Population growth in Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: Population growth was -3.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Marshall Islands, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Marshall Islands stood at -3.4%. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 69.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Marshall Islands peaked at 7.0% in 1969 and was at its lowest, -3.4%, in 2025.
Marshall Islands ranks 217th of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Marshall Islands, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.4% | — |
| 1962 | 3.5% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 3.4% | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 3.3% | -2.8% |
| 1965 | 3.2% | -3.2% |
| 1966 | 3.0% | -7.5% |
| 1967 | 4.0% | +33.9% |
| 1968 | 6.3% | +57.5% |
| 1969 | 7.0% | +11.9% |
| 1970 | 5.6% | -20.3% |
| 1971 | 3.6% | -34.8% |
| 1972 | 2.6% | -27.4% |
| 1973 | 2.4% | -8.3% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | +18.2% |
| 1975 | 3.3% | +16.3% |
| 1976 | 3.3% | -2.2% |
| 1977 | 3.2% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 3.2% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 3.2% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 3.4% | +7.9% |
| 1981 | 4.0% | +15.6% |
| 1982 | 4.2% | +6.6% |
| 1983 | 4.1% | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 4.1% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 4.0% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 4.0% | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 3.8% | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 3.6% | -6.7% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | -18.0% |
| 1990 | 2.4% | -19.7% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | -12.0% |
| 1992 | 1.8% | -14.3% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | -15.4% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | -13.4% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | -11.6% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | -9.1% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -5.9% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | -6.3% |
| 1999 | 1.0% | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | -18.0% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | -28.1% |
| 2003 | 0.4% | -29.5% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | -29.2% |
| 2005 | 0.2% | -24.5% |
| 2006 | 0.2% | -25.4% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -50.1% |
| 2008 | -0.0% | -111.6% |
| 2009 | -0.0% | +120.0% |
| 2010 | 0.0% | -327.2% |
| 2011 | -0.3% | -648.6% |
| 2012 | -0.9% | +258.4% |
| 2013 | -1.4% | +53.0% |
| 2014 | -1.8% | +21.9% |
| 2015 | -2.0% | +14.7% |
| 2016 | -2.3% | +11.9% |
| 2017 | -2.5% | +10.8% |
| 2018 | -2.7% | +8.2% |
| 2019 | -2.9% | +5.6% |
| 2020 | -3.0% | +4.8% |
| 2021 | -3.2% | +6.2% |
| 2022 | -3.2% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | -3.2% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | -3.3% | +5.7% |
| 2025 | -3.4% | +2.4% |
Marshall Islands compared with similar countries
- Marshall Islands's -3.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5%. (59 countries reporting)
- Marshall Islands's -3.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.6%. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Marshall Islands changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | -648.6% | 0.0% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | +327.2% | -0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2012 | -258.4% | -0.3% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | -120.0% | -0.0% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -111.6% | 0.1% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.1% | 3.0% | 7.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.3% | 2.4% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.8% | 2.9% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.4% | 0.9% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | -0.0% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.7% | -2.9% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -3.2% | -3.4% | -3.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Marshall Islands
- 214 Tuvalu -1.6% compare
- 215 Northern Mariana Islands -1.7% compare
- 216 Moldova -1.8% compare
- 218 Saint Martin (French Part) -4.7% compare
More climate change data for Marshall Islands
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 0 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 0 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions 0 kt (2050)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Direct emissions 0 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that) 0 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that leaches) 0 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 0 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Marshall Islands?
- Population growth in Marshall Islands was -3.4% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Marshall Islands?
- The highest recorded value was 7.0% in 1969.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Marshall Islands?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.4% in 2025.
- How does Marshall Islands rank for population growth?
- Marshall Islands ranks 217th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Marshall Islands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Marshall Islands data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.