Country or area · Micronesia (region) · Oceania · UN WPP 2024

Marshall Islands population

Marshall Islands population now

34,793

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 32,353–36,597.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 38,827

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 35,068; 95% range, 31 Dec: 32,353–36,597
Median age: 21.5
Aged 65+: 5.1%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 20 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

MHL · 1950–2100 · in brief

Marshall Islands in numbers

The Marshall Islands had 38,827 people in mid-2023, the 219th-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and less than 0.01% of the world's people. That is 3.0 times its 1950 population of 12,996.

Its population peaked in 2010 at 52,044 and has been falling since. The UN's medium projection has 23,806 in 2100. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 10,437 to 206 thousand.

The medium projection has deaths passing births in 2089 and staying above them from then on.

The median age was 18.2 in 1950 and 21.7 in 2023; the projection has 41.4 in 2100. 4.4% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 17.9% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) peaked in 2007 at 30,638; in 2023 it was 23,656.

Its place in the world by population: 219th in 2023, 222nd in 2050, 222nd in 2100. It is overtaken by Gibraltar in 2024, San Marino in 2028 and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba in 2029.

Population, mid-2023: 38,827
Rank by population, 2023: 219 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: less than 0.01%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: −3.12% · −1,250 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 216
Land area, 2023: 180 km²
Births, 2023: 821
Deaths, 2023: 271
Net migration, 2023: −1,832
Children per woman, 2023: 2.92
Median age, 2023: 21.7 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 67.0 years
In a city, 2025: 0 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 12,996
Projected, mid-2050: 25,194
Projected, mid-2100: 23,806

MHL · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections050 k100 k150 k200 k250 k1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Every column stands for a single year, counted on 1 January, and the paper rules slice it into cells of equal size.

Show the numbers: Marshall Islands, 1950–2100

Marshall Islands: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	12,928		605	232	7.76	52.6
1951	estimate	13,064		606	232	7.76	52.7
1952	estimate	13,159		613	233	7.80	52.7
1953	estimate	13,271		620	233	7.83	52.8
1954	estimate	13,348		630	233	7.88	52.9
1955	estimate	13,435		640	233	7.91	53.0
1956	estimate	13,530		647	234	7.92	53.2
1957	estimate	13,610		656	235	7.95	53.4
1958	estimate	13,666		661	234	7.98	53.6
1959	estimate	13,944		671	234	8.02	54.0
1960	estimate	14,449		689	237	8.08	54.4
1961	estimate	14,956		708	239	8.12	54.7
1962	estimate	15,482		727	239	8.12	55.2
1963	estimate	16,028		750	240	8.12	55.7
1964	estimate	16,575		779	242	8.14	56.3
1965	estimate	17,130		812	245	8.16	56.8
1966	estimate	17,675		852	250	8.20	57.3
1967	estimate	18,178		890	254	8.17	57.8
1968	estimate	19,132		941	257	8.14	58.2
1969	estimate	20,592		1,005	257	8.11	58.5
1970	estimate	22,017		1,074	256	8.07	58.8
1971	estimate	23,043		1,133	256	8.04	59.1
1972	estimate	23,690		1,174	261	8.00	59.5
1973	estimate	24,295		1,221	266	7.95	59.8
1974	estimate	24,867		1,273	273	7.90	60.1
1975	estimate	25,725		1,332	277	7.83	60.3
1976	estimate	26,582		1,388	279	7.76	60.4
1977	estimate	27,460		1,441	281	7.67	60.6
1978	estimate	28,351		1,491	283	7.58	60.7
1979	estimate	29,268		1,535	285	7.47	60.8
1980	estimate	30,209		1,574	287	7.37	61.0
1981	estimate	31,340		1,618	290	7.27	61.1
1982	estimate	32,694		1,670	295	7.18	61.3
1983	estimate	34,099		1,723	300	7.08	61.5
1984	estimate	35,523		1,775	305	6.99	61.6
1985	estimate	37,005		1,820	310	6.87	61.7
1986	estimate	38,518		1,859	316	6.73	61.8
1987	estimate	40,054		1,888	322	6.57	61.8
1988	estimate	41,602		1,904	328	6.38	61.8
1989	estimate	43,040		1,908	334	6.18	61.7
1990	estimate	44,132		1,893	337	5.97	61.8
1991	estimate	45,126		1,879	340	5.76	61.8
1992	estimate	46,009		1,866	340	5.55	61.9
1993	estimate	46,766		1,864	340	5.38	62.1
1994	estimate	47,421		1,863	338	5.23	62.3
1995	estimate	48,002		1,860	338	5.09	62.5
1996	estimate	48,529		1,878	337	5.02	62.8
1997	estimate	49,021		1,899	336	4.96	63.0
1998	estimate	49,497		1,910	335	4.87	63.2
1999	estimate	49,937		1,924	334	4.78	63.4
2000	estimate	50,466		1,935	342	4.70	63.3
2001	estimate	50,947		1,934	338	4.58	63.7
2002	estimate	51,298		1,934	340	4.49	63.9
2003	estimate	51,551		1,941	342	4.42	64.0
2004	estimate	51,726		1,938	343	4.34	64.0
2005	estimate	51,857		1,930	344	4.28	64.1
2006	estimate	51,955		1,900	345	4.20	64.2
2007	estimate	52,030		1,852	344	4.09	64.3
2008	estimate	52,040		1,786	343	3.97	64.3
2009	estimate	52,020		1,706	340	3.83	64.4
2010	estimate	52,017		1,610	336	3.67	64.5
2011	estimate	52,070		1,517	331	3.53	64.6
2012	estimate	51,745		1,425	328	3.38	64.8
2013	estimate	51,093		1,338	324	3.25	65.0
2014	estimate	50,269		1,279	320	3.18	65.1
2015	estimate	49,323		1,228	317	3.13	65.3
2016	estimate	48,278		1,179	313	3.09	65.5
2017	estimate	47,140		1,135	309	3.06	65.7
2018	estimate	45,918		1,090	304	3.04	65.9
2019	estimate	44,652		1,045	299	3.01	66.0
2020	estimate	43,361		1,001	312	2.99	65.4
2021	estimate	42,052		959	306	2.96	65.4
2022	estimate	40,682		881	275	2.94	66.7
2023	estimate	39,472		821	271	2.92	67.0
2024	estimate	38,182		754	268	2.86	67.1
2025	projection	36,914	36,181–37,589	715	265	2.82	67.2
2026	projection	35,650	34,211–36,984	682	263	2.77	67.3
2027	projection	34,500	32,353–36,597	658	262	2.73	67.4
2028	projection	33,452	30,496–36,412	642	261	2.69	67.6
2029	projection	32,500	28,721–36,172	630	261	2.65	67.7
2030	projection	31,595	27,023–36,055	621	261	2.60	67.8
2031	projection	30,778	25,534–36,086	615	261	2.56	67.9
2032	projection	30,058	24,469–36,351	613	262	2.53	68.0
2033	projection	29,423	23,573–36,513	613	263	2.50	68.2
2034	projection	28,859	22,783–37,036	613	263	2.47	68.3
2035	projection	28,360	21,970–37,589	613	264	2.44	68.4
2036	projection	27,925	21,217–37,984	614	266	2.42	68.6
2037	projection	27,562	20,531–38,598	612	267	2.38	68.7
2038	projection	27,226	19,833–38,989	609	268	2.36	68.8
2039	projection	26,955	19,253–39,690	605	269	2.33	68.9
2040	projection	26,707	18,819–40,520	596	269	2.31	69.1
2041	projection	26,487	18,332–40,989	585	270	2.29	69.2
2042	projection	26,297	17,817–41,625	572	271	2.26	69.3
2043	projection	26,135	17,343–42,771	557	271	2.24	69.4
2044	projection	25,976	16,976–43,607	541	272	2.23	69.5
2045	projection	25,837	16,714–44,260	524	272	2.21	69.5
2046	projection	25,708	16,352–45,457	506	272	2.19	69.7
2047	projection	25,594	16,025–46,875	489	272	2.17	69.8
2048	projection	25,484	15,876–48,515	472	272	2.15	69.9
2049	projection	25,370	15,734–49,655	455	271	2.13	70.0
2050	projection	25,244	15,440–50,918	440	271	2.11	70.1
2051	projection	25,145	15,147–52,341	426	270	2.10	70.2
2052	projection	25,031	14,908–54,084	414	269	2.08	70.3
2053	projection	24,929	14,712–56,038	403	268	2.06	70.4
2054	projection	24,837	14,433–57,504	394	266	2.04	70.5
2055	projection	24,729	14,118–59,280	387	264	2.03	70.6
2056	projection	24,616	13,785–60,295	381	262	2.02	70.7
2057	projection	24,526	13,607–61,249	376	260	2.00	70.8
2058	projection	24,447	13,488–62,998	373	257	1.99	70.9
2059	projection	24,399	13,269–65,830	372	254	1.98	71.0
2060	projection	24,334	13,068–66,856	371	251	1.97	71.0
2061	projection	24,285	13,042–67,830	370	247	1.96	71.1
2062	projection	24,233	12,870–69,703	370	243	1.95	71.2
2063	projection	24,193	12,521–70,875	370	239	1.94	71.3
2064	projection	24,180	12,494–73,468	370	235	1.93	71.4
2065	projection	24,176	12,442–74,576	370	231	1.93	71.5
2066	projection	24,177	12,277–75,997	370	227	1.92	71.6
2067	projection	24,210	12,112–78,112	369	223	1.91	71.7
2068	projection	24,230	12,046–78,913	368	219	1.90	71.8
2069	projection	24,273	11,980–80,746	366	215	1.90	72.0
2070	projection	24,306	11,744–82,708	363	211	1.89	72.1
2071	projection	24,348	11,672–84,844	359	208	1.89	72.2
2072	projection	24,387	11,506–87,458	353	205	1.87	72.3
2073	projection	24,419	11,223–90,368	347	204	1.87	72.4
2074	projection	24,468	11,042–93,853	341	202	1.86	72.5
2075	projection	24,503	10,805–96,593	335	202	1.85	72.7
2076	projection	24,559	10,714–99,047	328	202	1.84	72.8
2077	projection	24,594	10,723–102,037	322	203	1.84	72.9
2078	projection	24,636	10,697–105,423	316	206	1.83	73.1
2079	projection	24,679	10,574–107,427	310	209	1.83	73.2
2080	projection	24,701	10,540–111,212	304	213	1.82	73.3
2081	projection	24,728	10,700–117,212	299	219	1.82	73.5
2082	projection	24,739	10,598–120,389	294	225	1.81	73.6
2083	projection	24,755	10,567–122,182	289	232	1.81	73.7
2084	projection	24,767	10,517–124,380	285	239	1.80	73.9
2085	projection	24,759	10,565–128,333	282	247	1.80	74.0
2086	projection	24,740	10,559–129,529	279	256	1.79	74.1
2087	projection	24,725	10,523–135,344	277	265	1.79	74.3
2088	projection	24,695	10,585–141,231	275	273	1.78	74.4
2089	projection	24,663	10,555–145,759	273	282	1.78	74.5
2090	projection	24,607	10,536–147,738	272	290	1.78	74.7
2091	projection	24,558	10,549–153,893	271	297	1.77	74.8
2092	projection	24,499	10,475–156,269	271	304	1.77	75.0
2093	projection	24,428	10,379–160,563	270	310	1.77	75.1
2094	projection	24,352	10,341–165,820	269	316	1.77	75.2
2095	projection	24,283	10,275–171,087	268	320	1.76	75.3
2096	projection	24,199	10,396–177,033	268	324	1.76	75.5
2097	projection	24,121	10,474–184,726	267	326	1.76	75.6
2098	projection	24,025	10,444–191,438	266	327	1.76	75.7
2099	projection	23,934	10,438–198,207	264	328	1.75	75.8
2100	projection	23,854	10,437–206,394	263	328	1.75	76.0

Show the numbers: Marshall Islands, mid-2026, by single year of age

Marshall Islands: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	332	313
1	328	310
2	338	320
3	361	339
4	386	363
5	412	382
6	422	390
7	415	391
8	408	391
9	412	398
10	418	404
11	420	400
12	427	409
13	438	430
14	460	444
15	492	446
16	504	446
17	496	443
18	488	429
19	474	415
20	448	403
21	410	373
22	364	322
23	321	270
24	281	234
25	245	208
26	212	188
27	182	164
28	154	139
29	132	124
30	116	118
31	106	114
32	96	110
33	97	116
34	112	129
35	137	148
36	166	172
37	185	193
38	194	204
39	204	211
40	212	218
41	218	224
42	220	226
43	226	230
44	230	234
45	227	233
46	218	223
47	207	214
48	198	206
49	196	196
50	199	188
51	196	182
52	185	179
53	170	176
54	168	172
55	170	162
56	162	153
57	155	148
58	146	142
59	142	134
60	139	132
61	129	130
62	119	122
63	108	110
64	100	100
65	92	95
66	89	87
67	85	78
68	74	76
69	65	74
70	62	68
71	63	61
72	58	54
73	50	48
74	42	44
75	34	39
76	29	34
77	27	28
78	24	26
79	20	24
80	16	16
81	12	12
82	10	10
83	7	8
84	5	7
85	4	7
86	2	5
87	1	5
88	1	4
89	1	3
90	1	2
91	1	2
92	1	2
93	0	1
94	0	1
95	0	1
96	0	0
97	0	0
98	0	0
99	0	0
100+	0	0

MHL · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Marshall Islands, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

MHL · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands had the most working-age people it is ever expected to have in 2007: 30,641 people aged 15–64, against 23,651 in 2023.

100 aged 15–64

57 children

7 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: take 100 people of working age — the orange row — and the two rows under it are the children (teal) and the people of 65 and over (violet) who lived alongside them in 2023.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 21 years: 2060–2080.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: the strip runs 1950 to 2100. Coloured years are the ones with under 50 dependants for every 100 people aged 15–64; grey years are the rest, and a hatched year has not happened yet.

How every country compares

MHL · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Marshall Islands, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 the Marshall Islands loses 1,860 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 321 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 50 people a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: age runs left to right, babies to 100. A blue square above the line means arrivals outnumber departures at that age, an orange square below it means the opposite. The figures are the UN's projection for 2020–2025; nobody recorded migration by age before 2020.

Its best and worst years between 1950 and 2023: a gain of 769 (1968), and a loss of 2,058 (2018).

In 2024, 3,309 people living in the Marshall Islands had been born in another country, 9 of every 100 people there, against 3 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

MHL · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Marshall Islands

Of every 100 babies born in the Marshall Islands in 2023, 21 had a mother under 20, 68 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 11 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 10 under 20 and 17 aged 35 or older.

1950
10 · 73 · 17

2023
21 · 68 · 11

2050 · projected
12 · 74 · 14

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: one block a year, 100 squares in each, a square for every hundredth baby. The colour is the mother's age group, and the three numbers underneath are those groups in order, youngest first.

Babies born, 2023: 821
Average age when women have a baby: 27.1 years; 28.6 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 72; 137 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in the Marshall Islands by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	1	2	4	0	0	0
15–19	62	218	340	168	53	11
20–24	166	485	672	264	102	44
25–29	165	351	480	176	121	80
30–34	108	163	271	119	104	80
35–39	73	79	129	74	50	40
40–44	26	29	37	19	10	8
45–49	4	5	2	1	0	0
50–54	0	0	0	0	0	0
All babies	605	1,332	1,935	821	440	263

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

MHL · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Marshall Islands

UNHCR publishes no refugees, asylum-seekers or displaced people in or from the Marshall Islands at the end of 2025.

An empty row is not the same as a zero. These figures cover the people one agency works with, so a country it has no operation in has nothing to report here.

In 2025, 14 people from the Marshall Islands asked for asylum in another country. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

MHL · of every 100 people

How people live in Marshall Islands

Of every 100 people in the Marshall Islands in 2025, 51 lived in a town or suburb and 49 in the countryside.

towns and suburbs rural areas

2.8 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 34.1 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: everyone here, shrunk to 100 squares, with the colour saying whether that hundredth person lives in a city, a town or the countryside. Every country is measured by the same rule.

How the world's people live

MHL · cities · 2025

Cities in Marshall Islands

No place in the Marshall Islands is big and dense enough to count as a city under the UN's rule — at least 50,000 people, living 1,500 or more to the square kilometre.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for the Marshall Islands are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.