Photo: Matt Kieffer · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 01 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Marshall Islands: Governance & Institutions
How well is the state actually run?
Marshall Islands is placed 167th of 194 countries on governance & institutions in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Government Effectiveness -0.353 (2025); Statistical Performance Indicators 43.54 (2024).
Share
Governance & Institutions
167th
of 194 countries placed
Placed from 2 of 4 key statistics
Not placed in the Country Index 2026 overall: measured on too few topics.
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Marshall Islands on governance & institutions — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
-0.353
Governance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong)
Higher is better
Marshall Islands: -0.353. Across the 209 countries in this edition, values run from -2.251 (South Sudan) to 2.092 (Singapore); the world median is 0.101.
- World median
- 0.101
- Best in Micronesia
- 1.213 Guam
Key 2 of 4
Statistical Performance Indicators
World Bank Group
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
43.54
SPI overall score (0–100)
Higher is better
Marshall Islands: 43.54. Across the 188 countries in this edition, values run from 27.12 (South Sudan) to 94.14 (Norway); the world median is 69.3.
- World median
- 69.3
- Best in Micronesia
- 60.95 Palau
Key 3 of 4
Corruption Perceptions Index
Transparency International
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0 (the data), CC BY-ND 4.0 (the website and report)
No reading
CPI score (0–100, where 100 is very clean)
Higher is better
Transparency International publishes no 2025 figure for Marshall Islands, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 182 countries in this edition, values run from 9 (Somalia) to 89 (Denmark); the world median is 39.
- World median
- 39
Key 4 of 4
Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
No reading
Judicial constraints on the executive index (0–1)
Higher is better
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg publishes no 2025 figure for Marshall Islands, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.003 (Nicaragua) to 0.988 (Australia); the world median is 0.676.
- World median
- 0.676
02Over time
Which way Marshall Islands is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Government Effectiveness
Governance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong) · higher is better
Marshall IslandsWorld median
Marshall Islands rose from -0.649 in 2005 to -0.353 in 2025; the world median went from -0.371 to 0.101.
Every year’s figures
Year Marshall Islands World median 2025 -0.3531 0.1006 2024 -0.3578 0.0098 2023 -0.1974 -0.0408 2022 -0.1975 -0.0305 2021 -0.2500 -0.0158 2020 -0.2509 -0.0171 2019 -0.3695 0.0150 2018 -0.3714 0.0159 2017 -0.3507 0.0158 2016 -0.3502 0.0225 2015 -0.3513 0.0038 2014 -1.1420 0.0194 2013 -1.1615 -0.0758 2012 -1.1932 -0.0839 2011 -1.1934 -0.1221 2010 -0.7546 -0.1145 2009 -0.9465 -0.1609 2008 -0.9324 -0.2134 2007 -1.0295 -0.3260 2006 -0.9082 -0.3310 2005 -0.6486 -0.3706 2004 — -0.3140 2003 — -0.4369 2002 — -0.3366 2000 — -0.3969 Statistical Performance Indicators
SPI overall score (0–100) · higher is better
Marshall IslandsWorld median
Marshall Islands rose from 16.58 in 2016 to 43.54 in 2024; the world median went from 56.25 to 69.3.
Every year’s figures
Year Marshall Islands World median 2024 43.5 69.30 2023 41.0 68.86 2022 40.1 67.99 2021 42.0 69.96 2020 35.5 62.91 2019 21.5 61.19 2018 21.3 61.17 2017 20.9 59.55 2016 16.6 56.25
03In context
Marshall Islands beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 194 countries on governance & institutions, never a place within the region.
Marshall Islands and Micronesia
Marshall Islands has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 194; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Government EffectivenessGovernance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong) | Statistical Performance IndicatorsSPI overall score (0–100) | Corruption Perceptions IndexCPI score (0–100, where 100 is very clean) | Judicial Constraints on the Executive IndexJudicial constraints on the executive index (0–1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Palau | 117th | 0.104 | 60.95 | — | — |
 Nauru | 147th | 0.079 | 47.94 | — | — |
 Kiribati | 157th | -0.365 | 50.04 | — | — |
 Micronesia | 158th | -0.073 | 37.1 | — | — |
| Marshall Islands | 167th | -0.353 | 43.54 | — | — |
 Guam | not placed | 1.213 | — | — | — |
 Northern Mariana Islands | not placed | — | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Micronesia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 194.
Placed either side on governance & institutions
The countries immediately above and below Marshall Islands in the topic’s list.
Iraq164th
Mauritania165th
Cambodia166th- Marshall Islands167th
Iran168th
Madagascar169th
Tajikistan170th
04Context, no vote
Where Marshall Islands is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under governance & institutions, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median6
Statistics on which Marshall Islands does better than the middle country measured.
Civic Space RatingsCIVICUS · 2025 · world median 50.4689.6850.46No earlier reading
Marshall Islands: 89.68 · world median 50.46 · Civic space score (0–100). CIVICUS, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.17 to 100; higher is better.
Position 9th of 198 · derived.
Rule of LawWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.1020.953-0.102▲ Improved since 2015
Marshall Islands: 0.953 · world median -0.102 · Rule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.199 to 2.012; higher is better.
Position 41st of 211 · derived.
Voice and AccountabilityWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.0220.923-0.022No real change since 2015
Marshall Islands: 0.923 · world median -0.022 · Voice and Accountability estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.348 to 1.825; higher is better.
Position 42nd of 206 · derived.
Government Funding per Primary StudentUIS · 2022 · world median 17.8121.7417.81▼ Worsened since 2019
Marshall Islands: 21.74 · world median 17.81 · Government funding per primary student (% of GDP per capita). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 3.771 to 34.57; higher is better.
Position 17th of 68 · derived.
Control of CorruptionWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.1970.355-0.197▼ Worsened since 2015
Marshall Islands: 0.355 · world median -0.197 · Control of Corruption (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.096 to 2.259; higher is better.
Position 76th of 211 · derived.
Climate Readiness (ND-GAIN)Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame · 2024 · world median 0.3870.420.387▲ Improved since 2014
Marshall Islands: 0.42 · world median 0.387 · ND-GAIN Readiness (0–1, where 1 is the most ready). Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.137 to 0.749; higher is better.
Ranked 82nd of 192 by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN), University of Notre Dame.
Behind the world median10
Statistics on which Marshall Islands does worse than the middle country measured.
Old-Age Pension CoverageILO · 2025 · world median 80.862.780.8No earlier reading
Marshall Islands: 62.7 · world median 80.8 · People above statutory pensionable age receiving an old-age pension (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Social Protection CoverageILO · 2025 · world median 52.125.252.1No earlier reading
Marshall Islands: 25.2 · world median 52.1 · Population covered by at least one social protection benefit (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Completeness of Birth RegistrationUNICEF · 2025 · world median 98.483.898.4No earlier reading
Marshall Islands: 83.8 · world median 98.4 · Children under 5 whose birth is registered (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.7 to 100; higher is better.
Regulatory QualityWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.093-0.731-0.093▲ Improved since 2015
Marshall Islands: -0.731 · world median -0.093 · Regulatory Quality (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.106 to 2.113; higher is better.
Position 160th of 209 · derived.
Women, Business and the LawWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 81.2565.6381.25No real change since 2015
Marshall Islands: 65.63 · world median 81.25 · WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 3.125 to 100; higher is better.
Position 150th of 190 · derived.
Country Policy and Institutional AssessmentWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 3.2462.7333.246▲ Improved since 2015
Marshall Islands: 2.733 · world median 3.246 · IDA Resource Allocation Index (1 = low to 6 = high). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.617 to 4.225; higher is better.
Position 66th of 78 · derived.
Global Indicators of Regulatory Governance ScoreWorld Bank Group · 2018 · world median 2.250.52.25No earlier reading
Marshall Islands: 0.5 · world median 2.25 · Regulatory governance score (0–5, where 5 is the most transparent rule-making). World Bank Group, 2018 edition, data for 2018.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 5; higher is better.
Government AI Readiness IndexOxford Insights · 2025 · world median 40.1918.9240.19▼ Worsened since 2023
Marshall Islands: 18.92 · world median 40.19 · AI readiness score (0–100). Oxford Insights, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 12.12 to 88.36; higher is better.
Ranked 177th of 195 by Oxford Insights.
GovTech Maturity IndexWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 0.630.1210.63▲ Improved since 2022
Marshall Islands: 0.121 · world median 0.63 · GTMI score (0–1). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.01 to 0.997; higher is better.
Position 189th of 196 · derived.
Child and Family Benefit CoverageILO · 2024 · world median 23.75023.75No earlier reading
Marshall Islands: 0 · world median 23.75 · Children or households with children receiving child or family cash benefits (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
No better end1
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Public Sector Wage BillWorld Bank Group · 2022 · world median 7.97522.47.975No real change since 2012
Marshall Islands: 22.4 · world median 7.975 · Public sector wage bill (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0.977 to 42.65.
Position 3rd of 168 · derived, counted from the highest value.
No current reading for Marshall Islands
Agriculture Orientation Index (last 2019), Bribery Incidence, Business Ready: Operational Efficiency, Business Ready: Public Services, Business Ready: Regulatory Framework, Central Bank Independence Index, Corruption Perceptions Index, Debt Service on External Debt, Disability Benefit Coverage, Equal Protection Index, External Debt Stocks (% of GNI), Firms Expecting to Make Informal Payments to Public Officials, Foundational ID Ownership, General Government Consumption (last 2024), Government Spending on Education (last 2022), Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index, Labour Inspectors per 10,000 Employed Persons, Liberal Democracy Index, Meritocratic Appointment in the State Administration, Neopatrimonial Rule Index, Open Data Inventory, Political Corruption Index, Public Sector Employment, Rigorous and Impartial Public Administration, Senior Management Time Spent on Government Regulation, State Authority over Territory, State Capacity Index, State Fiscal Source of Revenue, Trade Union Density and V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Governance & Institutions among Marshall Islands’s 8 topics
Governance & Institutions is Marshall Islands’s 7th best-placed topic of 8. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Democracy & Civil Liberties24th of 1982/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge57th of 1982/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality72nd of 1592/3 keys
- Risk & Resilience89th of 1933/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital134th of 1963/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing162nd of 2003/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions167th of 1942/4 keys
- Digital & Technology196th of 1982/4 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Work & Labour, Environment & Sustainability, Gender & Equality, Peace & Security, Mobility & Trade, Food & Agriculture, Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on governance & institutions
The three countries placed highest of 194, and the leaders Marshall Islands can most readily be measured against.
1
DenmarkNorthern Europe
1st of 194 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
New ZealandAustralia and New Zealand
2nd of 194 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Karora derivative work: Inkey · Public domain, greyscale
3
SwedenNorthern Europe
3rd of 194 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Pieter Kuiper · Public domain, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Oceania
New Zealand2nd4/4 keysHighest in Micronesia
Palau117th2/4 keysThis page
Marshall Islands167th2/4 keys
Positions out of 194 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Marshall Islands and governance & institutions
08Questions
Marshall Islands on governance & institutions: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Marshall Islands rank on governance & institutions?
Marshall Islands is placed 167th of 194 countries on Governance & Institutions in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics (Government Effectiveness and Statistical Performance Indicators). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Government Effectiveness figure for Marshall Islands?
-0.353 in 2025 (governance estimate (−2.5 weak to 2.5 strong)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.101.
What is the latest Statistical Performance Indicators figure for Marshall Islands?
43.54 in 2024 (sPI overall score (0–100)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 69.3.
How have Marshall Islands’s governance & institutions figures changed?
Government Effectiveness rose from -0.649 in 2005 to -0.353 in 2025; Statistical Performance Indicators rose from 16.58 in 2016 to 43.54 in 2024.
Which governance & institutions statistics are missing for Marshall Islands?
No current reading is published for Marshall Islands on Agriculture Orientation Index, Bribery Incidence, Business Ready: Operational Efficiency, Business Ready: Public Services, Business Ready: Regulatory Framework, Central Bank Independence Index, Corruption Perceptions Index, Debt Service on External Debt, Disability Benefit Coverage, Equal Protection Index, External Debt Stocks (% of GNI), Firms Expecting to Make Informal Payments to Public Officials, Foundational ID Ownership, General Government Consumption, Government Spending on Education, Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index, Labour Inspectors per 10,000 Employed Persons, Liberal Democracy Index, Meritocratic Appointment in the State Administration, Neopatrimonial Rule Index, Open Data Inventory, Political Corruption Index, Public Sector Employment, Rigorous and Impartial Public Administration, Senior Management Time Spent on Government Regulation, State Authority over Territory, State Capacity Index, State Fiscal Source of Revenue, Trade Union Density and V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Governance is not democracy. Free elections, civil liberties and press freedom belong to the Democracy & Civil Liberties topic, and a country can place well on one and poorly on the other. How openly official data is published sits here as context, beside the statistical capacity that is a key. Nor does this topic measure the size of government or how much it spends — the share of the economy run by the state is published on this page as context, with no better end.
How the Governance & Institutions standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The governance & institutions method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Government Effectiveness — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Statistical Performance Indicators — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Corruption Perceptions Index — Transparency International, CC BY 4.0 (the data), CC BY-ND 4.0 (the website and report)
- Judicial Constraints on the Executive Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 7 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Marshall Islands’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Marshall Islands (banner) — Matt Kieffer, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
- New Zealand — Karora derivative work: Inkey, Public domain
- Sweden — User:Pieter Kuiper, Public domain
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Marshall Islands: Governance & Institutions — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/marshall-islands/governance