24 rays designates one of the electoral districts in the country and the four larger rays highlight the principal cultural centers of Majuro, Jaluit, Wotje, and Ebeye; the rising diagonal band can also be interpreted as representing the equator, with the star showing the archipelago's position just to the north

National symbols: a 24-rayed star; national colors: blue, white, orange

National anthem
Name: "Forever Marshall Islands"
Lyrics and music: Amata KABUA
Note: adopted 1981

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected world heritage site locales:


top of page


Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 50% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 17.8% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 52.9% (2016 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -102.3% (2016 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.4% (2013 est.)
Industry: 9.9% (2013 est.)
Services: 85.7% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts

Industries: copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items (from seashells, wood, and pearls)

Industrial production growth rate: NA

Labor force: 10,670 (2013 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 11%
By occupation industry: 16.3%
By occupation services: 72.7% (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 26%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 31%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 14.2% (2019 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $116.7 million (2013 est.)
Expenditures: $113.9 million (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $1.3% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 52.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

Exports: $130 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Partners: Poland 28%, Denmark 19%, South Korea 13%, Indonesia 10%, Cyprus 6% (2019)
Commodities: ships, fish, recreational boats, broadcasting equipment, coal tar oil (2019)

Imports:
Partners: South Korea 39%, China 27%, Japan 15% (2019)
Commodities: ships, refined petroleum, centrifuges, recreational boats, boat propellers (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used


top of page


Electricity
Access electrification total population: 96.3% (2018)
Access electrification urban areas: 95.7% (2018)
Access electrification rural areas: 98.4% (2018)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 2,060 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 293,700 metric tonnes of CO2 (2017 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,361 (2018 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2018 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 16,000 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2020 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: no TV broadcast station; a cable network is available on Majuro with programming via videotape replay and satellite relays; 4 radio broadcast stations; American Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) provides satellite radio and television service to Kwajalein Atoll (2019)

Internet
Country code: .mh
Users total: 22,929 (2019 est.)
Users percent of population: 39% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; the national police (Marshall Islands Police Department, MIPD), local police forces, and the Sea Patrol (maritime police) maintain internal security; the MIPD and Sea Patrol report to the Ministry of Justice; local police report to their respective local government councils

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 24,313 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 130,000 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: V7

Airports
Total: 15 (2021)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2021)
With unpaved runways total: 11
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2021)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 2,028 km (2007)
Paved: 75 km (2007)
Unpaved: 1,953 km

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 3,817
By type: bulk carrier 1,733, container ship 248, general cargo 66, oil tanker 970, other 800 (2021)

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Enitwetak Island, Kwajalein, Majuro


top of page


Disputes international: Marshall Islands-US: claims US territory of Wake Island; the Marshall Islands put its claim on record with the UN in 2016

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs