Northern Mariana Islands
Last updated April 1, 2026
Composite GEFRI Score
Progressing readiness
Northern Mariana Islands shows progressing readiness (77th percentile worldwide). Reforms are translating into broader capability, though uneven performance continues to slow system-wide alignment. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.
- Global percentile
- 77th
- Global rank
- Not ranked (microstate)
- Regional rank
- Not ranked (microstate)
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Northern Mariana Islands shows strong future-readiness momentum, with clear strengths in Governance (79, 90th percentile) and Infrastructure (78, 95th percentile).
Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Strong tertiary enrollment expands future talent pipelines and strengthens national innovation potential.
A large research workforce accelerates experimentation, technology adoption, and applied innovation. Policy and regulatory teams coordinate effectively, keeping reforms aligned and providing the stability needed for long-term educational planning. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.
Areas with room to grow: Innovation (48, 69th percentile) and School Access and Gender Parity (48, 49th percentile). These dimensions sit close to global norms and could accelerate quickly with targeted investment.
Note: Because many indicators are imputed, these findings should be treated as provisional until more reported data arrives.
Key insights
- Sits above the global median at the 77th percentile.
- Scores range from Governance (78.9) to Access & Parity (48.3), reflecting variation across dimensions.
- Leads regional peers most clearly in Governance.
Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific
Composite GEFRI score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Korea, Rep. | 79.45 |
| 3 | 2 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 77.87 |
| 4 | 3 | Singapore | 77.24 |
| 24 | 4 | Japan | 70.54 |
| 25 | 5 | Australia | 70.53 |
| 34 | 6 | New Zealand | 68.21 |
| — | — | NauruMicrostate | 63.70 |
| — | — | PalauMicrostate | 63.63 |
| — | — | Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate | 63.05 |
| 48 | 7 | Thailand | 61.33 |
| — | — | American SamoaMicrostate | 61.26 |
| 49 | 8 | Brunei Darussalam | 61.14 |
| — | — | GuamMicrostate | 60.51 |
| 54 | 9 | Indonesia | 60.06 |
| 56 | 10 | Macao SAR, China | 59.92 |
| — | — | New CaledoniaMicrostate | 59.48 |
| — | — | French PolynesiaMicrostate | 58.74 |
| 65 | 11 | Fiji | 57.04 |
| 67 | 12 | Mongolia | 56.70 |
| 68 | 13 | China | 56.42 |
| 70 | 14 | Malaysia | 56.09 |
| 80 | 15 | Philippines | 53.28 |
| — | — | TuvaluFCSMicrostate | 52.99 |
| — | — | SamoaMicrostate | 52.80 |
| 83 | 16 | Viet Nam | 52.16 |
| — | — | TongaMicrostate | 46.68 |
| — | — | Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate | 46.22 |
| — | — | KiribatiFCSMicrostate | 46.13 |
| 106 | 17 | Timor-LesteFCS | 41.78 |
| — | — | Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate | 40.44 |
| 113 | 18 | Vanuatu | 39.11 |
| 117 | 19 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 37.93 |
| 125 | 20 | MyanmarFCS | 35.50 |
| 131 | 21 | Cambodia | 32.82 |
| 136 | 22 | Solomon IslandsFCS | 31.58 |
| 138 | 23 | Lao PDR | 30.78 |
| 156 | 24 | Papua New GuineaFCS | 23.87 |