East Asia & Pacific · Upper middle income
Marshall Islands: the economy in numbers
Per person: $8,489, or $8,964 at purchasing power parity. Population: 36,282 (2025).
$308M+2.3%real GDP growth, 2025
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #202 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +3.0%.
GDP per capita
$8,489
2025 · #105 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$8,964
2025 · #144 of 197
Inflation
4.1%
2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 8.6%
Government debt
8.8%
2025 · % of GDP, general government
Population
36.3K
2025 · #212 of 217
Life expectancy
67.1 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $69.8 million in 1970, $308 million in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $3,097 per person in 1970, $8,489 in 2025.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 2.0% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1971: 16 of 55.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Highest annual inflation: 17.7% in 2008.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1997: 46.8% of GDP in 2004. IMF forecast for 2031: 14.2%.
General government (IMF)Central government only (World Bank)
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Population
1960: 14,703 · 2025: 36,282.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 54.4 years · 2024: 67.1 years.
Exports of goods and services
1995: 22.3% · 2025: 36.0%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 1.6%f | 2.4%f | 14.2%f | ||||||
| 2030 | 1.7%f | 2.4%f | 11.1%f | ||||||
| 2029 | 1.8%f | 2.7%f | 11.5%f | ||||||
| 2028 | 1.9%f | 3.2%f | 12.0%f | ||||||
| 2027 | 2.2%f | 5.8%f | 12.6%f | ||||||
| 2026 | 3.0%f | 8.6%f | 13.9%f | ||||||
| 2025 | $308M | $8,489 | $8,964 | 2.3% | 4.1% | 8.8% | 36.3K | 36.0% | |
| 2024 | $285M | $7,590 | $8,238 | 3.3% | 6.2% | 14.3% | 37.5K | 67.1 | 37.2% |
| 2023 | $264M | $6,799 | $7,525 | −5.4% | 7.5% | 17.2% | 38.8K | 66.9 | 38.3% |
| 2022 | $259M | $6,456 | $7,431 | −0.7% | 3.8% | 19.6% | 40.1K | 66.7 | 40.0% |
| 2021 | $261M | $6,315 | $6,769 | 2.2% | 2.3% | 19.9% | 41.4K | 65.4 | 46.0% |
| 2020 | $242M | $5,662 | $6,138 | −2.8% | 0.1% | 21.7% | 42.7K | 65.4 | 35.5% |
| 2019 | $233M | $5,292 | $6,045 | 10.5% | −0.7% | 25.1% | 44K | 66.0 | 37.1% |
| 2018 | $220M | $4,858 | $5,232 | 5.5% | 0.7% | 24.7% | 45.3K | 65.9 | 39.7% |
| 2017 | $214M | $4,593 | $4,719 | 3.6% | 0.5% | 26.5% | 46.5K | 65.7 | 39.1% |
| 2016 | $202M | $4,230 | $4,366 | 2.5% | −0.7% | 29.2% | 47.7K | 65.5 | 36.5% |
| 2015 | $184M | $3,764 | $4,125 | 1.9% | −3.5% | 33.9% | 48.8K | 65.3 | 44.2% |
| 2014 | $186M | $3,735 | $3,931 | −1.3% | 1.2% | 34.9% | 49.8K | 65.1 | 49.6% |
| 2013 | $186M | $3,678 | $3,845 | 3.8% | 1.3% | 33.4% | 50.7K | 65.0 | 51.1% |
| 2012 | $181M | $3,514 | $3,590 | −1.3% | 3.5% | 37.6% | 51.4K | 64.8 | 54.8% |
| 2011 | $172M | $3,319 | $3,537 | −0.5% | 5.6% | 35.9% | 51.9K | 64.6 | 51.3% |
| 2010 | $161M | $3,095 | $3,473 | 5.5% | 4.7% | 38.8% | 52K | 64.5 | 36.1% |
| 2009 | $151M | $2,907 | $3,253 | 3.7% | −4.6% | 41.2% | 52K | 64.4 | 27.9% |
| 2008 | $147M | $2,818 | $3,118 | −7.6% | 17.7% | 44.1% | 52K | 64.3 | 29.4% |
| 2007 | $150M | $2,892 | $3,309 | 3.7% | 3.1% | 42.2% | 52K | 64.3 | 26.1% |
| 2006 | $143M | $2,754 | $3,110 | 0.2% | 4.3% | 44.4% | 52K | 64.2 | 25.2% |
| 2005 | $138M | $2,659 | $3,017 | 1.8% | 4.4% | 45.8% | 51.9K | 64.1 | 32.7% |
| 2004 | $133M | $2,566 | $2,880 | −0.4% | 2.2% | 46.8% | 51.8K | 64.0 | 30.3% |
| 2003 | $131M | $2,539 | $2,824 | −1.6% | 43.7% | 51.6K | 64.0 | 30.2% | |
| 2002 | $132M | $2,566 | $2,825 | 3.6% | 37.2% | 51.4K | 63.8 | 27.3% | |
| 2001 | $122M | $2,394 | $2,700 | 6.9% | 32.7% | 51.1K | 63.7 | 25.4% | |
| 2000 | $115M | $2,265 | $2,490 | 2.5% | 27.3% | 50.7K | 63.3 | 28.8% | |
| 1999 | $113M | $2,258 | $2,400 | −1.3% | 26.1% | 50.2K | 63.4 | 22.3% | |
| 1998 | $112M | $2,254 | $2,422 | −0.7% | 18.1% | 49.7K | 63.2 | 24.8% | |
| 1997 | $110M | $2,231 | $2,434 | −6.4% | 8.7% | 49.3K | 63.0 | 25.9% | |
| 1996 | $111M | $2,273 | $2,583 | −10.3% | 48.8K | 62.8 | 23.3% | ||
| 1995 | $120M | $2,491 | $2,858 | 8.2% | 48.3K | 62.5 | 22.3% | ||
| 1994 | $108M | $2,265 | $2,617 | 5.9% | 47.7K | 62.3 | |||
| 1993 | $99.5M | $2,112 | $2,452 | 6.0% | 47.1K | 62.1 | |||
| 1992 | $91.1M | $1,963 | $2,293 | 7.1% | 46.4K | 61.9 | |||
| 1991 | $82.5M | $1,811 | $2,131 | 0.1% | 45.6K | 61.8 | |||
| 1990 | $78.5M | $1,758 | $2,102 | 2.7% | 44.6K | 61.8 | |||
| 1989 | $72.8M | $1,670 | −1.7% | 43.6K | 61.7 | ||||
| 1988 | $70.7M | $1,670 | 7.8% | 42.3K | 61.8 | ||||
| 1987 | $63M | $1,543 | 9.4% | 40.8K | 61.8 | ||||
| 1986 | $56M | $1,425 | 24.5% | 39.3K | 61.8 | ||||
| 1985 | $43.9M | $1,162 | −6.3% | 37.8K | 61.7 | ||||
| 1984 | $45.1M | $1,245 | 3.9% | 36.3K | 61.6 | ||||
| 1983 | $41.7M | $1,199 | 15.5% | 34.8K | 61.5 | ||||
| 1982 | $34.9M | $1,046 | 4.8% | 33.4K | 61.3 | ||||
| 1981 | $31M | $969 | 6.4% | 32K | 61.1 | ||||
| 1980 | $26.7M | $868 | −7.2% | 30.8K | 61.0 | ||||
| 1979 | $25.5M | $859 | 2.1% | 29.7K | 60.8 | ||||
| 1978 | $22.2M | $771 | 5.6% | 28.8K | 60.7 | ||||
| 1977 | $20.2M | $724 | 2.4% | 27.9K | 60.6 | ||||
| 1976 | $18.2M | $672 | 0.4% | 27K | 60.4 | ||||
| 1975 | $16.7M | $638 | 0.1% | 26.2K | 60.3 | ||||
| 1974 | $15.2M | $602 | 15.3% | 25.3K | 60.1 | ||||
| 1973 | $11.6M | $472 | 33.9% | 24.6K | 59.8 | ||||
| 1972 | $9.97M | $416 | 1.1% | 24K | 59.5 | ||||
| 1971 | $9.12M | $390 | 2.3% | 23.4K | 59.1 | ||||
| 1970 | $8.41M | $373 | 22.5K | 58.8 | |||||
| 1969 | 21.3K | 58.5 | |||||||
| 1968 | 19.9K | 58.2 | |||||||
| 1967 | 18.7K | 57.8 | |||||||
| 1966 | 17.9K | 57.3 | |||||||
| 1965 | 17.4K | 56.8 | |||||||
| 1964 | 16.9K | 56.3 | |||||||
| 1963 | 16.3K | 55.7 | |||||||
| 1962 | 15.8K | 55.2 | |||||||
| 1961 | 15.2K | 54.7 | |||||||
| 1960 | 14.7K | 54.4 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Inflation: IMF data.
Nearby economies in East Asia & Pacific
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
American Samoa · Australia · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Fiji · French Polynesia · Guam · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Japan · Kiribati · Laos · Macao · Malaysia · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · North Korea · Northern Mariana Islands · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Korea · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Vietnam
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
- Fiscal year: the IMF reports this economy by fiscal year (latest actual: FY2024/25), so IMF numbers can differ from calendar-year World Bank figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)