Marshall Islands

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 1,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 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

total: 29,290 | percent of population: 38.7% (July 2018 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: some telecom infrastructure improvements made in recent years; modern services include fiber optic cable service, cellular, Internet, international calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits; the US Government, World Bank, UN and International Telecommunication Union (ITU), have aided in improvements and monetary aid to the islands telecom; mobile penetrations is around 30%; radio communication is especially vital to remote islands (2018) | 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 4 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular is 28 per 100 persons (2019) | international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein | note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 3,172 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4.13 (2019 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 21,169 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27.56 (2019 est.)

Agriculture - products

coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens

Budget

revenues: 116.7 million (2013 est.) | expenditures: 113.9 million (2013 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.3% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1 million (2017 est.) | $15 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$97.96 million (2013 est.) | $87 million (2008 est.)

Ease of Doing Business Index scores

88.4 (2020)

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

$0 (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP (official exchange rate)

$222 million (2017 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real

$196 million (2017 est.) | $191.3 million (2016 est.) | $184.6 million (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

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.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,600 (2017 est.) | $3,500 (2016 est.) | $3,400 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP real growth rate

2.5% (2017 est.) | 3.6% (2016 est.) | 2% (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

Imports

$103.8 million (2016 est.) | $133.7 million (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0% (2017 est.) | -1.5% (2016 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

25.5% of GDP (2017 est.) | 30% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

52.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate

36% (2006 est.) | 30.9% (2000 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

293,700 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

604.5 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

81% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

52,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

650 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 96.3% (2018) | electrification - urban areas: 95.7% (2018) | electrification - rural areas: 98.4% (2018)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

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.)

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

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

mean elevation: 2 m | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: East-central Airik Island, Maloelap Atoll 14 m

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, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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 (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 50.7% (2011 est.) | arable land: 7.8% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 31.2% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 11.7% (2011 est.) | forest: 49.3% (2011 est.) | other: 0% (2011 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

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | contiguous zone: 24 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

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

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

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

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 1995

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Karen Brevard STEWART (since 25 July 2016) | telephone: [692] 247-4011 | embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro | mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379 | FAX: [692] 247-4012

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Gerald M. ZACKIOS (since 16 September 2016) | chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 1st Floor, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414 | FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236 | consulate(s) general: Honolulu, Springdale (AR) | consulate(s): Agana (Guam)

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/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

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, WHO

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

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description: bicameral National Parliament consists of: 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 Nitijela (33 seats; members in 19 single- and 5 multi-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - legislative power resides in the Nitijela | 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

National anthem

name: Forever Marshall Islands | lyrics/music: Amata KABUA | note: adopted 1981

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; the following two "groupings" have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Aelon Kein Ad Party [Imata KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing conducted on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962 (67 tests total). 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)).

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the US

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Marshall Islands Police Department (2019)

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.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Australia - Oceania :: Marshall Islands Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for the Marshall Islands. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

22.8 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.9% (2017)

Current Health Expenditure

16.4% (2017)

Death rate

4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.8% of population | rural: 99.7% of population | total: 99.8% of population | unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population | rural: 0.3% of population | total: 0.2% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

2.7 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 17.4 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 19.7 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

Languages

Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) | note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.1 years | male: 71.8 years | female: 76.5 years (2020 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 98.3% | male: 98.3% | female: 98.2% (2011)

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

total: 23.8 years | male: 23.6 years | female: 23.9 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) | adjective: Marshallese

Net migration rate

-4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

52.9% (2016)

Physicians density

0.42 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

Population

77,917 (July 2020 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

1.43% (2020 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%, Mormon 7%, Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 1.2%, none 1.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 96.3% of population | rural: 65.4% of population | total: 89.1% of population | unimproved: urban: 15.5% of population | rural: 34.6% of population | total: 10.9% of population (2017 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 10 years | male: 10 years | female: 10 years (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female | total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.86 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 11% | male: 12.2% | female: 8.7% (2010 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 77.8% of total population (2020) | rate of urbanization: 0.61% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030: PDF

Disputes - international

claims US territory of Wake Island

Trafficking in persons

current situation: The Marshall Islands is a source and destination country for Marshallese women and girls and women from East Asia subjected to sex trafficking; Marshallese and foreign women are forced into prostitution in businesses frequented by crew members of fishing and transshipping vessels that dock in Majuro; some Chinese women are recruited to the Marshall Islands with promises of legitimate work and are subsequently forced into prostitution | tier rating: Tier 3 – The Marshall Islands do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government made no anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts, including developing a written plan to combat trafficking; no new trafficking investigations were opened in 2014, and no prosecutions or convictions were made for the fourth consecutive year; no efforts were made to identify trafficking victims, especially among women in prostitution or men working on foreign fishing vessels in Marshallese waters, and no attempt was made to ensure their access to protective services; limited awareness-raising events were conducted by an international organization (2015)

Airports

15 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 11 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 10 (2013) | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

V7 (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 3,537 | by type: bulk carrier 1,537, container ship 257, general cargo 66, oil tanker 856, other 821 (2019)

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 mt-km (2018)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Enitwetak Island, Kwajalein, Majuro

Roadways

total: 2,028 km (2007) | paved: 75 km (2007) | unpaved: 1,953 km