Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of Somalia, you would:

Health

live 18.9 years longer

In Somalia, the average life expectancy is 56 years (53 years for men, 58 years for women) as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 6.4 times more likely to be obese

In Somalia, 8.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Marshall Islands, that number is 52.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.3 times more money

Somalia has a GDP per capita of $1,400 as of 2022, while in Marshall Islands, the GDP per capita is $6,000 as of 2022.

be 86.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Somalia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, however, that number is 7.2% as of 2019.

be 86.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Somalia, 19.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, that number is 36.0% as of 2006.

Life

be 75.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Somalia, approximately 86.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, on the other hand, 21.7 children do as of 2022.

have 43.3% fewer children

In Somalia, there are approximately 37.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, there are 21.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.0 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Somalia, approximately 49% of people have electricity access (71% in urban areas, and 31% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, that number is 100% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 2.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Somalia, approximately 14.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, about 38.7% do as of 2021.

be 18.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Somalia, approximately 84% of people have improved drinking water access (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Marshall Islands, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 45.3 times more on education

Somalia spends 0.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Marshall Islands spends 13.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 87.8% less coastline

Somalia has a total of 3,025 km of coastline. In Marshall Islands, that number is 370 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Marshall Islands: At a glance

Marshall Islands (sometimes abbreviated RMI) is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 181 sq km. After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.
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How big is Marshall Islands compared to Somalia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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