Government and power in the Marshall Islands
Who leads the Marshall Islands, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary parliamentary republic.
Who leads the Marshall Islands?
- Head of state: Hilda Heine (President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands)
- Head of government: No Prime Minister
- Foreign minister: Kalani Kaneko (Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of the Marshall Islands)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does the Marshall Islands score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 74.7 out of 100 in 2025, 38th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 75.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Marshall Islands score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 92.2 out of 100 in 2025, 3rd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 81.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 85.7.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Marshall Islands score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 45.1 out of 100 in 2025, 124th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 45.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Marshall Islands score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 42.9 out of 100 in 2025, 144th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 41.4.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Marshall Islands score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 74.3 out of 100 in 2025, 34th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 70.3.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Marshall Islands score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 55.2 out of 100 in 2025, 65th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 64.5.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in the Marshall Islands's parliament?
Women held 12.1% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 157th highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of the Marshall Islands's ministers are women?
Women held 0.0% of ministerial posts in 2025, 185th highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does the government of the Marshall Islands spend?
Central government spending (expense) was 59.4% of GDP in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much tax does the government of the Marshall Islands collect?
Central government tax revenue was 17.2% of GDP in 2020, 59th highest of 136.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are the Marshall Islands's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 43.5 out of 100 in 2024, 172nd highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many births are registered in the Marshall Islands?
83.8% of births of children under 5 were registered with a civil authority (2017).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in the Marshall Islands use the internet?
65.9% of people used the internet in 2024.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in the Marshall Islands
Parliament
- Nitijela (Parliament)Bills, acts, journals and members of the Nitijela.
Courts
- Judiciary of the Marshall IslandsSupreme Court and High Court opinions, court rules and annual reports.
Public audit
- Office of the Auditor-GeneralAudit reports on the national government, state-owned enterprises and compact funding.
Government below the national level
- Local governments (one for each inhabited atoll or island, about 24): Mayor and council elected by residents; many have their own local constitutions
- Council of Iroij (12 members): Paramount chiefs (iroijlaplap) or their representatives from listed districts of the Ralik and Ratak chains
How local power works in the Marshall Islands
Places in the Marshall Islands
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.