If you lived in Nauru instead of Marshall Islands, you would:

Health

see 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Marshall Islands spends $874 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nauru spends $2,474 as of 2023.

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have 2.8 times more doctors per person

Marshall Islands has 4.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2012. Nauru has 12.7 as of 2015.

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live 4.8 years less

In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 70.1% more likely to be obese

In Marshall Islands, 42.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 71.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 72.5% more money

Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in Nauru, the GDP per capita is $14,640 as of 2025.

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Life

be 66.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Marshall Islands, approximately 22.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Nauru, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2024.

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have 22.2% more children

In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nauru, there are 24.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 76.1% more likely to die during childbirth

In Marshall Islands, approximately 155.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Nauru, 273.0 women do as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 25.9% more likely to have internet access

In Marshall Islands, approximately 65.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nauru, about 83.0% do as of 2024.

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be 11.9% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Nauru, 98% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 24.9% less on education

Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Nauru spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 35.8% more on healthcare

Marshall Islands spends 13.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nauru, that number is 18.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 91.9% less coastline

Marshall Islands has a total of 370 km of coastline. In Nauru, that number is 30 km.

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Safety

be 32.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Marshall Islands, road accidents kill 11.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nauru, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 4.2 times more home broadband

Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Nauru has 10.0 as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2012–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Nauru: At a glance

Nauru is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 21 sq km. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
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How big is Nauru compared to Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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