Marshall Islands People - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

80,966 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)

adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic groups

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

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

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.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 30.65% (male 12,642/female 12,175)

15-64 years: 63.83% (male 26,237/female 25,445)

65 years and over: 5.52% (2023 est.) (male 2,187/female 2,280)

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: 23.8 years

male: 23.6 years

female: 23.9 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

1.3% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

21.61 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

4.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

-4.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 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

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: 0.96 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 21.13 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 24.56 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 17.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.92 years

male: 72.68 years

female: 77.26 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.72 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.33 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

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)

Physicians 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)

Tobacco use

total: 28.5% (2020 est.)

male: 48.7% (2020 est.)

female: 8.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.9% (2017)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

68.3% (2022 est.)

Education expenditures

13.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

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)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 26%

male: 31%

female: 14.2% (2019 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Marshall Islands on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Marshall Islands 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Marshall Islands 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.