Country explorer: Marshall Islands
EXPERIMENTAL
2024
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Overview
Marshall Islands is a biodiverse, upper-middle-income island nation in the Pacific with a tiny population. Its economy has grown rapidly in recent decades, and is based on fishing, agriculture and tourism.
The Marshall Islands boasts a unique system of government based on a Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Economy
The Marshall Islands has experienced positive economic growth with a significant increase in GDP per capita, alongside a nuanced distribution of population across different poverty thresholds, reflecting both shared challenges and distinct progress compared to its Pacific peers and global upper-middle-income countries.
Demographics
The Marshall Islands have experienced a continuous population decline alongside declining fertility rates, persistently negative net migration, and a gradual increase in life expectancy, highlighting trends common among small island nations facing emigration pressures and demographic transitions.
Basic needs
The Marshall Islands has experienced significant growth in access to clean cooking fuels and electricity, indicating substantive progress in improving basic needs despite data gaps in water and sanitation services, aligning its trajectory more closely with upper-middle-income countries.
Human development
The Marshall Islands have seen incremental improvements in human development, highlighted by modest enhancements in health, education, and living standards, but its progress seems to lag behind peers like Palau and upper-middle-income countries, reflecting challenges unique to its socio-economic and environmental context.
Environment & energy
The Marshall Islands has experienced a notable increase in per capita CO₂ emissions without significant changes in forest area, reflecting a broader challenge faced by small island nations in balancing development and environmental preservation.
Technology & innovation
The Marshall Islands has experienced significant technological advancements, evident in the steady increase in internet usage and mobile phone subscriptions, although lacking data on research & development spending and scientific publications, it trails behind upper-middle-income countries and regional peers like Palau in terms of technological infrastructure and innovation output.
Culture & society
The Marshall Islands has seen a modest increase in the share of its population born in another country and a gradual decrease in its age dependency ratio, which mirrors broader trends in Pacific Island nations but contrasts with the sharper demographic and migration patterns observed in upper-middle-income countries and nearby Palau.
Governance
Due to the absence of specific data on governance indicators, it's challenging to analyze the distinct changes or characteristics in the governance of the Marshall Islands compared to its peers over the past two decades.