The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Marshall Islands fits inside Micronesia 3.9 times
Marshall Islands: 181 km² (2024) · Micronesia: 701 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Micronesia’s coastline is 17 times as long as the Marshall Islands’
Marshall Islands: 370 km (2026 edition) · Micronesia: 6,112 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Micronesia’s highest peak towers 768 m above the Marshall Islands’
Marshall Islands: 14 m (2026 edition) · Micronesia: 782 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 40% of the Marshall Islands, versus 7.7% of Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 40.2% (2024) · Micronesia: 7.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Micronesia has 3.1 times as many people as the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: 36,282 (2025) · Micronesia: 113,683 (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Marshall Islands is 24% more densely populated than Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 200 per km² (2025) · Micronesia: 162 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Micronesia are 4.3 cm taller than in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: 165.3 cm (2019) · Micronesia: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Micronesia are 4.9 cm taller than in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: 154.8 cm (2019) · Micronesia: 159.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Micronesia is 2.2 years older than in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: 20.7 years (2023) · Micronesia: 22.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Marshall Islands have 0.1 more children on average than in Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 2.86 children per woman (2024) · Micronesia: 2.74 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
6.2% of people in Micronesia are 65 or older, versus 4.9% in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: 4.9% (2025) · Micronesia: 6.2% (2025)
How many official languages?
The Marshall Islands has 2 official languages, Micronesia 1
Marshall Islands: 2 (2026) · Micronesia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Micronesia’s economy is 63% larger than the Marshall Islands’
Marshall Islands: $308 million (2025) · Micronesia: $502 million (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Marshall Islands produces 95% more per person than Micronesia
Marshall Islands: Int$8,964 (2025) · Micronesia: Int$4,604 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Marshall Islands: 35.5 (2019) · Micronesia: no data
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Marshall Islands: 2.1% (2019) · Micronesia: no data
How much does the central government collect in tax?
The Marshall Islands’ central government collects 17% of GDP in tax, Micronesia’s 7.0%
Marshall Islands: 17.2% (2020) · Micronesia: 7% (2020)
How expensive is it?
Micronesia’s price level (US = 100) is 1× the Marshall Islands’
Marshall Islands: 95% (2025) · Micronesia: 96% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Marshall Islands spends 76% more on health per person than Micronesia
Marshall Islands: $894 (2023) · Micronesia: $508 (2023)
How long do people live?
Micronesia and the Marshall Islands are practically level
Marshall Islands: 67.1 years (2024) · Micronesia: 67.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Marshall Islands is 12% more likely to die before turning one than in Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 22.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Micronesia: 20.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Marshall Islands: no data · Micronesia: 1 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is suicide?
Marshall Islands: no data · Micronesia: 14.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
47% of adults in Micronesia are obese, versus 41% in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: 41.2% (2024) · Micronesia: 46.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Marshall Islands: 29.9% (2024) · Micronesia: no data
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Adults in Micronesia drink 11% more alcohol than in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: 0.7 litres (2023) · Micronesia: 0.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The Marshall Islands has 2 times as much meat per person as Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 125.6 kg (2023) · Micronesia: 64 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The Marshall Islands has 688 kcal more food per person per day than Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 3,321 kcal (2023) · Micronesia: 2,633 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Marshall Islands went to school 4.3 years longer than in Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 11.6 years (2023) · Micronesia: 7.3 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Micronesia welcomed 18% more tourists per resident than the Marshall Islands (2019)
Marshall Islands: 0.14 (2019) · Micronesia: 0.16 (2019)
How many World Heritage sites?
The Marshall Islands and Micronesia are practically level
Marshall Islands: 1 (2026) · Micronesia: 1 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The Marshall Islands and Micronesia are practically level
Marshall Islands: 0 (2026 edition) · Micronesia: 0 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
66% of people in the Marshall Islands are online, versus 40% in Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 66% (2024) · Micronesia: 40% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Marshall Islands: no data · Micronesia: 84 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
97% of people in the Marshall Islands have electricity, versus 89% in Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 97.2% (2024) · Micronesia: 88.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in the Marshall Islands live in cities, versus 22% in Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 79% (2025) · Micronesia: 22% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The Marshall Islands has 40 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Micronesia 20
Marshall Islands: 40 (2022) · Micronesia: 20 (2022)
How much do they fly?
Marshall Islands: 0.81 (2023) · Micronesia: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 92% of Micronesia, but only 54% of the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: 53.6% (2024) · Micronesia: 92.1% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the Marshall Islands emits 3.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 4.1 t (2024) · Micronesia: 1.3 t (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the Marshall Islands carries 22% more fine dust than in Micronesia
Marshall Islands: 2.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Micronesia: 2.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Marshall Islands: no data · Micronesia: 0.9 per 100k (2019)
How dangerous are the roads?
Marshall Islands: no data · Micronesia: 53.3 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is the Marshall Islands bigger than Micronesia?
Micronesia is larger. The Marshall Islands fits inside Micronesia 3.9 times.
Which has more people, the Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Micronesia has 3.1 times as many people as the Marshall Islands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Micronesia and the Marshall Islands are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 67.1 years in the Marshall Islands and 67.4 in Micronesia.
Are people taller in the Marshall Islands or Micronesia?
Men in Micronesia are 4.3 cm taller than in the Marshall Islands (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).