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Sub-region of Oceania · Country Index 2026
Micronesia
How are the countries of Micronesia doing?
None of Micronesia’s 7 countries and territories holds standings on enough topics to be placed in the Country Index 2026. Their statistics are below, and the region is compared topic by topic wherever two or more of them hold a standing.
MicronesiaUN M49 057
No country in Micronesia holds standings on enough topics to be placed, so the region has no median this edition.
01Who is in it
The countries of Micronesia
Alphabetical, with each country’s own banner photograph. The position is its place in the whole world ranking, never within the region.
Photo: David Burdick · Public domain, greyscale
- Capital
- Hagåtña
- People, 2023
- 166,506
- Land, 2024
- 541 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 2 of 16 topics
Placed highest on Work & Labour, joint 56th of 182
Photo: Photo taken by Government of Kiribati employee in the course of their work · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
- Capital
- South Tarawa
- People, 2023
- 132,530
- Land, 2024
- 811 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 11 of 16 topics
Placed highest on Poverty & Inequality, 12th of 159
Photo: Matt Kieffer · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Majuro
- People, 2023
- 38,827
- Land, 2024
- 181 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 8 of 16 topics
Placed highest on Democracy & Civil Liberties, 23rd of 198
Photo: User:Crescentmoon56 · CC0, greyscale
- Capital
- Palikir
- People, 2023
- 112,630
- Land, 2024
- 701 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 7 of 16 topics
Placed highest on Democracy & Civil Liberties, 19th of 198
Photo: Hadi Zaher · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Yaren District
- People, 2023
- 11,875
- Land, 2024
- 21 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 8 of 16 topics
Placed highest on Risk & Resilience, 38th of 192
Photo: P. Miller, (Pdmiller) · CC0, greyscale
- Capital
- Saipan
- People, 2023
- 45,143
- Land, 2024
- 457 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 0 of 16 topics
Photo: Lukas from Munich, Germany derivative work: Inkey · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- People, 2023
- 17,727
- Land, 2024
- 460 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 7 of 16 topics
Placed highest on Democracy & Civil Liberties, 13th of 198
02The region
About Micronesia
The small island states of the north-western Pacific.
Micronesia is a scatter of small islands and atolls in the western Pacific, most of them north of the equator: Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Kiribati, with the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Many of its islands are low coral atolls only a few metres above the sea.
Its islands were settled by seafarers thousands of years ago and were later ruled in turn by Spain, Germany and Japan, and after the Second World War by the United States, Australia or Britain. Most of its states became independent between the 1960s and the 1990s, several of them in free association with the United States. Its low-lying atolls are among the places most exposed to rising seas.
03Where
Micronesia on the map
Each member shaded by its position in the Country Index 2026, darkest for the best placed; the countries across its land borders in grey. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its profile.
Beyond this frame, across the date line: Kiribati.
Country Index position: 1st178thMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks
04Country Index 2026
No country in Micronesia is placed
Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 178, never a second list within the region; “=” marks a position shared with another country. Hover the ⓘ for where a country would sit if any one key statistic were dropped.
None of its countries and territories are not placed: the Country Index 2026 places a country only once it holds a standing on 12 of its 16 voting topics. Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands and Palau.
Micronesia among the 21 sub-regions with a median
Micronesia is on no ladder: none of its countries is placed.
- 1Northern Europe6th10 of 13Placed countries run from Denmark 2nd to Latvia 25th.
- 2Western Europe10th7 of 9Placed countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 19th.
- 3Australia and New Zealand17th2 of 2Placed countries run from New Zealand 17th to Australia 24th.
- 3Northern America17th2 of 4Placed countries run from Canada 17th to United States 37th.
- 5Eastern Asia23rd4 of 8Placed countries run from South Korea 14th to Mongolia 73rd.
- 6Southern Europe32nd12 of 17Placed countries run from Slovenia 12th to Bosnia and Herzegovina 63rd.
- 7Eastern Europe39th10 of 10Placed countries run from Czechia 11th to Russia 68th.
- 8Polynesia70th2 of 7Placed countries run from Samoa 70th to Tonga 85th.
- 9South America74th12 of 12Placed countries run from Uruguay 34th to Venezuela 137th.
- 10Caribbean78th10 of 24Placed countries run from Barbados 63rd to Haiti 169th.
- 11Central America81st8 of 8Placed countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 134th.
- 12Western Asia93rd17 of 19Placed countries run from Cyprus 35th to Yemen 176th.
- 13South-eastern Asia95th11 of 11Placed countries run from Singapore 26th to Myanmar 153rd.
- 14Central Asia100th5 of 5Placed countries run from Kazakhstan 60th to Turkmenistan 148th.
- 14Southern Asia100th9 of 9Placed countries run from Bhutan 44th to Afghanistan 172nd.
- 16Melanesia106th4 of 5Placed countries run from Fiji 62nd to Papua New Guinea 138th.
- 17Southern Africa116th5 of 5Placed countries run from South Africa 102nd to Eswatini 140th.
- 18Northern Africa127th6 of 6Placed countries run from Tunisia 107th to Libya 174th.
- 19Eastern Africa143rd17 of 19Placed countries run from Mauritius 46th to Somalia 177th.
- 20Western Africa144th16 of 16Placed countries run from Cabo Verde 74th to Guinea-Bissau 168th.
- 21Middle Africa161st9 of 9Placed countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 104th to Chad 175th.
- Micronesia—none placed
- Oceania, the whole continent70th
- The world’s midpoint88th
1st178thmedianplaced
The square is each region’s median position; the grey bar runs from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country. Hover a row for their names.
05By subject
Topic by topic
Every country’s position on each topic, its shade darker the higher it sits in that topic’s field; select a cell for the country’s page on the topic. Strongest for Micronesia: Democracy & Civil Liberties, 4th of 22 sub-regions. Weakest: Digital & Technology, 22nd of 22.
| Democracy & Civil Liberties | Risk & Resilience | Education & Knowledge | Poverty & Inequality | Energy | Health & Wellbeing | Development & Human Capital | Governance & Institutions | Digital & Technology | Economy & Innovation | Work & Labour | Environment & Sustainability | Gender & Equality | Peace & Security | Mobility & Trade | Food & Agriculture | Money & Public Finance | People & Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Guam | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | 156 of 193 | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | 56 of 182 | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing |
 Kiribati | 16 of 198 | 108 of 192 | 108 of 171 | 12 of 159 | 106 of 193 | 142 of 200 | 139 of 196 | 157 of 194 | 175 of 198 | 162 of 176 | No standing | No standing | 47 of 183 | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing |
 Marshall Islands | 23 of 198 | 91 of 192 | 74 of 171 | 69 of 159 | No standing | 160 of 200 | 134 of 196 | 167 of 194 | 191 of 198 | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing |
 Micronesia | 19 of 198 | 124 of 192 | No standing | 134 of 159 | No standing | 149 of 200 | 147 of 196 | 158 of 194 | 190 of 198 | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing |
 Nauru | 78 of 198 | 38 of 192 | 86 of 171 | No standing | 119 of 193 | 126 of 200 | 125 of 196 | 147 of 194 | 174 of 198 | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing |
 Northern Mariana Islands | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing |
 Palau | 13 of 198 | 48 of 192 | 28 of 171 | No standing | No standing | 139 of 200 | 81 of 196 | 117 of 194 | 181 of 198 | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing | No standing |
| Region median | 19th of 198 | 91st of 192 | 74th of 171 | 69th of 159 | 119th of 193 | 142nd of 200 | 134th of 196 | 157th of 194 | 181st of 198 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Among sub-regions | 4th of 22 | 11th of 22 | 12th of 21 | 13th of 21 | 18th of 22 | 18th of 22 | 19th of 22 | 21st of 22 | 22nd of 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Columns run from the topic where Micronesia places best among sub-regions to the one where it places lowest. A region’s median on a topic needs at least two members with a standing; a hatched cell has no standing.
06In numbers
Micronesia in 6 numbers
Each line is every country in the world at its published value; Micronesia’s countries are the red ticks, and the dashed line is the world median. There is no regional average: a region has countries, not a life expectancy of its own.
GDP per person
international $, PPP · log scale
World Bank Group · 2025 · 185 countries · higher is better
No reading: Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
Human development
HDI, 0–1
UNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · 193 countries · higher is better
No reading: Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
Unemployment
% of the labour force
ILO · 2025 · 182 countries · lower is better
No reading: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau
Every value for Micronesia’s countries
| Country | Population 2023 | Land area 2024 | GDP per person 2025 | Life expectancy 2023 | Human development 2023 | Unemployment 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guam | 166,506rank 186 | 541rank 187 | — | 77.21rank 82 | — | 5.569rank 79 |
| Kiribati | 132,530rank 187 | 811rank 179 | 3,364rank 164 | 66.47rank 184 | 0.644rank 140 | — |
| Marshall Islands | 38,827rank 211 | 181rank 206 | 7,660rank 133 | 66.95rank 181 | 0.733rank 108 | — |
| Micronesia | 112,630rank 190 | 701rank 184 | 3,935rank 157 | 67.2rank 178 | 0.615rank 149 | — |
| Nauru | 11,875rank 218 | 21rank 218 | 12,135rank 114 | 62.11rank 208 | 0.703rank 124 | — |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 45,143rank 206 | 457rank 190 | — | 78.81rank 59 | — | — |
| Palau | 17,727rank 215 | 460rank 189 | 19,699rank 83 | 69.27rank 162 | 0.786rank 84 | — |
07In records
Micronesia in records
The member at the extreme of each statistic, read from its newest edition. Where two members share the top, no record is named.
Most populous
166,506
people
Largest by land area
811
square kilometres
Highest GDP per person
19,699
international $ at purchasing power parity
Longest life expectancy
78.81
years at birth
Highest human development
0.786
on the Human Development Index, 0–1
Lowest unemployment
5.569
% of the labour force
08Latest editions
Who rose and fell in the published ranks
The moves of Micronesia’s countries between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.
Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.
Improved most
rank before → after- Marshall Islands110 → 108+2
- Nauru125 → 124+1
Declined most
rank before → after- Palau81 → 84−3
- Micronesia147 → 149−2
Ranks as published by Oxford Insights in the Government AI Readiness Index: the 2024 edition (188 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (195 ranked).
Improved most
rank before → afterNo country moved this way.
Declined most
rank before → after- Marshall Islands123 → 177−54
- Kiribati142 → 150−8
09Keep reading
Explore further
The rest of Oceania
Australia and New Zealand
Countries: Australia, New Zealand.17th
median of 178 · 2 of 2 placed
New Zealand 17th → Australia 24th
Melanesia
Countries: Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.106th
median of 178 · 4 of 5 placed
Fiji 62nd → Papua New Guinea 138th
Polynesia
Countries: American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu.70th
median of 178 · 2 of 7 placed
Samoa 70th → Tonga 85th
10Method
Questions, method and sources
Which countries are in Micronesia?
7 countries and territories: Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands and Palau. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification. The region shares its name with one of its members, the Federated States of Micronesia, which this site lists as Micronesia.
Why does Micronesia have no position in the Country Index?
None of its 7 countries and territories holds standings on enough topics to be placed in the Country Index 2026, so there is no median to give. Its countries still appear with every reading the publishers give, and the region is compared topic by topic where at least two members hold a standing.
How many people live in Micronesia?
525,238 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for its 7 countries and territories.
What is the largest country in Micronesia?
By land area, Kiribati: 811 square kilometres (2024). By population, Guam: 166,506 people (2023).
How a region’s figure is made
- Membership. Countries belong to regions by the United Nations’ M49 classification; each country declares its sub-region, and a continent is the sum of its sub-regions.
- Positions. Each country’s position is its Country Index 2026 result, unchanged. This page slices the world ranking by place; it does not re-rank anyone.
- The median. A region’s figure is the median of its placed countries’ positions: half sit at or above it, half below. With an even number of placed countries it takes the better of the two middle positions, since there is no country at a half place. Countries the index does not place are named, never counted in.
- A place among peers. Continents are compared with continents and sub-regions with sub-regions, never a part with the whole that contains it; regions sharing a median share a place. Nothing is weighted by population or size, and population and land area are the only figures ever added up.
Where the regions come from
United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). M49’s middle level (Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean) is left out, so every sub-region sits directly under its continent. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus and Somaliland are not in M49 and are placed by geography.
Where the positions come from
Every position is a country’s result in the Country Index 2026 or one of its topics, unchanged. The population and land-area figures are the UN DESA Population Division’s and the FAO’s, added up and shown with their year; every other statistic names its publisher beside its numbers.
Photographs
Each country’s own banner from its profile: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Guam — David Burdick, Public domain
- Kiribati — Photo taken by Government of Kiribati employee in the course of their work, CC BY 3.0
- Marshall Islands — Matt Kieffer, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Micronesia — User:Crescentmoon56, CC0
- Nauru — Hadi Zaher, CC BY 2.0
- Northern Mariana Islands — P. Miller, (Pdmiller), CC0
- Palau — Lukas from Munich, Germany derivative work: Inkey, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Micronesia: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/micronesia