country profile

Northern Mariana Islands

East Asia & PacificHigh income44K population

Last updated August 4, 2026

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Microstate notice: This country is classified as a microstate (population under 300,000) and is indexed but not included in GEFRI global or regional rankings.
Progressing readiness

Composite GEFRI Score

Access & Parity is strongest, while Human Capital remains a constraint

Northern Mariana Islands shows progressing readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (67th percentile worldwide). Reforms are translating into broader capability, though uneven performance continues to slow system-wide alignment.

69.27Composite score
Global percentile
67th
Global rank
Not ranked (microstate)
Regional rank
Not ranked (microstate)
Viewing data for
Progressing readiness
Infrastructure
74.08
45th percentileGlobal avg. 70.44
Progressing readiness
Human Capital
61.44
37th percentileGlobal avg. 66.18
Progressing readiness
Innovation
62.44
76th percentileGlobal avg. 48.64
Progressing readiness
Governance
66.77
80th percentileGlobal avg. 47.07
Advanced readiness
Access & Parity
81.61
60th percentileGlobal avg. 60.85

Country profile

Northern Mariana Islands shows progressing readiness, with important strengths but continued gaps across the system. Most dimension scores sit close to global norms, without a single dimension standing far above the rest.

Dimension scores cluster tightly, showing the system operates with balanced readiness. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Strong tertiary enrollment expands future talent pipelines and strengthens national innovation potential.

Strong R&D funding and a sizable research workforce keep the innovation pipeline active, supporting the system’s capacity to adapt. 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.

Many indicators are imputed, so the profile should be treated as a limited signal rather than a complete measurement.

Key insights

Sits above the global median at the 67th percentile.

Scores range from Access & Parity (81.6) to Human Capital (61.4), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Leads regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
71Singapore87.75
82Korea, Rep.87.61
93Australia87.58
124Japan86.42
145New Zealand86.25
166Hong Kong SAR, China85.13
PalauMicrostate73.62
NauruMicrostate72.35
517Thailand71.65
528Brunei Darussalam71.24
GuamMicrostate70.43
569China70.26
New CaledoniaMicrostate69.53
American SamoaMicrostate69.29
5910Malaysia69.27
Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate69.27
6511Macao SAR, China68.91
6612Fiji68.84
7013Mongolia68.44
French PolynesiaMicrostate67.53
7414Indonesia67.24
7515Viet Nam67.00
TongaMicrostate62.06
SamoaMicrostate61.69
9116Philippines60.80
TuvaluFCSMicrostate59.38
Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate56.13
10917Vanuatu54.76
KiribatiFCSMicrostate49.99
11818Timor-LesteFCS47.72
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate47.06
12419Cambodia44.53
12520Korea, Dem. People's Rep.44.29
13521Solomon IslandsFCS40.40
14222MyanmarFCS37.14
14323Lao PDR36.90
15624Papua New GuineaFCS31.85