Rural population growth (annual %) in Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: Rural population growth (annual %) was -5.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Marshall Islands, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population growth in Marshall Islands is -5.2%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 44.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Marshall Islands peaked at 4.3% in 1977 and was at its lowest, -5.2%, in 2025.
That places Marshall Islands 205th out of 210 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth (annual %) in Marshall Islands, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.6% | — |
| 1962 | 1.3% | -16.2% |
| 1963 | 1.1% | -20.8% |
| 1964 | 0.7% | -32.0% |
| 1965 | 0.4% | -46.1% |
| 1966 | -0.1% | -117.9% |
| 1967 | 0.7% | -1139.5% |
| 1968 | 1.9% | +162.3% |
| 1969 | 1.0% | -48.7% |
| 1970 | -1.4% | -244.9% |
| 1971 | -3.5% | +145.6% |
| 1972 | -3.4% | -1.8% |
| 1973 | -1.1% | -68.9% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | -331.1% |
| 1975 | 3.9% | +60.4% |
| 1976 | 4.2% | +7.1% |
| 1977 | 4.3% | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 4.2% | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 3.9% | -6.4% |
| 1980 | 3.7% | -5.2% |
| 1981 | 3.3% | -10.5% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | -25.3% |
| 1983 | 1.6% | -36.1% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | -38.4% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | -27.3% |
| 1986 | 0.7% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | +55.1% |
| 1988 | 1.9% | +65.3% |
| 1989 | 2.2% | +17.2% |
| 1990 | 1.9% | -14.0% |
| 1991 | 1.7% | -9.3% |
| 1992 | 1.5% | -13.3% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | -15.1% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | -14.1% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | -14.7% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | -14.0% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | -15.9% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -22.4% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -12.6% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | -50.2% |
| 2001 | -0.3% | -216.7% |
| 2002 | -0.8% | +192.0% |
| 2003 | -1.2% | +52.3% |
| 2004 | -1.5% | +26.7% |
| 2005 | -1.7% | +14.8% |
| 2006 | -1.8% | +8.8% |
| 2007 | -2.0% | +7.4% |
| 2008 | -2.1% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | -2.0% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | -1.8% | -9.8% |
| 2011 | -1.9% | +7.5% |
| 2012 | -2.5% | +30.6% |
| 2013 | -3.0% | +19.7% |
| 2014 | -3.4% | +10.0% |
| 2015 | -3.6% | +7.5% |
| 2016 | -3.8% | +6.4% |
| 2017 | -4.1% | +6.1% |
| 2018 | -4.2% | +4.5% |
| 2019 | -4.4% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | -4.5% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | -4.7% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | -4.8% | +3.7% |
| 2023 | -4.9% | +1.4% |
| 2024 | -5.1% | +4.1% |
| 2025 | -5.2% | +2.0% |
Marshall Islands compared with similar countries
- Marshall Islands's -5.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is -0.6%, 8.6× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Marshall Islands's -5.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0%. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) in Marshall Islands changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +1139.5% | -0.1% | 0.7% |
| 1974 | +331.1% | -1.1% | 2.4% |
| 1970 | -244.9% | 1.0% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | -216.7% | 0.2% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | -192.0% | -0.3% | -0.8% |
| 1968 | +162.3% | 0.7% | 1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.0% | -0.1% | 1.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.4% | -3.5% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.9% | 0.7% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.4% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.3% | -2.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | -3.3% | -4.4% | -1.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.9% | -5.2% | -4.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Marshall Islands
More agriculture & rural data for Marshall Islands
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1994 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,513 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -5.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2089 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 19.9% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 19.9% (2024)
- Rural population 20.9% (2025)
- Rural population 7,581 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Marshall Islands?
- Rural population growth in Marshall Islands was -5.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Marshall Islands?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 1977.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Marshall Islands?
- The lowest recorded value was -5.2% in 2025.
- How does Marshall Islands rank for rural population growth?
- Marshall Islands ranks 205th out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Marshall Islands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Marshall Islands data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.