Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Northern Mariana Islands instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

live 3.0 years less

In Puerto Rico, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Northern Mariana Islands, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 41.4% less money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $40,620 as of 2025, while in Northern Mariana Islands, the GDP per capita is $23,786 as of 2022.

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Life

have 2.1 times more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Northern Mariana Islands, there are 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Northern Mariana Islands, on the other hand, 12.5 children do as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 71.2% less likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 87.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Northern Mariana Islands, about 25.1% do as of 2021.

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Geography

see 3.0 times more coastline

Puerto Rico has a total of 501 km of coastline. In Northern Mariana Islands, that number is 1,482 km.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Puerto Rico vs. Northern Mariana Islands

Cost of Living Comparison · 6 categories - 2026 data
Northern Mariana Islands is 6.3% cheaper than Puerto Rico overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Puerto Rico is about 20 times bigger than Northern Mariana Islands.
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Moving from Puerto Rico to Northern Mariana Islands · UN DESA 2020
918 people born in Puerto Rico live in Northern Mariana Islands.
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Northern Mariana Islands: At a glance

Northern Mariana Islands (sometimes abbreviated CNMI) is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 464 sq km. Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978.
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How big is Northern Mariana Islands compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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