Northern Mariana Islands Population
Northern Mariana Islands had an estimated population of 43,541 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 207th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.00% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −1.68% a year.
Northern Mariana Islands at a glance
How Northern Mariana Islands's population is changing
Northern Mariana Islands's population is shrinking: −1.68% a year, which works out to about −731 people per year, or −2 a day. Births (12.1 per 1,000) and deaths (5.0 per 1,000) alone would give +0.71% a year; net migration removes about 963 people a year (−2.21%). Roughly one in every 188,683 people on Earth lives in Northern Mariana Islands.
Population of Northern Mariana Islands since 1960
In 1960, Northern Mariana Islands had 8,736 people. By 2025 that was 43,541 — 5.0× larger. The population peaked in 2000 at 68,356 and has declined since. The fastest growth came between 1979 and 1989, when the population rose by 151%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 8,736 | — |
| 1970 | 10,170 | +16.4% |
| 1980 | 17,625 | +73.3% |
| 1990 | 43,342 | +145.9% |
| 2000 | 68,356 | +57.7% |
| 2010 | 54,091 | −20.9% |
| 2020 | 47,528 | −12.1% |
| 2025 | 43,541 | −8.4% |
Northern Mariana Islands from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Northern Mariana Islands at about 3,360 people in 1800; the UN estimates 43,564 in 2025 (13× 1800) and projects 41,633 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2000 at 68,374 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 3,360 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 7,131 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 68,374 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 43,564 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 42,785 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 41,443 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 41,633 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Northern Mariana Islands
2 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 43,541. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saipan | 48,220 | GeoNames settlement | 110.75% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 2 | San Jose Village | 15,000 | GeoNames settlement | 34.45% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Northern Mariana Islands compares
Northern Mariana Islands has almost the same population as Sint Maarten (43,923).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Northern Mariana Islands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #205 |  American Samoa | 46,029 | +6% | compare → |
| #206 |  Sint Maarten | 43,923 | +1% | compare → |
| #208 |  Liechtenstein | 41,024 | −6% | compare → |
| #209 |  Gibraltar | 40,126 | −8% | compare → |
Compare Northern Mariana Islands with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand.
Explore around Northern Mariana Islands
Nearest countries
Northern Mariana Islands has no land border. Closest by distance:
Guam 168,999 · 3.9× the population · compare
Palau 17,663 · 2.5× smaller · compare
Micronesia 113,683 · 2.6× the population · compare
Japan 123,366,734 · 2833.3× the population · compare
In its region
Northern Mariana Islands is the 33rd most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 0.0% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings featuring Northern Mariana Islands
Cities
Saipan, San Jose Village — all Northern Mariana Islands's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Northern Mariana Islands when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.