Country profile · East Asia & Pacific

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

Upper middle income. Capital Majuro. Full World Bank, WHO, ILO & OECD indicator profile across 33 measures, with regional peers and rankings.

37.5K
Population
$285 million
GDP
$7,590
GDP / capita
67.1 years
Life expectancy
East Asia & Pacific Upper middle income Capital: Majuro

The verdict

Marshall Islands ranks 212th of 217 by total GDP and 178th for life expectancy - a upper middle income economy in East Asia & Pacific.

#212
World GDP rank (of 217)
$7,590
GDP per capita
#178
Life-expectancy rank
#212
Population rank

Ranks are computed across the 217 countries with data for each indicator; see the full tables and sources below.

Marshall Islands on the global income map

Marshall Islands (MHL) plotted alongside its largest economic peers on GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. Bubble area scales with population; color encodes income tier; gold rings mark OECD members.

Marshall Islands on the global income map Marshall Islands positioned on the GDP-per-capita / HDI plane against its largest economic peers. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 $200 $1K $10K $100K GDP per capita (USD, log scale) Human Development Index (0–1) India - GDP/cap $2,695 · lower-middle income IND China - GDP/cap $13,303 · upper-middle income CHN United States - GDP/cap $84,534 · high income · OECD USA Indonesia - GDP/cap $4,925 · upper-middle income IDN Pakistan - GDP/cap $1,479 · lower-middle income Nigeria - GDP/cap $1,084 · low income Brazil - GDP/cap $10,311 · upper-middle income Bangladesh - GDP/cap $2,593 · lower-middle income Russian Federation - GDP/cap $14,889 · high income Ethiopia - GDP/cap $1,134 · low income Mexico - GDP/cap $14,186 · high income · OECD Japan - GDP/cap $32,487 · high income · OECD Egypt, Arab Rep. - GDP/cap $3,338 · lower-middle income Philippines - GDP/cap $3,985 · lower-middle income Congo, Dem. Rep. - GDP/cap $693 · low income Viet Nam - GDP/cap $4,717 · upper-middle income Iran, Islamic Rep. - GDP/cap $5,190 · upper-middle income Turkiye - GDP/cap $15,893 · high income · OECD Germany - GDP/cap $56,104 · high income · OECD Thailand - GDP/cap $7,387 · upper-middle income United Kingdom - GDP/cap $53,246 · high income · OECD Tanzania - GDP/cap $1,193 · lower-middle income France - GDP/cap $46,103 · high income · OECD South Africa - GDP/cap $6,267 · upper-middle income Italy - GDP/cap $40,385 · high income · OECD Kenya - GDP/cap $2,133 · lower-middle income Myanmar - GDP/cap $1,359 · lower-middle income Colombia - GDP/cap $7,951 · upper-middle income · OECD Korea, Rep. - GDP/cap $36,239 · high income · OECD Sudan - GDP/cap $985 · low income Marshall Islands - GDP/cap $7,590 · upper-middle income Income tier Low Lower-middle Upper-middle High OECD member

Indicators tracked

33

Across 8 topic areas

GDP per capita

$7,590

Latest WB report

Population

37.5K

UN estimate

OECD member

No

Outside OECD harmonized stats

Population
37.5K
GDP
$285 million
GDP per Capita
$7,590
Life Expectancy
67.1 years

Overview

Marshall Islands has a population of 37.5K, making it the 212th-most populous country out of 217 tracked in East Asia & Pacific.

Its economy totals $285 million - ranked 212th globally by total GDP. GDP per capita stands at $7,590, placing it in the Upper middle income category.

Life expectancy at birth is 67.1 years (ranked 178th globally), reflecting overall health outcomes as measured by the World Bank.

The capital is Majuro.

👥 Demographics

Population
37.5K
2024
Population Ages 0-14
34.5%
2024
Population Ages 65+
4.6%
2024
Population Density
215.7/km²
2023
Urban Population
78.7%
2024

💰 Economy

Foreign Direct Investment
$13.4 million
2024
GDP (Current USD)
$285 million
2024
GDP Growth Rate
3.3%
2024
GDP Per Capita (Current USD)
$7,590.284
2024
Government Debt (% of GDP)
41.6%
2019
Trade (% of GDP)
118.2%
2024

🏥 Health

Health Expenditure (% of GDP)
13.4%
2023
Infant Mortality Rate
22.7 per 1,000
2024
Life Expectancy at Birth
67.1 years
2024
Maternal Mortality Ratio
155
2023
Physicians (per 1,000 people)
0.5 per 1,000
2012
Stunting Prevalence (under 5)
34.8
2017
Under-5 Mortality Rate
26.7 per 1,000
2024

📚 Education

Education Expenditure (% of GDP)
7.7%
2022
Literacy Rate (Adult)
95.8
2021
School Enrollment (Primary)
101.8
2024
School Enrollment (Secondary)
85.8
2024
School Enrollment (Tertiary)
37.7
2024
Youth Literacy Rate
96.4
2021

🌍 Environment

CO2 Emissions Per Capita
0.0
2024
Forest Area
52.2
2023
Renewable Energy Consumption
12.2%
2022

🏗️ Infrastructure

Access to Electricity
100.0%
2023
Internet Users
65.9%
2024
Mobile Subscriptions
39.7
2022

⚖️ Social

GINI Index
35.5
2019
Net Migration
-1,765
2024
Poverty (< $2.15/day)
2.1%
2019

🫀 Disease Burden

Key causes of death and disease risk in Marshall Islands. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory.

Road Traffic Deaths
11.9
per 100K
Suicide Rate
28.0
per 100K
TB Deaths
79.00
per 100K
Maternal Mortality
155
per 100K births

Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory. NCD mortality rate: latest available. Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population. Premature NCD risk covers cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

Compare Marshall Islands with Another Country

What the data says about Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands is classified as an upper-middle-income economy, a tier where statistical capacity, and therefore data completeness, varies more widely than in high-income countries, so a missing or older data point on this profile usually reflects reporting lag rather than an absence of the underlying activity. Output and income figures are reported at market exchange rates in current dollars, which means currency depreciation or appreciation can shift the headline numbers for a small economy like this one even when the real economy is barely moving. Because these economies are also the ones most likely to shift income tier within a decade, the trend over several years usually tells a more useful story than any single year's value.

Marshall Islands sits in East Asia & Pacific with a population of 37.5K, placing it 212th out of 217 countries by headcount. Its capital, Majuro, anchors a Upper middle income economy with total GDP of $285 million - ranked 212th globally, and GDP per capita of $7,590. This combination of demographic scale and economic output shapes everything from household purchasing power and domestic market depth to the country's weight in regional trade flows and international development programmes.

Life expectancy at birth in Marshall Islands is 67.1 years, ranking 178th worldwide and offering a summary read on healthcare access, nutrition, sanitation, and long-run living standards. The World Bank's World Development Indicators, combined with the WHO Global Health Observatory and ILO ILOSTAT wage statistics, expose 33 data points across 7 thematic areas, from fertility and urbanisation to CO₂ emissions, school enrolment, and labour-force participation. Reading these indicators together, rather than in isolation, is what turns headline numbers into a grounded portrait of how people actually live.

Use the indicator tables below to track trajectories over time, jump to Marshall Islands's placement on specific rankings such as GDP, population density, or life expectancy, and open the side-by-side Compare view to benchmark against peers inside East Asia & Pacific or across income groups. Because all figures come from official, CC BY 4.0-licensed datasets with clear vintages, you can cite them directly in research or journalism. Where a field reads "N/A", the upstream agency has not yet released that value for Marshall Islands - we never fabricate estimates or carry forward stale values, so missing points stay visible rather than quietly filled in.

Using the Marshall Islands profile

A single rank only means something in context, read Marshall Islands's numbers against its peers and over time.

  • Put Marshall Islands side-by-side with another country to see exactly where the gaps are. Compare countries
  • See the full GDP table to find every country above and below Marshall Islands's #212 position. GDP rankings
  • Browse East Asia & Pacific to benchmark Marshall Islands against its regional peers. Regional peers

Figures come from official World Bank, WHO, ILO and OECD releases; observation years differ by indicator (shown in the “Year” column) and unavailable values appear as “N/A” rather than estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data for Marshall Islands come from?

Data for Marshall Islands is sourced from the World Bank Open Data catalog, WHO Global Health Observatory, and ILO ILOSTAT (for average wages and working hours). These are official, publicly available datasets.

How current is the data for Marshall Islands?

It varies by indicator - most points are 2020-2024. See our methodology page for the update cadence per source.

Can I compare Marshall Islands with other countries?

Yes - use the compare tool above, or the rankings catalog to see where Marshall Islands stands on any single indicator.

What does GDP per capita tell us about Marshall Islands?

Marshall Islands's total output divided by its population, in current US dollars - an approximate read on average economic productivity per person. See our methodology page for the PPP-adjustment caveats.

How does Marshall Islands's life expectancy compare to the global average?

67.1 years, ranking 178th of 217 countries tracked - against a global average near 73 years.

Does PlainCountries cover visa or travel information for Marshall Islands?

No - PlainCountries is development and health data only. PlainVisa (plainvisa.com) covers immigration policy; PlainFlights (plainflights.com) covers flight routes.

Source: World Bank Open Data, Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Source: ILO ILOSTAT. World Bank and ILO data licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or policy advice. Data is sourced from the World Bank, WHO, ILO, and OECD. See our full disclaimer and editorial policy.