The most isolated community on Earth is Tristan da Cunha, with 222 permanent residents who can only arrive by a six-day voyage by ship from Cape Town. We ranked ten of the world’s most isolated communities by distance from the nearest inhabited place and by how hard they are to reach, and updated the population figures to the latest available.
| Rank | Community | Key figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tristan da Cunha | 222 residents (Sept 2026) |
| 2 | Pitcairn Islands | 35 residents (2023) |
| 3 | Easter Island | 2,075 km to nearest inhabited land |
| 4 | Ascension Island | 1,540 km from Africa |
| 5 | Saint Helena | 4,439 residents (2021) |
| 6 | Alert, Nunavut | 0 permanent residents (2021) |
| 7 | McMurdo Station | Up to 1,200 residents |
| 8 | Foula | 17 residents (2022) |
| 9 | Supai, Arizona | Mule-carried mail |
| 10 | International Space Station | Crewed since Nov 2000 |
1. Tristan da Cunha: 222 permanent residents (September 2026)
Tristan da Cunha is considered the most remote inhabited place in the world. The main island is about 11 kilometers across and has no airstrip, so the only way in is by ship, a six-day voyage from Cape Town, South Africa.
As of September 2026 it had 222 permanent inhabitants, all holding British Overseas Territories citizenship.
2. Pitcairn Islands: 35 permanent residents (2023)
The Pitcairn Islands are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific and the only British Overseas Territory in that ocean. In 2023 the territory had a permanent population of 35, the smallest of any territory.
The islanders descend mostly from nine HMS Bounty mutineers and twelve Tahitian women who settled there in 1790.
3. Easter Island, Chile: 2,075 km to the nearest inhabited land
Easter Island is one of the most remote inhabited islands, best known for its moai statues. The nearest inhabited land is Pitcairn, 2,075 kilometers away, and the nearest town with more than 500 people is Rikitea on Mangareva, 2,606 kilometers away.
The nearest point of continental land is in central Chile, 3,512 kilometers away. Chile gave the island special territory status in 2007.
4. Ascension Island: 1,540 km from Africa
This volcanic island in the South Atlantic lies about 960 miles (1,540 km) from the African coast and 1,400 miles (2,300 km) from South America. The island is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
In 2016 the UK Government announced a huge marine reserve around the island to protect its marine life, including green turtles.
5. Saint Helena: 4,439 residents (2021 census)
Saint Helena measures about 16 by 8 kilometers and is one of the most remote major islands in the world. Portuguese explorers found it uninhabited in the 16th century.
Today the primary way to reach it is by its airport, and cargo ships also serve it.
6. Alert, Nunavut: 0 permanent residents (2021 census)
Alert is the northernmost continuously inhabited place in the world, 817 kilometers from the North Pole on Ellesmere Island. It hosts a military signals facility, a weather station, an atmosphere observatory and an airport.
All residents are temporary and serve three- to six-month tours, which is why the 2021 census recorded a permanent population of zero.
7. McMurdo Station, Antarctica: Up to 1,200 residents
McMurdo is a US Antarctic research station on Ross Island and the largest community in Antarctica, able to support up to 1,200 people. The US Antarctic Program runs it under the National Science Foundation.
Daylight follows the south polar summer, and the polar night lasts from about April to September.
8. Foula, Scotland: 17 residents (2022 census)
Foula, in the Shetland archipelago, is one of the UK’s most remote permanently inhabited islands. In 2011 it had 30 residents, and the 2022 census counted 17.
The ferry from Ham to Walls on Mainland Shetland carries up to 12 passengers and takes about two hours. Most islanders today are crofters, with sheep farming and birdwatching tourism.
9. Supai, Arizona: The only US place with mule-carried mail
Supai is the capital of the Havasupai Indian Reservation, on the valley floor of the Grand Canyon. Supai is the only place in the United States where mail is still carried in and out by mules.
The 2010 census counted 208 residents, while the 2020 count recorded zero, and the census is often miscounted for reservation communities.
10. International Space Station: Crewed continuously since November 2000
The ISS orbits Earth at a 51.6 degree inclination. After the Zvezda module launched in July 2000, the first crew, Expedition 1, arrived in November 2000, and the station has been crewed ever since.
NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency operate it, and it is the most remote community of all.
Keep reading
- the coldest places on Earth: where isolation meets extreme cold
- the poorest countries in the world: another look at life far from wealth
FAQ
What is the most isolated community on Earth?
Tristan da Cunha, which is considered the most remote inhabited place in the world and had 222 permanent residents in September 2026.
Which place has the smallest permanent population?
The Pitcairn Islands, with 35 permanent residents in 2023, the smallest territory in the world by that measure.
Is Alert, Nunavut, inhabited?
Yes, but only temporarily. All residents serve three- to six-month tours, and the 2021 census recorded zero permanent residents.
How do you get to Tristan da Cunha?
By ship only. The island has no airstrip, and the trip from Cape Town takes about six days.
How did you rank these communities?
We ranked them by distance from the nearest inhabited land and how hard they are to reach. Population figures are the latest we could find.
How we put this list together
We ranked each place by its distance from other settlements and how hard it is to reach, using the latest published census and territory figures. The order is our own judgment.
Last updated: October 2026.
