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TL;DR
The Marshall Islands completed the first year of Enra, a quarterly basic-income program for resident citizens, with the final reported payment reaching 40,714 people. The government approved $32.5 million for year two, while the IMF has urged a shift to targeted assistance; no public evaluation yet shows what the payments have changed.
The Marshall Islands has completed the first year of Enra, a nationwide quarterly payment for resident citizens, and approved $32.5 million for the program’s second year. The payments have reached more than 40,000 people, according to officials, but no public evaluation has established their effects on poverty, employment or household finances — leaving a limited evidence base for countries considering income support amid concerns about AI and jobs.
Enra, formally called the Individual Support Distribution, pays eligible Marshallese citizens living in the country, including children. It has no means test or work requirement. The Social Security Administration maintains the eligibility list, while the Ministry of Finance oversees funding. Recipients can receive payments by check, bank deposit or the Lomalo phone wallet.
The first payment was made on November 26, 2025. Four payments followed through August 2026. The final payment was $215.85 per person to 40,714 people, the payment agency’s administrator told the Marshall Islands Journal. President Hilda Heine said recipients represented more than 95% of the resident population. The payment amount varies because the program divides a set budget among those eligible.
That feature was visible during the first year: as registrations increased, the March payment fell to about $160 per person. A $3.2 million World Bank grant helped raise the later payments. For year two, the trust fund committee approved $32.5 million on September 2, and parliament included the same amount for Enra, plus a separate $3.2 million top-up, in its September 18 budget. The prior year’s budget line was $27.6 million.
Infographic 01 · Enra, the first year
Four payments, one fixed pot
How the Marshall Islands paid a basic income to almost every resident citizen between November 2025 and August 2026.
- Nov 2025First payment: $201.92 to more than 33,000 people. MISSA had enrolled 33,119 by 30 Sep 2025.Launch ceremony in Majuro, 26 Nov
- End Mar 2026About $160. Delayed a month to vet new registrations and residence. More than 37,000 registered, same fixed budget.Citizens away more than 3 months are removed from the list, with exceptions
- End May 2026About $200 again, thanks to a $3.2 million World Bank grant ($1.6 million per quarter). More than 41,000 on the eligible list.Pushed by the president over fuel and food prices
- Aug 2026$215.85 to 40,714 people. Fewer paper checks than in earlier rounds.MISSA administrator to the Marshall Islands Journal
Payment per person, year one
US dollars per quarter · March and May rounded as reported
Why the amount moves
- Enra is a fixed annual budget shared equally among everyone eligible that quarter.
- More registrations mean a smaller share unless the budget grows.
- Roughly $780 per person in year one, about 12% of GDP per person (IMF: $6,417, FY2023). My arithmetic.
Sources: Marshall Islands Journal (27 Nov 2025, 26 Feb, 22 May, 6 Aug, 27 Aug 2026) · IMF, 10 Sep 2025. March and May amounts as reported (“about”).
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What Enra Can Show About Income Support
Enra offers a real-world example of a national, recurring payment, rather than a limited trial involving a small sample. Its reach is already clear: the final first-year payment went to tens of thousands of residents. But reach is not the same as impact. Without a published evaluation, it is not yet possible to say whether the program has reduced hardship, changed work decisions or improved access to basic needs.
The case may draw attention from governments examining how to support people if AI changes employment. However, the Marshall Islands’ program does not by itself show how a basic income would work in larger or wealthier economies. Its funding model, population and economic conditions differ, and the available information does not establish a connection between Enra and AI-related job losses. The key lesson so far is narrower: a country can distribute recurring payments widely, while questions about outcomes and long-term affordability remain open.
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A Trust Fund, Not a Tax Base
Enra is financed through a trust fund established under the Compact of Free Association with the United States, rather than a new tax on residents. The fund was valued at about $1.77 billion at the end of July 2026, according to the source account. The government’s second-year allocation therefore represents a choice to direct more of that funding to the payment, not evidence that the program is funded indefinitely.
The International Monetary Fund estimated Enra’s cost at 8.1% of GDP in fiscal 2026 and recommended replacing it “at the first feasible opportunity” with a targeted scheme. That is the IMF’s policy position, not a finding that Enra has failed. The source reports no published assessment of the first year’s social or economic effects.
Enra’s digital payment system has also attracted attention. Lomalo can deliver a digital instrument called USDM1. The finance ministry describes it as a U.S.-dollar sovereign bond backed one-to-one by short-dated U.S. Treasuries and says it is not a cryptocurrency, central bank digital currency or stablecoin. The ministry says the wallet helps address geographic barriers: bank branches are concentrated on Majuro and Ebeye, while checks can take weeks to reach outer islands. Public figures on how many people use the wallet are not available.
Enra’s Effects Are Not Yet Measured
No public evaluation of Enra’s first year is identified in the source material. The number of people paid and the amounts distributed show program reach, but not whether recipients experienced lasting improvements in living standards, food security or financial stability. Nor is there published evidence here about changes in employment or work hours.
The final payment count and the president’s estimate of coverage are reported figures, while the source does not provide a detailed breakdown of participation by island, age or payment method. It is also unclear how many recipients use Lomalo, what share of payments go through checks or bank deposits, and how the program’s costs may change as eligibility and registrations shift.
Long-term funding is another open question. The trust fund’s reported value and the approved second-year budget do not establish how many years the payment can continue at its current level. The IMF’s recommendation signals concern about the program’s fiscal cost, but the supplied material does not provide a government response to that advice or a published plan for assessing Enra’s results.
Monitoring Year Two and Its Funding
The next immediate development is the rollout of Enra’s second year under the approved budget, including the separate $3.2 million top-up. Payment dates, per-person amounts and the number of eligible recipients will show how the fixed funding allocation changes as the register evolves. The first-year experience suggests that those figures can move with enrollment and supplementary funding.
Readers will also need a published evaluation to judge outcomes rather than distribution alone. No evaluation timetable is provided in the source material. The government’s response to the IMF’s call for more targeted support, and any explanation of how the trust fund will support payments over time, remain to be seen. Until those details emerge, Enra is evidence of a national payment system in operation — not a settled answer to whether universal basic income reduces hardship or how governments should respond to AI-related changes in work.
Key Questions
What is Enra?
Enra is the Marshall Islands’ Individual Support Distribution, a quarterly payment for Marshallese citizens who live in the country. It includes children and has no means test or work requirement.
How many people received the final first-year payment?
The August 2026 payment was $215.85 per person to 40,714 people, according to the Social Security Administration administrator cited by the Marshall Islands Journal.
How is the program funded?
Enra is funded from a trust fund established under the Compact of Free Association with the United States. The source says the fund was worth about $1.77 billion at the end of July 2026.
Has Enra been shown to reduce poverty or change employment?
No public evaluation is identified in the source material. The first-year payment figures establish how widely the program distributed money, but do not establish its effects on poverty, work or household finances.
What does Enra establish about AI and basic income?
It shows that a small country is operating a recurring national payment, but it does not establish how basic income would work in larger economies or whether it addresses AI-related job changes. The source provides no evidence linking Enra’s results to AI-driven employment effects.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
