Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Tuvalu fits inside the Marshall Islands 6 times.
Marshall Islands: 180 km² (2023) · Tuvalu: 30 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The Marshall Islands’ coastline is 15 times as long as Tuvalu’s.
Marshall Islands: 370 km (2026 edition) · Tuvalu: 24 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The Marshall Islands’ highest peak towers 9 m above Tuvalu’s.
Marshall Islands: 14 m (2026 edition) · Tuvalu: 5 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The Marshall Islands has 3.8 times as many people as Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 36,282 (2025) · Tuvalu: 9,492 (2025)
How crowded is it?
Tuvalu is 57% more densely populated than the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 202 per km² (2025) · Tuvalu: 316 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Tuvalu are 6.0 cm taller than in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 165.3 cm (2019) · Tuvalu: 171.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Tuvalu are 8.8 cm taller than in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 154.8 cm (2019) · Tuvalu: 163.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Tuvalu is 3.6 years older than in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 20.7 years (2023) · Tuvalu: 24.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Tuvalu have 0.3 more children on average than in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 2.86 children per woman (2024) · Tuvalu: 3.17 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
7.0% of people in Tuvalu are 65 or older, versus 4.9% in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 4.9% (2025) · Tuvalu: 7% (2025)
How many official languages?
The Marshall Islands and Tuvalu are practically level.
Marshall Islands: 2 (2026) · Tuvalu: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The Marshall Islands’ economy is 5.4 times the size of Tuvalu’s.
Marshall Islands: $308 million (2025) · Tuvalu: $57.3 million (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Marshall Islands produces 33% more per person than Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: Int$8,964 (2025) · Tuvalu: Int$6,759 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Marshall Islands: 35.5 (2019) · Tuvalu: no data
How expensive is it?
The Marshall Islands’ price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Tuvalu’s.
Marshall Islands: 95% (2025) · Tuvalu: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Tuvalu spends 93% more on health per person than the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: $894 (2023) · Tuvalu: $1,724 (2023)
How long do people live?
Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are practically level.
Marshall Islands: 67.1 years (2024) · Tuvalu: 67.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Marshall Islands is 38% more likely to die before turning one than in Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 22.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Tuvalu: 16.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Marshall Islands: no data · Tuvalu: 1.3 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is obesity?
65% of adults in Tuvalu are obese, versus 41% in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 41.2% (2024) · Tuvalu: 64.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
33% of adults in Tuvalu smoke, versus 30% in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 29.9% (2024) · Tuvalu: 33.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Adults in Tuvalu drink 8% more alcohol than in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 0.7 litres (2023) · Tuvalu: 0.8 litres (2017)
How much meat is on the menu?
The Marshall Islands has 48% more meat per person than Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 125.6 kg (2023) · Tuvalu: 85.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The Marshall Islands has 26 kcal more food per person per day than Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 3,321 kcal (2023) · Tuvalu: 3,295 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Marshall Islands went to school 0.87 years longer than in Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 11.6 years (2023) · Tuvalu: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Marshall Islands welcomed 5.7 times as many tourists per resident as Tuvalu (2019).
Marshall Islands: 0.14 (2019) · Tuvalu: 0.02 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
66% of people in the Marshall Islands are online, versus 35% in Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 66% (2024) · Tuvalu: 35% (2017)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Tuvalu have electricity, versus 97% in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 97.2% (2024) · Tuvalu: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in the Marshall Islands live in cities, versus 65% in Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 79% (2025) · Tuvalu: 65% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Tuvalu has 99 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Marshall Islands 40.
Marshall Islands: 40 (2022) · Tuvalu: 99 (2022)
How much do they fly?
Marshall Islands: 0.81 (2023) · Tuvalu: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 52% of the Marshall Islands, but only 33% of Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 52.2% (2023) · Tuvalu: 33.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the Marshall Islands emits 3.5 times as much CO₂ as someone in Tuvalu.
Marshall Islands: 4.1 t (2024) · Tuvalu: 1.2 t (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Tuvalu carries 61% more fine dust than in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 2.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Tuvalu: 4.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Marshall Islands: no data · Tuvalu: 0 per 100k (2019)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Tuvalu are 50% deadlier than in the Marshall Islands.
Marshall Islands: 11.9 per 100k (2021) · Tuvalu: 17.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
Quick answers
Is the Marshall Islands bigger than Tuvalu?
The Marshall Islands is larger. Tuvalu fits inside the Marshall Islands 6 times.
Which has more people, the Marshall Islands or Tuvalu?
The Marshall Islands has 3.8 times as many people as Tuvalu (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Marshall Islands or Tuvalu?
Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 67.1 years in the Marshall Islands and 67.3 in Tuvalu.
Are people taller in the Marshall Islands or Tuvalu?
Men in Tuvalu are 6.0 cm taller than in the Marshall Islands (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).