Map of Nauru | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: By 1000 B.C., Micronesian and Polynesian settlers inhabited Nauru, and the island was divided among 12 clans. Nauru developed in relative isolation because ocean currents made landfall on the island difficult. As a result, the Nauruan language does not clearly resemble any other in the Pacific region. In 1798, a British mariner was the first European to spot the island and by 1830, European whalers used Nauru as a supply stop, trading firearms for food. A civil war in 1878 reduced the population by more than a third. Germany forcibly annexed Nauru in 1888 by holding the 12 chiefs under house arrest until they consented to the annexation. Phosphate was discovered in 1900 and was heavily mined, although Nauru and Nauruans earned about one tenth of one percent of the profits from the phosphate deposits. Australian forces captured Nauru from Germany during World War I, and in 1919, it was placed under a joint Australian-British-New Zealand mandate with Australian administration. Japan occupied Nauru during World War II and used its residents as forced labor elsewhere in the Pacific while destroying much of the infrastructure on the island. After the war, Nauru became a UN trust territory under Australian administration. In 1962, recognizing the phosphate stocks would eventually be depleted, Australian Prime Minister Robert MENZIES offered to resettle all Nauruans on Curtis Island in Queensland, but Nauruans rejected that plan and opted for independence, which was achieved in 1968. In 1970, Nauru purchased the phosphate mining assets, and income from the mines made Nauruans among the richest people in the world. However, a series of unwise investments led to near bankruptcy by 2000. Widespread phosphate mining officially ceased in 2006. As its economy faltered, Nauru briefly tried to rebrand itself as an offshore banking haven, an initiative that ended in 2005, and the country made a successful bid for Russian humanitarian aid in 2008. In 2001, Australia set up the Nauru Regional Processing Center (NRPC), an offshore refugee detention facility, paying Nauru per person at the center. The NRPC closed in 2008 but reopened in 2012. The number of refugees steadily declined after 2014, and in 2020, the remaining people were moved to Brisbane, Australia, effectively shuttering the NRPC. However, in 2023, Australia agreed to continue funding NRPC for two years and restarted settling asylees in the center in mid-2023. The center remains the Government of Nauru’s largest source of income.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 21 km²
Land: 21 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 30 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)

Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center

Elevation
Highest point: Command Ridge 70 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

Land use
Agricultural land: 20% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent crops: 20% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 0% (2022 est.)
Other: 80% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

Geography
Note: Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world behind the Holy See (Vatican City) and Monaco; it is the smallest country in the Pacific Ocean, the smallest country outside Europe, the world's smallest island country, and the world's smallest independent republic; situated just 53 km south of the equator, Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean -- the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia


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Population
Total: 9,892 (2024 est.)
Male: 4,856
Female: 5,036
Distribution: most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast
Growth rate: 0.39% (2024 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages: Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes Gilbertese 2% and Chinese 2%) (2011 est.)
Note: data represent main language spoken at home; Nauruan is spoken by 95% of the population, English by 66%, and other languages by 12%

Religions: Protestant 60.4% (Nauruan Congregational 34.7%, Assemblies of God 11.6%, Pacific Light House 6.3%, Nauru Independent 3.6%, Baptist 1.5, Seventh Day Adventist 1.3%, other Protestant 1.4%), Roman Catholic 33.9%, other 4.2%, none 1.3%, no answer 0.3% (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 29.6% (male 1,493/female 1,433)
15-64 years: 66% (male 3,220/female 3,309)
65 years and over: 4.4% (2024 est.) (male 143/female 294)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.5 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 44.8 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.7 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 14.9 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 27.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 27.3 years
Female: 28.4 years

Population growth rate: 0.39% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 20.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate

Population distribution: most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast

Urbanization
Urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.18% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 273 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 65 years
Female: 72.3 years

Total fertility rate: 2.55 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Urban: 0% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.8% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type

Capital
Name: no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District
Time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baitsi, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

Dependent areas

Independence

National holiday

Constitution

Legal system: mixed system of common law based on the English model and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage

Executive branch
Chief of state: President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023)
Head of government: President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of Parliament
Election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by Parliament for 3-year term (eligible for a second term)
Most recent election date: 14 October 2025
2025: David ADEAGN elected president (unopposed)
2023: David ADEAGN elected president over Delvin THOMA, 10-8
Expected date of next election: 2,028
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 19 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: Full renewal
Term in office: 3 years
Most recent election date: 10/11/2025
Percentage of women in chamber: 10.5%
Expected date of next election: October 2,028

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: blue with a narrow horizontal gold stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the left side

National symbols

National anthem
Title: 'Nauru Bwiema' (Nauru, Our Homeland)
Lyrics/music: Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS
History: adopted 1968

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.8% (2024 est.); 0.6% (2023 est.); 3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 1.8% (2024 est.); 0.6% (2023 est.); 3% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries: phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $199.74 million (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $157.86 million (2020 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 44.4% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices

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

Exports: $64.931 million (2023 est.); $78.383 million (2022 est.); $54.403 million (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: fish, phosphates (2023)
Commodities note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

Imports: $150.193 million (2023 est.); $165.371 million (2022 est.); $141.185 million (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: ships, titanium ore, refined petroleum, plastic products, other foods (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 19,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 37.893 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 3.922 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 88% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 12% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 500 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 86,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 86,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 0 (2019 est.) 0
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 10,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Users percent of population: 82% (2020 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2025)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 6 (2023)
By type: other 6

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs