Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of United States, you would:
Health
live 11.8 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
see 93.5% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Marshall Islands spends $874 as of 2023.
have 31.4% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Marshall Islands scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
make 90.6% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Marshall Islands, the GDP per capita is $8,489 as of 2025.
Life
have 89.5% more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, there are 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Marshall Islands, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 4.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, on the other hand, 22.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 30.4% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, about 65.9% do as of 2024.
be 12.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In United States, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 87% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.7% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Marshall Islands, that number is 13.4% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 42.1% more on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 98.1% less coastline
United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Marshall Islands, that number is 370 km.
Safety
be 16.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 94.0% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Marshall Islands has 2.4 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: At a glance
How big is Marshall Islands compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.