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Marshall Islands vs Micronesia
Side-by-side comparison of Marshall Islands and Micronesia from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Marshall Islands
East Asia & Pacific · nation age 40 years
Micronesia
East Asia & Pacific · nation age 40 years
In short
Micronesia scores 33.1 in the NationsTree Index (153rd in the world) and Marshall Islands scores 21.0 (187th), a gap of 12.1 points. Their trees are 0.3 m and 0.4 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Micronesia has 3.1 times the population of Marshall Islands. Micronesia is 3.9 times larger than Marshall Islands by land area. The economy of Micronesia is 61% larger than that of Marshall Islands (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Marshall Islands 36,282 and Micronesia 113,683 (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $8,964 in Marshall Islands and $4,604 in Micronesia (2025, international dollars). Life expectancy is almost the same: 67.1 and 67.4 years.
Of 20 indicators reported by both countries, Marshall Islands ranks higher in the world on 12 and Micronesia on 8. Marshall Islands is clearly stronger in tourism and trade. Micronesia is clearly stronger in natural resources.
Over the last five years Micronesia improved faster (direction score 21 vs 0 out of 100).
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Micronesia overtook Marshall Islands in the NationsTree Index in 2025, the latest year with data.
Marshall Islands has been ahead of Micronesia in GDP per person (PPP) in every year since 1990.
Micronesia has been ahead of Marshall Islands in GDP (PPP), life expectancy and population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
Marshall IslandsMicronesia All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Marshall Islands | Micronesia |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 181205th/216 · 2024 | 701185th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 181204th/216 · 2024 | 701184th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 36,282212th/217 · 2025 | 113,683190th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | -3.43%216th/217 · 2025 | 0.46%142nd/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 207.465th/216 · 2024 | 161.472nd/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 79.1%64th/217 · 2025 | 22.5%208th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 33.9%55th/217 · 2025 | 31.5%64th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 4.9%150th/217 · 2025 | 6.2%135th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $308.0 m208th/210 · 2025 | $501.8 m205th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $325.2 m197th/199 · 2025 | $523.4 m195th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $277.9 m197th/199 · 2025 | $447.3 m195th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $8,489110th/210 · 2025 | $4,414146th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $8,964145th/199 · 2025 | $4,604170th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $9,71095th/201 · 2025 | $4,760131st/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 2.3%138th/210 · 2025 | 1.1%171st/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | — | 5.4%141st/180 · 2022 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | 41.6%2019 | 27.8%10th/55 · 2020 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 8.8%8th/189 · 2025 | 8.8%8th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | 4.8%7th/192 · 2025 | 0.4%34th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 19.9%39th/197 · 2024 | 24.2%22nd/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 13.4%168th/200 · 2024 | 5.3%196th/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 3.2%169th/192 · 2024 | 0.5%190th/192 · 2025 |
| Services % of GDP | 68.2%41st/200 · 2024 | 65.3%52nd/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $111.0 m177th/182 · 2025 | $111.0 m177th/182 · 2025 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $246.0 m180th/182 · 2025 | $356.0 m177th/182 · 2025 |
| Exports % of GDP | 36.0%92nd/183 · 2025 | 22.1%135th/183 · 2025 |
| Imports % of GDP | 79.9%20th/183 · 2025 | 70.9%31st/183 · 2025 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 115.9%44th/183 · 2025 | 93.1%75th/183 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | — | 0.5%2013 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | — | 99.2%2013 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | — | 0.1%2013 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | 33.8%2nd/191 · 2025 | 3.7%44th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 1.0%138th/196 · 2025 | 6.4%2014 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.0%187th/209 · 2021 | 0.0%170th/209 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | — | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.00%183rd/209 · 2021 | 0.02%144th/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 2.8%159th/206 · 2024 | 3.4%152nd/206 · 2024 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 6,100191st/194 · 2019 | 18,000187th/194 · 2019 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $20.1 m163rd/175 · 2018 | $27.0 m2008 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 15.6%41st/168 · 2018 | — |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 67.1178th/217 · 2024 | 67.4174th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 26.7135th/196 · 2024 | 22.4128th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 0.472012 | 0.97107th/174 · 2020 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 2.82010 | 3.22009 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 85%132nd/193 · 2024 | 76%156th/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 94.0%2019 | 76.3%2014 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 85.8%117th/173 · 2024 | 87.3%2005 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 62.7%20th/55 · 2019 | 22.3%2000 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 8.0%145th/217 · 2025 | 9.9%135th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 13.4%5th/193 · 2023 | 12.9%7th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 95.8%35th/98 · 2021 | — |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 37.7%98th/150 · 2024 | 13.4%2000 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.733108th/193 · 2023 | 0.615149th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 35.52019 | 40.12013 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 2.1%2019 | 26.1%2013 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 97.2%145th/215 · 2024 | 88.9%164th/215 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 65.9%131st/186 · 2024 | 39.5%158th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 40204th/210 · 2022 | 20210th/210 · 2022 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 2.4156th/208 · 2022 | 5.8135th/208 · 2022 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 29,502150th/161 · 2023 | — |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 0.008th/203 · 2024 | 0.003rd/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 12.2%131st/212 · 2022 | 2.0%179th/212 · 2022 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 4.16th/200 · 2023 | 3.54th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 53.6%46th/214 · 2024 | 92.1%1st/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 6152007 | — |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 45.1134th/205 · 2025 | 50.8113th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 55.274th/207 · 2025 | 61.652nd/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 74.339th/207 · 2025 | 74.636th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 92.23rd/207 · 2025 | 92.23rd/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 42.9156th/205 · 2025 | 42.1161st/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 74.743rd/205 · 2025 | 74.345th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 4.21994 | 0.937th/145 · 2019 |
| Military | ||
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 6.0 m1991 | 7.0 m117th/163 · 2023 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| Scientific articles articles | 1195th/197 · 2023 | 4189th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Micronesia has the larger population: 113,683 (2025) compared with 36,282 for Marshall Islands (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Micronesia is larger: 701 km² (2024) compared with 181 km² for Marshall Islands (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Micronesia has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $523.4 m intl. (2025) compared with $325.2 m intl. for Marshall Islands (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Marshall Islands has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $8,964 intl. (2025) compared with $4,604 intl. for Micronesia (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Micronesia has the higher life expectancy at birth: 67.4 years (2024) compared with 67.1 years for Marshall Islands (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Micronesia: 33.1 points (153rd in the world); Marshall Islands: 21.0 points (187th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Kiribati
Naoero
Palau
Tuvalu
TongaSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Marshall Islands vs Micronesia — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/marshall-islands-vs-micronesia. Data as of 26 October 2026.