Demographics of the Marshall Islands

The people of the Marshall Islands are of Micronesian origin, which is traced to a combination of peoples who emigrated from Southeast Asia in the remote past. The matrilineal Marshallese culture revolves around a complex system of clans and lineages tied to land ownership.

Virtually all Marshallese are Christian, most of them Protestant. Other Christian denominations include Roman Catholicism, Seventh-day Adventistism, Mormon, Salvation Army, and Jehovah's Witness. A small Bahá'í community also exists.

Both Marshallese and English are official languages. English is spoken by most of the urban population. However, both the Nitijela (parliament) and national radio use Marshallese.

The public school system provides education through grade 12, although admission to secondary school is selective. The elementary program employs a bilingual/bicultural curriculum. English is introduced in the fourth grade. There is one post-secondary institution in the Marshall Islands -- the College of the Marshall Islands.

Population: 68,126 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 50% (male 17,204; female 16,521)
15-64 years: 48% (male 16,826; female 16,111)
65 years and over: 2% (male 693; female 771) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.88% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 45.17 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 40.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.5 years
male: 63.72 years
female: 67.36 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.61 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Marshallese (singular and plural)
adjective: Marshallese

Ethnic groups: Micronesian

Religions: Christian (mostly Protestant)

Languages: English (universally spoken and is the official language), two major Marshallese dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family, Japanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 100%
female: 88% (1980 est.)

See also : Marshall Islands


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