Statistical information Northern Mariana Islands 2024

Northern Mariana Islands in the World
top of pageBackground:
Austronesian people settled the Northern Mariana Islands around 1500 B.C. These people became the indigenous Chamorro and were influenced by later migrations, including Micronesians in the first century A.D. and island Southeast Asians around 900. Spanish explorer Ferdinand MAGELLAN sailed through the Mariana Islands in 1521, and Spain claimed them in 1565. Spain formally colonized the Mariana Islands in 1668 and administered the archipelago from Guam. Spain’s brutal repression of the Chamorro, along with new diseases and intermittent warfare, reduced the indigenous population by about 90% in the 1700s. With a similar dynamic occurring on Guam, Spain forced the Chamorro from the Northern Mariana Islands to resettle there. By the time they returned, many other Micronesians, including Chuukese and Yapese, had already settled on their islands.
In 1898, Spain ceded Guam to the US after the Spanish-American War but sold the Northern Mariana Islands to Germany under the German-Spanish Treaty of 1899. Germany administered the territory from German New Guinea but took a hands-off approach to day-to-day life. Following World War I, Japan administered the islands under a League of Nations mandate. Japan focused on sugar production and brought in thousands of Japanese laborers, who quickly outnumbered the Chamorro on the islands. During World War II, Japan invaded Guam from the Northern Mariana Islands and used Marianan Chamorro as translators with Guamanian Chamorro, creating friction between the two Chamorro communities that continues to this day. The US captured the Northern Mariana Islands in 1944 after the Battle of Saipan and later administered them as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI).
On four occasions in the 1950s and 1960s, voters opted for integration with Guam, which Guam rejected in 1969. In 1978, the Northern Mariana Islands was granted self-governance separate from the rest of the TTPI, and in 1986, islanders were granted US citizenship, with the territory coming under US sovereignty as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). In 2009, the CNMI became the final US territory to elect a nonvoting delegate to the US Congress.
top of pageLocation: Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines
Geographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E
Map reference:
OceaniaAreaTotal: 464 km²
Land: 464 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: consists of 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Country comparison total: 0 km
Land boundariesTotal: 0 km
Coastline: 1,482 km
Maritime claimsTerritorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October
Terrain: the southern islands in this north-south trending archipelago are limestone, with fringing coral reefs; the northern islands are volcanic, with active volcanoes on several islands
ElevationHighest point: Agrihan Volcano 965 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Land useAgricultural land: 6.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 2.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 2.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 65.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 27.9% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 1 km² (2012)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November)
GeographyNote: strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean
top of pagePopulationDistribution: approximately 90% of the population lives on the island of Saipan
Total: 51,118
Male: 27,044
Female: 24,074 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: -0.34% (2024 est.)
NationalityNoun: NA (US citizens)
Adjective: NA
Ethnic groups: Asian 50% (includes Filipino 35.3%, Chinese 6.8%, Korean 4.2%, and other Asian 3.7%), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 34.9% (includes Chamorro 23.9%, Carolinian 4.6%, and other Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 6.4%), other 2.5%, two or more ethnicities or races 12.7% (2010 est.)
Languages: Philippine languages 32.8%, Chamorro (official) 24.1%, English (official) 17%, other Pacific island languages 10.1% (includes Carolinian (official), Chinese 6.8%, other Asian languages 7.3%, other 1.9% (2010 est.)
Religions: Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found)
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 22.1% (male 6,066/female 5,231)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 18,206/female 16,377)
65 years and over: 10.2% (2024 est.) (male 2,772/female 2,466)
Dependency ratiosTotal dependency ratio: 46
Youth dependency ratio: 31.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 14.3
Potential support ratio: 7 (2021)
Median ageTotal: 32.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 31.8 years
Female: 33.2 years
Population growth rate: -0.34% (2024 est.)
Birth rate: 15.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate: 5.7 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Net migration rate: -13.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Population distribution: approximately 90% of the population lives on the island of Saipan
UrbanizationUrban population: 92.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.36% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areasPopulation: 51,000 SAIPAN (capital) (2018)
EnvironmentCurrent issues: contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.17 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rateTotal: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 14.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 9 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 77.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 75 years
Female: 79.5 years
Total fertility rate: 2.56 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA
Drinking water sourceImproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: NA
Current health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessImproved urban: NA
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: 97.9% of population
Unimproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 2.1% of population (2020 est.)
Hiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweight: NA
Education expenditures: NA
LiteracyTotal population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands
Former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Mariana Islands District; abbreviation: CNMI
Etymology: formally claimed and named by Spain in 1667 in honor of the Spanish Queen, MARIANA of Austria
Government type: a commonwealth in political union with and under the sovereignty of the US; republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches
CapitalName: SaipanGeographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E
Time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the entire island of Saipan is organized as a single municipality and serves as the capital; according to legend, when the first native voyagers arrived in their outrigger canoes they found an uninhabited island; to them it was like an empty voyage, so they named the island saay meaning 'a voyage,' and peel meaning 'empty'; over time Saaypeel - 'island of the empty voyage' - became Saipan
Administrative divisions: none (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 4 municipalities at the second order: Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian
Dependent areasIndependence: none (commonwealth in political union with the US)
National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
ConstitutionHistory: partially effective 9 January 1978 (Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands); fully effective 4 November 1986 (Covenant Agreement)
Amendments: proposed by constitutional convention, by public petition, or by the Legislature; ratification of proposed amendments requires approval by voters at the next general election or special election; amendments proposed by constitutional convention or by petition become effective if approved by a majority of voters and at least two-thirds majority of voters in each of two senatorial districts; amendments proposed by the Legislature are effective if approved by majority vote; amended several times, last in 2012
Legal system: the laws of the US apply, except for customs and some aspects of taxation
International law organization participationCitizenship: see United States
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Note: indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branchChief of state: President Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. (since 20 January 2021)
Head of government: Governor Arnold PALACIOS (since 9 January 2023)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate
Elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of the Northern Mariana Islands do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican party presidential primary elections; governor directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; election last held on 8 November 2022 with a runoff held on 25 November 2022 (next to be held in 2,026)
Election results: 2022: Arnold PALACIOS elected governor in second round; percent of vote in first round - Ralph TORRES (Republican) 38.8%; Arnold PALACIOS (independent) 32.2%, Tina SABLAN (Democrat) 28%; percent of vote in second round - Arnold PALACIOS 54%, Ralph TORRES 46%; David APATANG (independent) elected lieutenant governor; 2018: Ralph TORRES elected governor; percent of vote - Ralph TORRES (Republican) 62.2%, Juan BABAUTA (independent) 37.8%; Arnold PALACIOS elected lieutenant governor
Legislative branchDescription: bicameral Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature consists of: Senate (9 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms), House of Representatives (20 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms); the Northern Mariana Islands directly elects 1 delegate to the US House of Representatives by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term
Elections: CNMI Senate - last held on 8 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024); CNMI House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024); Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)
Elections results: CNMI Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 6, independent 3; composition - men 6, women 3, percentage women 33.3%; CNMI House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 9, Democrat Party 8, independent 3; composition - men 17, women 3, percentage women 15%; total Commonwealth Legislature percentage women 20.7%; Northern Mariana Islands delegate to US House of Representatives - seat won by independent; composition - 1 man
Note: the Northern Mariana Islands delegate to the US House of Representatives can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the 'Committee of the Whole House,' but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote
Judicial branchHighest courts: Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) (consists of the chief justice and 2 associate justices); US Federal District Court (consists of 1 judge)
Note: US Federal District Court jurisdiction limited to US federal laws; appeals beyond the CNMI Supreme Court are referred to the US Supreme Court
Judge selection and term of office: CNMI Supreme Court judges appointed by the governor and confirmed by the CNMI Senate; judges appointed for 8-year terms and another term if directly elected in a popular election; US Federal District Court judges appointed by the US president and confirmed by the US Senate; judges appointed for renewable 10-year terms
Subordinate courts: Superior Court
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Republican Party
International organization participation: PIF (observer), SPC, UPU
Diplomatic representationFrom the us embassy: none (commonwealth in political union with the US)
Flag description
: blue with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on a gray latte stone (the traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a mwáár or head lei (wreath); blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, the star represents the Commonwealth; the Chamorro latte stone and the Carolinian mwáár (head lei) represent elements of Marianas culture; the mwáár is composed of the flowers from four flowering plants: flores mayo (Plumeria), ylang-ylang or langilang (Cananga odorata), angagha or peacock flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), and teibwo or Pacific basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
National symbols: latte stone; national colors: blue, white
National anthemName: 'Gi Talo Gi Halom Tasi' (In the Middle of the Sea)
Lyrics/music: Jose S. PANGELINAN [Chamoru], David PETER [Carolinian]/Wilhelm GANZHORN
Note: adopted 1996; the Carolinian version of the song is known as 'Satil Matawal Pacifico;' as a commonwealth of the US, in addition to the local anthem, 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is official (see United States)
National heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: US Pacific island commonwealth economy; growing Chinese and Korean tourist destination; hit hard by 2018 typhoon; dependent on energy imports; exempt from some US labor and immigration laws; longstanding garment production
Real gdp purchasing power parity: $1.242 billion (2016 est.); $933 million (2015 est.); $845 million (2014 est.)
Note: GDP estimate includes US subsidy; data are in 2013 dollars
Real gdp growth rate: -29.68% (2020 est.); -11.32% (2019 est.); -19.27% (2018 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real gdp per capita: $24,500 (2016 est.); $18,400 (2015 est.); $16,600 (2014 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useHousehold consumption: 75.1% (2020 est.)
Government consumption: 28.9% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 26.3% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 14.9% (2020 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -62.5% (2020 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Gdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 1.7% (2016)
Industry: 58.1% (2016 est.)
Services: 40.2% (2016)
Agriculture products: vegetables and melons, fruits and nuts; ornamental plants; livestock, poultry, eggs; fish and aquaculture products
Industries: tourism, banking, construction, fishing, handicrafts, other services
Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (2014 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Labor forceUnemployment rateYouth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $389.6 million (2016 est.)
Expenditures: $344 million (2015 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 31.4% (of GDP) (2016 est.)
Public debt: 7.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
RevenueFrom forest resources: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Fiscal yearInflation rate consumer prices: 0.3% (2016 est.); 0.1% (2015 est.)
Central bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $128 million (2020 est.); $500 million (2019 est.); $660 million (2018 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: South Korea 48%, Thailand 9%, Germany 6%, Cyprus 6%, India 6% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: scrap iron, refined petroleum, scrap copper, hydraulic engines, integrated circuits, peas, scrap aluminum (2021)
Imports: $536 million (2020 est.); $735 million (2019 est.); $754 million (2018 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Singapore 42%, Japan 20%, South Korea 16%, Hong Kong 7%, Taiwan 3% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, trunks/cases, cars, watches, jewelry (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: the US dollar is used
top of pageElectricityAccess electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
CoalProduction: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
PetroleumTotal petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 2,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Crude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasProduction: 0 m³ (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: (2019)
top of pageTelephonesFixed lines total subscriptions: 20,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 40 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 20,474 (2004 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 28 (2004)
Telephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresMilitary and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 4 (2024)
Heliports: 7 (2024)
PipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysTotal: 536 km (2008)
WaterwaysMerchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs