Marshall Islands population pyramid 2026
35,075 people in 2026 (projected). The Marshall Islands’ pyramid has a gaping hole at ages 25–34, left by emigration to the United States that has cut the population by a third since 2010.
- 2026 population
- 35.1Krank 220 of 237
- Median age
- 20.5 yearsoldest rank 194
- Fertility rate
- 2.77births per woman · above replacement
- Structure
- Youthful5.1% age 65+
Marshall Islands population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
Hover over or tap a bar to see exact values.
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Marshall Islands age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 33.3% of the population, while 5.1% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 61.6% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Marshall Islands’s age structure as youthful; the guide to expansive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 62.3: about 62 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (54.0 children and 8.3 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Marshall Islands’s population pyramid
A population that moves to the United States
Under the Compact of Free Association, in force since 1986, Marshallese citizens can live and work in the United States without a visa, and large communities have formed in Hawaii, Arkansas and elsewhere. The UN estimates net emigration of about 40,000 people between 2000 and 2023, against a peak population of about 52,000 in 2010. In 2026 the net outflow is about 45 per 1,000 residents, a very high rate.
The pyramid shows who leaves. The children aged 0–4 in 2000 numbered about 7,800; the same cohort, aged 25–29 in 2026, numbers about 1,750. The 30–34 band forms a notch about 38% narrower than its neighbours, leaving a wide base, a pinched waist and a smaller bulge at 40–44. With so few people in each band, these shapes are sharper than in larger countries and can shift noticeably between estimates.
High fertility, now falling
Fertility was about eight children per woman in the 1960s and 1970s and has fallen to about 2.8. Births still outnumber deaths by more than two to one, so the decline is driven entirely by emigration. The age structure resembles those of Tonga and Samoa, other Pacific states with large diasporas. Under the UN medium scenario the population falls to about 25,000 by 2050 and then levels off, a projection that depends almost entirely on future migration, as the guide to population projections explains.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30–34 | 1992–1996 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −37% |
| 15–19 | 2007–2011 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +21% |
| 40–44 | 1982–1986 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +14% |
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2089. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2090.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Marshall Islands is projected to record 682 births (about 2 births a day) and 263 deaths, a natural increase of 419. Net migration adds −1,575 people, ranking #237 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 35,364 births, 7,766 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −39,876. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −18,390 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 69.8 years56.6 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 65.2 years49.3 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 13.2 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 21.0per 1,000 births · 91 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 26.4per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 27.1 yearssex ratio at birth 107.0
Women in Marshall Islands are projected to live 4.6 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 91 to 21.0 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #60 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 27.1 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Marshall Islands
The median age of 20.5 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 2.77 births per woman is above the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 67.3 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,075 | #220 | Largest first |
| Median age | 20.5 years | #194 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 2.77 | #60 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -3.3% | #236 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 67.3 years | #199 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 5.1% | #167 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Marshall Islands
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15–19 | 4,633 | 13.2% | 2.5K / 2.2K |
| 2 | 10–14 | 4,251 | 12.1% | 2.2K / 2.1K |
| 3 | 5–9 | 4,023 | 11.5% | 2.1K / 2K |
| 4 | 20–24 | 3,428 | 9.8% | 1.8K / 1.6K |
| 5 | 0–4 | 3,391 | 9.7% | 1.7K / 1.6K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Marshall Islands has 17,913 males and 17,162 females. That is 104.4 males per 100 females, ranking #27 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 51.1% of the population and females for 48.9%. There are 751 more males than females overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 94.9 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 107.0 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Marshall Islands has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 12,996 in 1950 to 35,075 in 2026, a change of 170%. Over the same span, median age moved from 17.2 to 20.5 years.
The under-15 share changed from 45.5% to 33.3%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 5.9% to 5.1%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Marshall Islands’s population is projected to decline by about 28%, reaching 25,195 in 2050. The median age changes from 20.5 to 27.6 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 7.8 percentage points to 12.9%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 28.5%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 52,044 in 2010. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12,996 | 17.2 | 7.76 | 52.6 | 605 | 232 | −244 | +1.1% |
| 1960 | 14,703 | 16.2 | 8.08 | 54.4 | 689 | 237 | +63 | +3.5% |
| 1970 | 22,530 | 16.2 | 8.08 | 58.8 | 1,074 | 256 | +201 | +4.5% |
| 1980 | 30,774 | 13.9 | 7.37 | 61.0 | 1,574 | 287 | −155 | +3.7% |
| 1990 | 44,629 | 13.9 | 5.97 | 61.8 | 1,893 | 337 | −562 | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 50,706 | 17.1 | 4.70 | 63.3 | 1,935 | 342 | −1,110 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 52,044 | 19.6 | 3.67 | 64.5 | 1,610 | 336 | −1,221 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 42,706 | 21.4 | 2.99 | 65.4 | 1,001 | 312 | −2,004 | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 38,827 | 20.7 | 2.92 | 66.9 | 821 | 271 | −1,832 | -3.3% |
| 2024* | 37,548 | 20.5 | 2.86 | 67.1 | 754 | 268 | −1,765 | -3.4% |
| 2026* | 35,075 | 20.5 | 2.77 | 67.3 | 682 | 263 | −1,575 | -3.3% |
| 2030* | 31,186 | 21.3 | 2.60 | 67.8 | 621 | 261 | −1,183 | -2.6% |
| 2040* | 26,597 | 24.3 | 2.31 | 69.1 | 596 | 269 | −553 | -0.8% |
| 2050* | 25,195 | 27.6 | 2.11 | 70.1 | 440 | 271 | −273 | -0.4% |
| 2060* | 24,310 | 28.9 | 1.97 | 71.0 | 371 | 251 | −179 | -0.2% |
| 2070* | 24,327 | 31.8 | 1.89 | 72.1 | 363 | 211 | −116 | +0.2% |
| 2080* | 24,715 | 36.0 | 1.82 | 73.3 | 304 | 213 | −65 | +0.1% |
| 2090* | 24,582 | 39.4 | 1.78 | 74.7 | 272 | 290 | −38 | -0.2% |
| 2100* | 23,805 | 40.4 | 1.75 | 76.0 | 263 | 328 | −20 | -0.4% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 1,746 | 1,645 | 3,391 | 9.7% |
| 5–9 | 2,070 | 1,953 | 4,023 | 11.5% |
| 10–14 | 2,164 | 2,087 | 4,251 | 12.1% |
| 15–19 | 2,454 | 2,179 | 4,633 | 13.2% |
| 20–24 | 1,825 | 1,603 | 3,428 | 9.8% |
| 25–29 | 926 | 822 | 1,748 | 5.0% |
| 30–34 | 526 | 588 | 1,114 | 3.2% |
| 35–39 | 886 | 928 | 1,814 | 5.2% |
| 40–44 | 1,105 | 1,133 | 2,238 | 6.4% |
| 45–49 | 1,046 | 1,073 | 2,119 | 6.0% |
| 50–54 | 919 | 896 | 1,815 | 5.2% |
| 55–59 | 775 | 739 | 1,514 | 4.3% |
| 60–64 | 594 | 597 | 1,191 | 3.4% |
| 65–69 | 406 | 411 | 817 | 2.3% |
| 70–74 | 277 | 276 | 553 | 1.6% |
| 75–79 | 134 | 152 | 286 | 0.8% |
| 80–84 | 50 | 54 | 104 | 0.3% |
| 85–89 | 8 | 23 | 31 | 0.1% |
| 90–94 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0.0% |
| 95–99 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Marshall Islands’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Tonga93% overlap · median age 21.0
- Samoa91% overlap · median age 19.8
- Egypt91% overlap · median age 24.7
- South Sudan90% overlap · median age 19.0
- Jordan90% overlap · median age 24.9
- French Guiana90% overlap · median age 24.9
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Marshall Islands.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Marshall Islands Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/marshall-islands/
MLA
“Marshall Islands Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/marshall-islands/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Marshall Islands Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/marshall-islands/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Marshall Islands in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Marshall Islands's population in 2026 is projected at 35,075.
What is the median age in Marshall Islands?
The projected median age in Marshall Islands in 2026 is 20.5 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Marshall Islands?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 2.77 births per woman, above the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Marshall Islands's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 28%, from 35.1K to 25.2K.
What share of Marshall Islands is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 5.1% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 12.9%.
How many babies are born in Marshall Islands each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 682 births and 263 deaths in 2026, about 2 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 419.
What is life expectancy in Marshall Islands for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 69.8 years for women and 65.2 years for men, a gap of 4.6 years in favour of women.
Does Marshall Islands have more immigrants or emigrants?
Marshall Islands is projected to lose about 1,575 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −39,876.
What is the sex ratio in Marshall Islands?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 104.4 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.