The Republic of the Marshall Islands has launched a nationwide long-term unconditional basic income programme, ENRA; the first payments were made in November 2025, with citizens receiving $200 every three months.
Who receives payments and how ENRA works
The ENRA programme covers residents of all inhabited atolls and pays out once every three months regardless of age, employment or income level. According to registrations, about 33,000 citizens signed up for the first payment in November 2025; for the next distribution nearly 40,000 recipients were expected, out of a total population of around 43,000 people.
Funds can be received into a bank account, by cheque or via the digital payment instrument USDM1. For remote islands without banks or ATMs, the country is expanding Starlink satellite internet to provide access to digital payments.
Sources of funding and projected costs
The estimated annual cost of the programme is about $30 million, financed from the Trust Fund for the People of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, established under agreements with the United States. As of 31 July 2026 the fund’s assets stood at about $1.77 billion.
The government says withdrawals from the fund must remain within the set limit — up to 4% of the average asset value over three years. Financing is tied to the Compact of Free Association with the United States and broader financial arrangements, although not all of the fund’s current capital consists solely of compensation for nuclear testing.
Debate over the programme’s long-term sustainability
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has flagged risks to inflation and fiscal sustainability and recommended that the government consider later moving to more targeted assistance for those most in need. The government stresses that the payments are financed from the investment fund and must fit within the established withdrawal limits.
“For a family of five the total payment amounts to $1000 per quarter.” — David Paul, Minister of Finance of the Marshall Islands
The programme was introduced in response to poverty and migration challenges: census data show that since 2011 roughly one fifth of citizens have left the country, and a third of households reported food shortages. The initiative will also test whether the state can convert part of sovereign fund income into regular support for the population.
