Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 13.7 years longer

In Marshall Islands, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 5.2 times more money

Marshall Islands has a GDP per capita of $8,489 as of 2025, while in Virgin Islands, the GDP per capita is $44,321 as of 2022.

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Life

be 66.3% 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 Virgin Islands, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2022.

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have 44.7% fewer children

In Marshall Islands, there are approximately 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 13.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Marshall Islands, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, 99% of people do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 49.2% less coastline

Marshall Islands has a total of 370 km of coastline. In Virgin Islands, that number is 188 km.

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Infrastructure

find 4.3 times more home broadband

Marshall Islands has 2.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Virgin Islands has 10.1 as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Marshall Islands vs. Virgin Islands

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Virgin Islands is 61.6% more expensive than Marshall Islands overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Marshall Islands is about 11 times smaller than Virgin Islands.
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Moving from Marshall Islands to Virgin Islands · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Virgin Islands: At a glance

Virgin Islands (sometimes abbreviated USVI) is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 346 sq km. The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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How big is Virgin Islands compared to Marshall Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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