Prince Albert (1848–1922), who reigned from 1889 to 1922, was famous as an oceanographer. In 1956, his great-grandson Rainier III (b.1923), reigning monarch since 1949, married Grace Patricia Kelly (1929–82), a US motion picture actress, whose death on 14 September 1982 following an automobile accident was mourned throughout Monaco. Their son, Prince Albert (b.1958) is the heir apparent; Princess Caroline (b.1957) and Princess Stéphanie(b.1965) are their daughters.

Monaco is the seat of the International Academy of Tourism, which was founded in 1951 by Prince Rainier III. The academy publishes a quarterly, Revue Technique du Tourisme, and, in several languages, an international dictionary of tourism.

The International Hydrographic Bureau, which sponsors international conferences in its field, has its headquarters in Monaco. The following international organizations also have their headquarters in Monaco: International Commission for Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea, International Center for Studies of Human Problems, and the International Commission for Legal-Medical Problems.

National youth organizations include the Association of Scouts and Guides of Monaco, the Princess Stephanie Youth Center, and Catholic Youth of Monaco.

Other organizations include the Monégasque Red Cross, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Society of Monégasque Traditions, the Commission for the Monégasque language (established 1985), and the Union of French Interests.

Education is offered in Monaco from the preschool to the secondary and technical levels and is compulsory from age 6 to 16. Attendance is 90%, and virtually all adults are literate. In the latter half of the 1990s, approximately 5.3% of total government expenditure was allocated to education.

In 1997, Monaco's seven public primary schools had a total of 1,919 students enrolled. In the same year, secondary schools enrolled 2,886 students and employed 281 teachers. The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level was estimated at 16 to 1 in 1999.

The palace archives include the private collections of the princes of Monaco, as well as a collection of money minted since 1640. The Louis Notari Library in Monaco (1909) has a collection of over 285,000 volumes. There is a Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco featuring 1,500 pieces of Irish folk music and personal papers of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier.

The Oceanographic Museum in Monaco-Ville, founded in 1910 by Prince Albert I and previously directed by the noted Jacques-Yves Cousteau, contains a library of 50,000 volumes, an aquarium, and displays of rare marine specimens. In addition to the museum, the Oceanographic Institute conducts research in various marine areas, including the effects of radiation on the sea and its life forms.

The Exotic Gardens include thousands of varieties of cacti and tropical plants. The National Museum in Monte Carlo was established 1972. There is a Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology in Monte Carlo and a wax museum. There is a Napoleonic Museum in Monaco-Ville.

Postal and telegraphic services are operated by France, but Monaco issues its own postage stamps. Local telephone service is controlled by Monaco, while France is responsible for international service. As of 1995 there were about 31,027 main line telephones in use.

Radio Monte Carlo and Télé Monte Carlo provide radio and television services and have had broadcast programs since 1954. Radio Monte Carlo's home service is broadcast in French. The system also provides overseas service in 12 foreign languages and is majority owner of the Cyprus-based Radio Monte Carlo relay station, a privately funded religious broadcasting service in 35 languages under the name Trans World Radio. As of 1999, Monaco had 3 AM and 4 FM radio stations and 5 television stations. In 1997, there were 34,000 radios and 25,000 television sets throughout the country.

Two dailies in Nice, Nice-Matin and L'Espoir, publish special editions for Monaco. International publications are readily available. The Journal de Monaco, an official publication, appears once a week, and the Tribune de Monaco is published biweekly.

Freedom of expression is legally guaranteed. However, there is a Penal Code prohibition on public denunciations of the ruling family. Otherwise, the government is said to uphold free speech and a free press.

The social insurance system provides old age, survivorship and disability pensions. It is funded through employee and employer contributions. Sickness and maternity benefits are available to all employed persons with a special program for the self-employed. Workers and their dependents are reimbursed for medical expenses including primary and specialized care, pharmaceuticals, hospitalization, transportation, dental care and appliances. Employers are required to provide workers' compensation through private insurance plans. Unemployment benefits are provided through the French system. There is also a family allowance, a prenatal allowance and an education grant.

Women have become increasingly visible in public life, and are well represented in the professions. Equal pay for equal work is prevalent, although women are underrepresented in business. Reports of violence against women are rare, and domestic abuse is a criminal offense. Gender bias in the law persists in regard to transmission of citizenship: only men who become naturalized Monegasque citizens can transmit citizenship to their children.

Human rights are respected in Monaco.

In 1995, there were 42 physicians in the country as well as 31 dentists, 64 pharmacists, and 293 nurses. As of 1998 there were6.6 physicians, 16.2 nurses, 0.4 midwives, 1.2 dentists, and 2.2 pharmacists per 1,000 people. The entire population has access to safe water and sanitation.

As of 2002, the crude birth rate and overall mortality rate were estimated at, respectively, 9.6 and 12.9 per 1,000 people. In 2002, the infant mortality rate was estimated at 5.6 per 1,000 live births and the fertility rate at 1.8 children per woman. The immunization rates for children under one year of age during 1994 were as follows: diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough, 99%; polio, 99%; measles, 98%; and tuberculosis, 90%.

In 1996, 37 AIDS cases were reported.