2022 Edition

Background

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. The traditional hierarchy continued even after contact with Europeans in the early 1500s. Spain formally claimed the islands in 1592, but few other Europeans passed by the islands in the next two centuries. In 1788, British sea captain John MARSHALL undertook an exploratory voyage, and the islands were mapped in the early 1800s by Russian explorers. In the 1850s, US Protestant missionaries began arriving on the islands. 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. Japan built large military bases throughout the Marshall Islands, and during World War II, the US captured the bases on Kwajalein, Enewetak, and Majuro Atolls in Operations Flintlock and Catchpole. The Marshall 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 and Rongelap Atolls were also evacuated because of nuclear fallout, and all four atolls 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.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 the US Army Kwajalein Atoll Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network. Kwajalein also 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)).

Area

land

181 sq km

note

note: the archipelago includes 11,673 sq km of lagoon waters and encompasses the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik

total

181 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

370.4 km

Elevation

highest point

East-central Airik Island, Maloelap Atoll 14 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

2 m

Geographic coordinates

9 00 N, 168 00 E

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

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

50.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 7.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 31.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 11.7% (2018 est.)

forest

49.3% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

infrequent typhoons

Natural resources

coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals

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

Terrain

low coral limestone and sand islands

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.)

Birth rate

22 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.9% (2017)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

16.3% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

4.28 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.8

potential support ratio

14.7 (2021)

total dependency ratio

59.9

youth dependency ratio

53

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 99.8% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

13.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

Hospital bed density

2.7 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

female

17.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

25.19 deaths/1,000 live births

total

21.66 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 est.)

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

note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.01 years (2022 est.)

male

72.4 years

total population

74.65 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.2% (2011)

male

98.3%

total population

98.3%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Major urban areas - population

31,000 MAJURO (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

23.9 years (2020 est.)

male

23.6 years

total

23.8 years

Nationality

adjective

Marshallese

noun

Marshallese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-4.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

52.9% (2016)

Physicians density

0.42 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

Population

79,906 (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

Population growth rate

1.34% (2022 est.)

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 65.4% of population

improved: total

total: 89.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 34.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 10.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.4% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2019)

male

10 years

total

10 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

8.3% (2020 est.)

male

48.7% (2020 est.)

total

28.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.76 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

78.9% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

14.2% (2019 est.)

male

31%

total

26%

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

Capital

etymology

Majuro means "two openings" or "two eyes" and refers to the two major northern passages through the atoll into the Majuro lagoon

geographic coordinates

7 06 N, 171 23 E

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

time difference

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

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

history

effective 1 May 1979

Country name

abbreviation

RMI

conventional long form

Republic of the Marshall Islands

conventional short form

Marshall Islands

etymology

named after British Captain John MARSHALL, who charted many of the islands in 1788

former

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Marshall Islands District

local long form

Republic of the Marshall Islands

local short form

Marshall Islands

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Roxanne CABRAL (since 6 February 2020)

email address and website

MAJConsular@state.govhttps://mh.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Mejen Weto, Ocean Side, Majuro

FAX

[692] 247-4012

mailing address

4380 Majuro Place, Washington DC  20521-4380

telephone

[692] 247-4011

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Gerald M. ZACKIOS (since 16 September 2016)

consulate(s) general

Honolulu, Springdale (AR)

email address and website

info@rmiembassyus.orghttps://www.rmiembassyus.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 232-3236

telephone

[1] (202) 234-5414

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the president from among members of the Nitijela, appointed by Nitijela speaker

chief of state

President David KABUA (since  13 January 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

David KABUA elected president; Parliament vote - David KABUA 20, Hilda C. HEINE 12

elections/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)

head of government

President David KABUA (since 13 January 2020)

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

Government type

mixed presidential-parliamentary system in free association with the US

Independence

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

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

Legal system

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

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

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 33; composition - men 31, women 2, percent of women 6.1%

elections

last held on 18 November 2019 (next to be held by November 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Amata KABUA

name

"Forever Marshall Islands"

note

note: adopted 1981

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)

National symbol(s)

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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts

Budget

expenditures

113.9 million (2013 est.)

revenues

116.7 million (2013 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.3% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$15 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$1 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2008

$87 million (2008 est.)

Debt - external 2013

$97.96 million (2013 est.)

Economic overview

US assistance and lease payments for the use of Kwajalein Atoll as a US military base are the mainstay of this small island country. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, is concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are coconuts and breadfruit. Industry is limited to handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. Tourism holds some potential. The islands and atolls have few natural resources, and imports exceed exports.   The Marshall Islands received roughly $1 billion in aid from the US during the period 1986-2001 under the original Compact of Free Association (Compact). In 2002 and 2003, the US and the Marshall Islands renegotiated the Compact's financial package for a 20-year period, 2004 to 2024. Under the amended Compact, the Marshall Islands will receive roughly $1.5 billion in direct US assistance. Under the amended Compact, the US and Marshall Islands are also jointly funding a Trust Fund for the people of the Marshall Islands that will provide an income stream beyond 2024, when direct Compact aid ends.

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

Exports 2018

$130 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

ships, fish, recreational boats, broadcasting equipment, coal tar oil (2019)

Exports - partners

Poland 28%, Denmark 19%, South Korea 13%, Indonesia 10%, Cyprus 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

52.9% (2016 est.)

government consumption

50% (2016 est.)

imports of goods and services

-102.3% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.8% (2016 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4.4% (2013 est.)

industry

9.9% (2013 est.)

services

85.7% (2013 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$222 million (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$103.8 million (2016 est.)

Imports 2018

$170 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

ships, refined petroleum, centrifuges, recreational boats, boat propellers (2019)

Imports - partners

South Korea 39%, China 27%, Japan 15% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

-1.5% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0% (2017 est.)

Labor force

10,670 (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

11%

industry

16.3%

services

72.7% (2011 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2016

30% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

25.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$219 million (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$220 million (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$240 million (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

2% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3.6% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

2.5% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2017

$3,776 (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2018

$3,800 (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$4,000 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

Taxes and other revenues

52.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2000

30.9% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate 2006

36% (2006 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

14.2% (2019 est.)

male

31%

total

26%

Carbon dioxide emissions

293,700 metric tonnes of CO2 (2017 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

98.4% (2018)

electrification - total population

96.3% (2018)

electrification - urban areas

95.7% (2018)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

2,060 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2020 est.)

total

1,000 (2020 est.)

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)

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))

Internet country code

.mh

Internet users

percent of population

39% (2019 est.)

total

22,929 (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) and mini-satellite telephones; fixed-line roughly 4 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular is nearly 27 per 100 persons (2020)

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)

international

country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions

2,361 (2018 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

27 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

16,000 (2020 est.)

Airports

total

15 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2021)

total

4

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

10

total

11

under 914 m

1 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V7

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1,733, container ship 248, general cargo 66, oil tanker 970, other 800 (2021)

total

3,817

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

130,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

24,313 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

3

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Enitwetak Island, Kwajalein, Majuro

Roadways

paved

75 km (2007)

total

2,028 km (2007)

unpaved

1,953 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the USthe 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 (2022)

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

Disputes - international

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.14 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.03 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

9.43 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

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

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

Land use

agricultural land

50.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 7.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 31.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 11.7% (2018 est.)

forest

49.3% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.61% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

78.9% of total population (2023)

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.)