Population Characteristics


leading facts and figures from rmi census of population and housing 1999
Population 50,840   Fertility  
Male 26,026   TFR (births per woman 15 - 49 yrs)  
Female 24,814   Total 5.7
Sex Ratio 104.9   Urban 5.5
Population Increase Since 1988     Rural 6.3
Number 7,460   General fertility rate (births per 1000 women 15-49 yrs 173
Percent 17.2   Crude Birth Rate per 1000 popn  
Average Annual Growth Rate (%)     Total 41.8
1988 - 1999 1.5   Urban 42.2
1980 - 1988 4.2   Rural 41.2
Rate of Natural Increase (%)     Mortality  
1988 - 1999 3.69   Life Expectancy at Birth  
Population Density (person per sq.mile)     Both sexes 67.5
Marshall Islands 726   Males 65.7
Majuro 6,314   Females 69.4
DUD Area, Majuro 30,365   Infant Mortality Rate per 1000 live births
Ebeye Island 2,760   Both sexes 37
Urban Population     Males 41.4
Number 33,125   Females 32.4
Percent of Total Population 65   Crude Death Rate 4.9
Rural Population     Labour Force (Number)  
Number 17,715   Total 14,677
Percent of Total Population 34.8   Males 9,679
Child under 5 Years     Females 4,998
Percent of Total Population 15.1   Labour Force Participation Rate (%)  
Population under 15 Years     Total 51
Percent of Total Population 42.9   Males 66.3
Population under 15 - 64 Years Old     Females 35.4
Percent of Total Population 54.8   Unemployment Rate  
Population 65 Years and Older     Total 30.9
Percent of Total Population 2.2   Males 27.6
Age Dependency Ratio     Females 37.3
Total Dependency ratio 82.2   Total Number of Households  
Child Dependency ratio 78.3   Marshall Islands 6,478
Old-age Dependency ratio 3.9   Majuro 3,080
Median Age of Population     Kwajalein 1,213
Total 17.8   Average Household Size  
Males 17.8   Marshall Islands 8.7
Females 17.9   Majuro 8.6
Literacy Rate (%)     Mean age of ever married woman  
Total 97   35 - 39 22.2
Males 96.8   45 - 49 23.3
Females 97.2   Singulate Mean Age at Marriage  
Percent of population > 25 yrs with:     Males 25.5
No education 3   Females 23.2
Grade 1 to 7 11.1      
Grade 12 24.6      
Some College or higher 14.7      
School Age Population Attending School        
% of children (6-13 yrs old) 84.1      
% of children (14-18 yrs old) 69.5      
Internal Migration since 1988 Census        
Total inter-atoll/island migrants 3,951      
In-migrants to Majuro 2,017      
Out Migrants from Majuro 1,021      
In-migrants to Kwajalein 614      
Out-migrants from Kwajalein 604      

Source: Census of Population 1999 - EPPSO.