Statistical information Kiribati 2023

Kiribati in the World

Kiribati - Introduction 2023

Kiribati is made up of three distinct island groups - the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The first Austronesian voyagers arrived in the Gilbert Islands as early as 3,000 B.C., but these islands were not widely settled until about A.D. 200 by Micronesians. Around 1300, Samoans and Tongans invaded the southern Gilbert Islands, bringing Polynesian cultural elements with them. Later arrivals by Fijians brought Melanesian elements to the Gilbert Islands, and extensive intermarriage between the Micronesian, Polynesian, and Melanesian people led to the creation of what would become Gilbertese cultural traditions by the time Europeans spotted the islands in the 1600s. The Phoenix Islands and Line Islands were both visited by various Melanesian and Polynesian peoples, but their isolation and lack of natural resources meant that long-term settlements were not possible and both island groups were uninhabited by the time of European contact.

Kiribati experienced sustained European contact by the 1760s; all three island groups were named and charted by 1826. American whaling ships frequently passed through the islands, and the UK declared a protectorate over the Gilbert and nearby Ellice Islands in 1892 to block growing US influence. Phosphate-rich Banaba Island was annexed to the protectorate in 1900. In 1916, the protectorate became a colony, and some Line Islands were added in 1916 and 1919, with the final ones added in 1972. The Phoenix Islands were added to the colony in 1937, and the UK agreed to share jurisdiction of some of them with the US because of their strategic location for aviation. Japan occupied the northern Gilbert Islands in 1941; the islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The UK continued to rule the colony after World War II. The Ellice Islands became its own colony in 1974. The Gilbert Islands became fully self-governing in 1977 and independent in 1979 as Kiribati, the Gilbertese spelling of Gilberts. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Islands in a 1979 treaty of friendship.

In 1994, Kiribati adjusted the international date line to the east of the Line Islands, bringing all islands in the country to the same day and giving Kiribati the earliest time zone in the world. Kiribati is a leading climate change advocate. In 2012, Kiribati purchased a 22 km² (8.5 sq mi) plot of land in Fiji for potential eventual resettlement of its population because of climate change.

Kiribati - Geography 2023

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Location: Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia

Geographic coordinates: 1 25 N, 173 00 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 811 km²
Land: 811 km²
Water: 0 km²
Note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, and Phoenix Islands - dispersed over about 3.5 million km² (1.35 million sq mi)
Comparative: four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 1,143 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Elevation
Highest point: unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 2 m

Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish

Land use

Land use
Agricultural land: 42% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 2.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 39.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 15% (2018 est.)
Other: 43% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level

Geography
Note: 21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru; Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western)

Kiribati - People 2023

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Population
Distribution: consists of three achipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong: 115,372 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 1.02% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
Adjective: Kiribati

Ethnic groups: I-Kiribati 95.78%, I-Kiribati/mixed 3.8%, Tuvaluan 0.2%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

Languages: Gilbertese, English (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%, Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 27.06% (male 15,906/female 15,314)
15-64 years: 67.77% (male 37,634/female 40,559)
65 years and over: 5.17% (2023 est.) (male 2,314/female 3,645)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 66.4
Youth dependency ratio: 60.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.2
Potential support ratio: 16.1 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 26.9 years (2023 est.)
Male: 26 years
Female: 27.8 years

Population growth rate: 1.02% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 19.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: consists of three achipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

Urbanization
Urban population: 57.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 64,000 TARAWA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to overcrowding mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk; potential for water shortages, disease; coastal erosion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 7.62 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.07 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.02 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.1 years (2009 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio: 76 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 32.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 34.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 30.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 65.6 years
Female: 71 years

Total fertility rate: 2.18 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 33.5% (2018/19)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 97.2% of population
Improved rural: 63.1% of population
Improved total: 82% of population
Unimproved urban: 2.8% of population
Unimproved rural: 36.9% of population
Unimproved total: 18% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 11.6% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density: 1.9 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:

75.4% of population

rural: 45.4% of population

total: 62.1% of population

Unimproved urban:

24.6% of population

rural: 54.6% of population

total: 37.9% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 46% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 40.6% (2020 est.)
Male: 53.9% (2020 est.)
Female: 27.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 6.9% (2018/19)

Education expenditures: 12.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 22.5% (2019 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 21.2%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 24.6%

Kiribati - Government 2023

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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
Conventional short form: Kiribati
Local long form: Republic of Kiribati
Local short form: Kiribati
Former: Gilbert Islands
Etymology: the name is the local pronunciation of "Gilberts," the former designation of the islands; originally named after explorer Thomas GILBERT, who mapped many of the islands in 1788
Note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Tarawa
Geographic coordinates: 1 21 N, 173 02 E
Time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Time zone note: Kiribati has three time zones: the Gilbert Islands group at UTC+12, the Phoenix Islands at UTC+13, and the Line Islands at UTC+14
Etymology: in Kiribati creation mythology, "tarawa" was what the spider Nareau named the land to distinguish it from "karawa" (the sky) and "marawa" (the ocean)

Administrative divisions: 3 geographical units: Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions, but there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island councils - one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 July 1979 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

Constitution
History: The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915, The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975 (preindependence); latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence)
Amendments: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; passage of amendments affecting the constitutional section on amendment procedures and parts of the constitutional chapter on citizenship requires deferral of the proposal to the next Assembly meeting where approval is required by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and support of the nominated or elected Banaban member of the Assembly; amendments affecting the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms also requires approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2018

Legal system: English common law supplemented by customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Kiribati
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016); Vice President Teuea TOATU (since 19 June 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016); Vice President Teuea TOATU (since 19 June 2019)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly members
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote following nomination of candidates from among House of Assembly members; term is 4 years (eligible for 2 additional terms); election last held on 22 June 2020 (next to be held in 2024); vice president appointed by the president
Election results: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKB) 59.3%, Banuera BERINA (BKM) 40.7%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats; 44 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two-rounds if needed; 1 member appointed by the Rabi Council of Leaders - representing Banaba Island, and 1 ex officio member - the attorney general; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: legislative elections originally scheduled to be held in two rounds on 7 and 15 April 2020 but rescheduled for 14 and 21 April (next to be held in 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party (second round) - NA; seats by party (second round) - TKB 22, BKM 22, 1 independent; composition - 42 men, 3 women; percentage of women 6.7%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president); note - the High Court has jurisdiction on constitutional issues
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the president on the advice of the cabinet in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC); other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice along with the PSC
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; magistrates' courts

Political parties and leaders:

Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party or BKM [Tessie LAMBOURNE]
Tobwaan Kiribati Party or TKP [Taneti MAAMAU]

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Teburoro TITO (since 24 January 2018)
In the us chancery: 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1109, New York, NY 10,017
In the us telephone: [1] (212) 867-3,310
In the us FAX: [1] (212) 867-3,320
In the us email address and website:

Kimission.newyork@mfa.gov.ki

note - the Kiribati Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the embassy

From the us embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati

Flag description

: the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the Pacific ocean; the white stripes represent the three island groups - the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix Islands; the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (formerly Ocean Island); the frigatebird symbolizes authority and freedom

National symbols: frigatebird; national colors: red, white, blue, yellow

National anthem
Name: "Teirake kaini Kiribati" (Stand Up, Kiribati)
Lyrics/music: Urium Tamuera IOTEBA
Note: adopted 1979

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Kiribati - Economy 2023

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Economy overview: lower-middle income, Pacific island economy; environmentally fragile; sizable remittances; key phosphate mining fund; tourism and fishing industries; public sector-dominated economy; recent withdrawal from Pacific Islands Forum; ongoing constitutional crisis

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$249.64 million (2021 est.)
$245.951 million (2020 est.)
$247.304 million (2019 est.)

Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

1.5% (2021 est.)
-0.55% (2020 est.)
-0.54% (2019 est.)

Real gdp per capita:

$1,900 (2021 est.)
$1,900 (2020 est.)
$2,000 (2019 est.)

Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23% (2016 est.)
Industry: 7% (2016 est.)
Services: 70% (2016 est.)

Agriculture products: coconuts, roots/tubers, bananas, vegetables, taro, tropical fruit, poultry, pork, nuts, eggs

Industries: fishing, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: -1.57% (2020 est.)

Labor force: 39,000 (2010 est.)
Note: economically active, not including subsistence farmers

Labor force

Unemployment rate:

30.6% (2010 est.)
6.1% (2005)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 22.5% (2019 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 21.2%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 24.6%

Population below poverty line: NA

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 27.8 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: NA
Highest 10%: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $281 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $205 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -64.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 26.28% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Public debt:

26.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
22.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: NA

Inflation rate consumer prices:

-1.81% (2019 est.)
0.56% (2018 est.)
0.36% (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

$20.251 million (2021 est.)
$71.279 million (2020 est.)
$86.818 million (2019 est.)

Exports:

$10.754 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$21.228 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$32.516 million (2019 est.)

Partners: Thailand 60%, Indonesia 11%, Philippines 10%, Japan 6%, South Korea 3% (2021)
Commodities: skipjacks, tuna, fish fillets, ships, coconut oil, copra (2021)

Imports:

$201.984 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$148.77 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$177.149 million (2019 est.)

Partners: China 23%, Taiwan 16%, Fiji 16%, Australia 12%, New Zealand 6% (2021)
Commodities: fishing ships, beef, netting, poultry meat, rice, refined petroleum, sugar, refrigerators (2021)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$0 (31 December 2017 est.)
$8.37 million (31 December 2010 est.)

Debt external:

$40.9 million (2016 est.)
$32.3 million (2015 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - 1.331 (2021 est.)
1.453 (2020 est.)
1.439 (2019 est.)
1.338 (2018 est.)
1.305 (2017 est.)

Note: the Australian dollar circulates as legal tender

Kiribati - Energy 2023

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Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 92.8% (2020)
Access electrification-urban areas: 88.2% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 11,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 25.137 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 4.7 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 84.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 15.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 420 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 76,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 76,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 9.335 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Kiribati - Communication 2023

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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 0 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 54,527 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station broadcasts on AM, FM, and shortwave (2017)

Internet
Country code: .ki
Users total: 70,200 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 54% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 185 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.2 (2020 est.)

Kiribati - Military 2023

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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Kiribati Police and Prison Service (Ministry of Justice) (2023)

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups

Kiribati - Transportation 2023

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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 66,567 (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: T3

Airports: 19 (2021)
With paved runways: 4
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 15
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 670 km (2017)

Waterways: 5 km (2012) (small network of canals in Line Islands)

Merchant marine
Total: 90 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 3, general cargo 35, oil tanker 11, other 41

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Betio (Tarawa Atoll), Canton Island, English Harbor

Kiribati - Transnational issues 2023

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Disputes international: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs