Marshall Islands Fertility Rate

The Marshall Islands’ fertility rate has fallen dramatically over the 65‑year span from 8.08 in 1960 to a trough of 2.87 in 2025, the lowest level recorded and the 57th highest globally (World Bank, 2025). The all‑time peak of 8.20 in 1966 marks the high point of a post‑war baby boom that persisted through the 1970s, after which a steady decline set in as education, health services and family‑planning programs expanded. By contrast, peer nations such as Tajikistan (2.97) and Israel (2.80) exhibit similarly low rates, reflecting broader demographic transitions in small island and developing economies. The sharp drop from the 1960s peak to the current trough underscores a shift from high‑fertility, agrarian structures to a more urbanised, service‑oriented society with greater female labour participation. Continued improvements in reproductive health access and sustained economic diversification are likely to keep the fertility rate near its present low, unless policy incentives reverse the long‑term downward trajectory.