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Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands (Australia-Oceania)
Introduction :: Marshall Islands
Humans arrived in the Marshall Islands in the first millennium B.C. and gradually created permanent settlements on the various atolls. The early inhabitants were skilled navigators who frequently traveled between atolls using stick charts to map the islands. Society became organized under two paramount chiefs, one each for the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain and the Ralik (Sunset) Chain. Spain formally claimed the islands in 1592. Germany established a supply station on Jaluit Atoll and bought the islands from Spain in 1884, although paramount chiefs continued to rule.
Japan seized the Marshall Islands in 1914 and was granted a League of Nations Mandate to administer the islands in 1920. The US captured the islands in heavy fighting during World War II, and the islands came under US administration as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) in 1947. Between 1946 and 1958, the US resettled populations from Bikini and Enewetak Atolls and conducted 67 nuclear tests; people from Ailinginae, Rongelap, and Utrik Atolls were also evacuated because of nuclear fallout, and Bikini and Rongelap remain largely uninhabited. In 1979, the Marshall Islands drafted a constitution separate from the rest of the TTPI and declared independence under President Amata KABUA, a paramount chief. In 2000, Kessai NOTE became the first commoner elected president. In 2016, Hilda HEINE was the first woman elected president.
Geography :: Marshall Islands
Geography
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 references
Oceania
Area
total : 181 sq km
land: 181 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: the archipelago includes 11,673 sq km of lagoon waters and encompasses the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik
comparison ranking: total 217
Area - comparative
about the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
370.4 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 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.)
arable land: 7.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 31.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 11.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 49.3% (2018 est.)
other: 0% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
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
Natural hazards
infrequent typhoons
Geography - note
the islands of Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein atoll 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
People and Society
Population
total: 82,011
male: 41,581
female: 40,430 (2024 est.)
comparison rankings: female 200; male 200; total 200
Nationality
noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
adjective: Marshallese
Ethnic groups
Marshallese 95.6%, Filipino 1.1%, other 3.3% (2021 est.)
Languages
Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999)
major-language sample(s):
Bok eo an Lalin kin Melele ko Rejimwe ej jikin ebōk melele ko raurōk. (Marshallese)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language
Religions
Protestant 79.3% (United Church of Christ 47.9%, Assembly of God 14.1%, Full Gospel 5%, Bukot Nan Jesus 3%, Salvation Army 2.3%, Reformed Congressional Church 2.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.7%, New Beginning Church 1.4%, other Protestant 1.6%), Roman Catholic 9.3%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, other 3.3%, none 1.1% (2021 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 30% (male 12,538/female 12,072)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 26,750/female 25,944)
65 years and over: 5.7% (2024 est.) (male 2,293/female 2,414)
2023 population pyramid:
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: 25.5 years (2024 est.)
male: 25.4 years
female: 25.6 years
comparison ranking: total 169
Population growth rate
1.26% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 76
Birth rate
21.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 61
Death rate
4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 211
Net migration rate
-4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 197
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.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Major urban areas - population
31,000 MAJURO (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 20.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.1 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 77
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 73 years
female: 77.5 years
comparison ranking: total population 130
Total fertility rate
2.67 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 61
Gross reproduction rate
1.3 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 99.8% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0.2% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
13% of GDP (2020)
Physician density
0.42 physicians/1,000 population (2012)
Hospital bed density
2.7 beds/1,000 population
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 96.6% of population
rural: 65.4% of population
total: 89.7% of population
unimproved: urban: 3.4% of population
rural: 34.6% of population
total: 10.3% of population (2020 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
52.9% (2016)
comparison ranking: 4
Tobacco use
total: 28.5% (2020 est.)
male: 48.7% (2020 est.)
female: 8.3% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 36
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
11.9% (2017)
comparison ranking: 45
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
68.3% (2022 est.)
Education expenditures
13.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: 1
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)
Environment
Environment - current issues
inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels; sea level rise
Environment - 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt
Land use
agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)
arable land: 7.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 31.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 11.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 49.3% (2018 est.)
other: 0% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 78.9% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Revenue from forest resources
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
comparison ranking: 187
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 7.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.14 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.03 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 8,614 tons (2013 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 2,653 tons (2007 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 30.8% (2007 est.)
Total renewable water resources
0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
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
Independence
21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday
Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)
Legal system
mixed legal system of US and English common law, customary law, and local statutes
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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: 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 Hilda C. HEINE (since 3 January 2023)
head of government: President Hilda C. HEINE (since 3 January 2023)
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president from among members of the Nitijela, appointed by Nitijela speaker
elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the Nitijela from among its members for a 4-year term (no term limits); election last held on 2 January 2023 (next to be held in 2027)
election results:
2023: Hilda C. HEINE elected president; National Parliament vote - Hilda C. HEINE (independent) 17, David KABUA (independent) 16
2020: David KABUA elected president; National Parliament vote - David KABUA (independent) 20, Hilda C. HEINE (independent) 12
note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament (Nitijela)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 33 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 11/20/2023
percentage of women in chamber: 12.1%
expected date of next election: November 2027
note: the Council of Iroij is a 12-member consultative group of tribal leaders that advises the Presidential Cabinet and reviews legislation affecting customary law or any traditional practice
Judicial branch
highest court(s): 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
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 Charles Rudolph PAUL (since 27 February 2024)
chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236
email address and website:
info@rmiembassyus.org
consulate(s) general: Honolulu, Springdale (AR)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Laura M. STONE (since 12 July 2024)
embassy: Mejen Weto, Ocean Side, Majuro
mailing address: 4380 Majuro Place, Washington DC 20521-4380
telephone: [692] 247-4011
FAX: [692] 247-4012
email address and website:
MAJConsular@state.gov
https://mh.usembassy.gov/
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 symbol(s)
a 24-rayed star; national colors: blue, white, orange
National anthem
name: "Forever Marshall Islands"
lyrics/music: Amata KABUA
note: adopted 1981
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site
Economy
Economic overview
upper middle-income Pacific island economy; US aid reliance; large public sector; coconut oil production as diesel fuel substitute; growing offshore banking locale; fishing rights seller; import-dependent
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$263.507 million (2023 est.)
$274.3 million (2022 est.)
$277.402 million (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 218
Real GDP growth rate
-3.93% (2023 est.)
-1.12% (2022 est.)
1.11% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 212
Real GDP per capita
$6,800 (2023 est.)
$6,800 (2022 est.)
$6,700 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 160
GDP (official exchange rate)
$259.3 million (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0% (2017 est.)
-1.5% (2016 est.)
comparison ranking: 7
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 19.5% (2023 est.)
industry: 11.1% (2023 est.)
services: 70.5% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 37; industry 186; agriculture 37
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 70.7% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 53.5% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 20.2% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.5% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 38.9% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -71.2% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Agricultural products
coconuts (2022)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items (from seashells, wood, and pearls)
Industrial production growth rate
-2.81% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 189
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 26% (2019 est.)
male: 31%
female: 14.2%
comparison ranking: total 39
Population below poverty line
7.2% (2019 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
35.5 (2019 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 72
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.8% (2019 est.)
highest 10%: 27.5% (2019 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Remittances
13.29% of GDP (2023 est.)
13.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
13.31% of GDP (2021 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $186.971 million (2018 est.)
expenditures: $177.91 million (2018 est.)
note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Public debt
41.56% of GDP (2019 est.)
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 127
Taxes and other revenues
17.16% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 111
Current account balance
$76.263 million (2021 est.)
$90.281 million (2020 est.)
$86.133 million (2019 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 79
Exports
$130.016 million (2021 est.)
$88.042 million (2020 est.)
$91.394 million (2019 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 209
Exports - partners
Germany 30%, Denmark 15%, UK 14%, Malta 6%, Indonesia 5% (2022)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports - commodities
ships, refined petroleum, fish, coated flat-rolled iron, wood carpentry (2022)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$206.025 million (2021 est.)
$132.845 million (2020 est.)
$129.682 million (2019 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 213
Imports - partners
China 33%, South Korea 31%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 4%, Brazil 4% (2022)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports - commodities
ships, refined petroleum, additive manufacturing machines, centrifuges, iron structures (2022)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Exchange rates
the US dollar is used
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 96.1%
electrification - rural areas: 100%
Carbon dioxide emissions
293,700 metric tonnes of CO2 (2017 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 199
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 2,000 (2014 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 212
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 16,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 218
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the National Telecommunications Act, through Bill No. 66, ushered in a new era in telecommunications in the Marshall Islands; this will enable an open, competitive market for telecommunications that is regulated by a Telecommunications Commissioner; telecom officials announced that they would be able to offer satellite internet services beginning in mid-2023; the World Bank has been promoting telecommunications reform here for a decade and has a multi-million-dollar telecommunications reform grant program in progress (2022)
domestic: fixed-line roughly 5 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular is nearly 38 per 100 persons (2021)
international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein
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
Internet users
percent of population: 73% (2022 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 1,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total 210
Communications - note
Kwajalein hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are at Cape Canaveral, Florida (US), on Ascension (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha), and at Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory))
Transportation
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
33 (2024)
comparison ranking: 114
Roadways
total: 2,028 km
paved: 75 km
unpaved: 1,953 km (2007)
comparison ranking: total 174
Merchant marine
total: 4,180 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 1,939, container ship 277, general cargo 66, oil tanker 1039, other 859
comparison ranking: total 6
Ports
total ports: 3 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 0
very small: 3
ports with oil terminals: 2
key ports: Enitwetak Island, Kwajalein, Majuro Atoll
Military and Security
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) are responsible for security; the MIPD and Sea Patrol report to the Ministry of Justice; local police report to their respective local government councils (2024)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US; in 1982, the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, which granted the Marshall Islands financial assistance and access to many US domestic programs in exchange for exclusive US military access and defense responsibilities; the COFA entered into force in 1986, and its funding was renewed in 2003; the Marshall Islands hosts a US Army missile test site
the Marshall Islands have a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within its designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2024)
Transnational Issues
Trafficking in persons
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Marshall Islands remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/marshall-islands/
