Form of Government: Republic
Area: 726 sq km
Population: 119 940 inhab. (census 2020)
Density: 165.21 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 5° N - 13° S; long. 168° E - 148° W
Capital: Tarawa 70 480 inhab. (2020), urban agglomeration
Currency: Australian dollar (100 cents)
Human development index: 0.63 (rank: 134)
President and head of government: Taneti Maamau (TKP), elected 9 March 2016
Internet: //nso.gov.ki (National Statistics Office)
Member of Commonwealth, SPC, UN
Kiribati

International license plate code KIR
International dialling code 00686
Travel vaccinations requirement yellow fever (required only if traveling from a country with risk of transmission)
Electricity (Voltage) 240
Driving side left
Internet code .ki
GMT Bairiki +12; Phoenix Islands +13; Line Islands +14
DST Bairiki not applied; Phoenix Islands not applied; Line Islands not applied
Annual average temperature (°C) Is. Banaba 28
Average temperature in January/July (°C) Is. Banaba 28/28
Annual average precipitation (mm) Is. Banaba 1890
Days of rainfall (annual average) Is. Banaba 109
Geography.
The Kiribati archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, situated right on the Equator, comprises the Gilbert Islands, the Ocean Island (Banaba), the Phoenix Islands and the Line Islands (or Equatorial Islands), along with Kiritimati (or Christmas Island, 388 km2, pop. 5586), the largest atoll in the World. It has an equatorial climate.
Government
Formerly a British protectorate, it has been an independent republic since 1979. The President and head of government is elected by universal suffrage from among the deputies of the House of Assembly (46 members). Pillars Kiribati First (BKM) and Embracing Kiribati (TKP) are the main political parties.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Homicides | 7.5 | per 100 000 pop. | 2012 |
Administrative division
Island | AREA | INHABITANTS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Abaiang | 17$ sq km | 5 568 inhab. | 2015 |
Abemama | 27$ sq km | 3 262 inhab. | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tarawa | 70 480 | inhab. | 2020 |
Betio | 17 330 | inhab. | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tarawa | 70 480 | inhab. | 2020 |
Population
Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | |||||
| |||||
MALE | AGE | FEMALE |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 27.453 | ‰ | 2019 |
Death rate | 6.28 | ‰ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
I-Kiribati | 96.2 | % | 2015 |
other | 3.6 | % | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Catholic | 57.3 | % | 2015 |
Protestant | 31.3 | % | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION |
---|
English |
Gilbertese |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
0-14 years | 28.2 | % | 2020 |
15-29 years | 29.5 | % | 2020 |
Economy
Since the rich phosphate reserves ran out in 1979, the economy has been based on international aid (especially from Japan) and on income from fishing licences and a sovereign fund. The main crop is the coconut palm. Fishing is important as well as the production and export of seaweed, and tourism.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 60.64 | index | 2016 |
Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 93.08 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Active population | 47 300 | units | 2015 |
Active population, Females | 45.7 | % | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate | 8.6 | % | 2019 |
Unemployment rate, Females | 51$ | % | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenses | 190.7 | M LCU | 2017 |
Revenues | 252.6 | M LCU | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 24.3 | % | 2015 |
industry | 18.2 | % | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 27.104 | % | 2019 |
industry | 13.9 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
International reserves | 7.5 | M US$ | 2019 |
Agriculture
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
arable land | 41.975 | % | 2018 |
forests | 1.457 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
roots and tubers, total | 11.904 | 1000 t | 2019 |
taro | 2.001 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 145.237 | 1000 t | 2019 |
copra | 6.2 | 1000 t | 2009 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
fruits, total | 10.156 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
bananas | 8.454 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
taro | 0.318 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 30.667 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
bananas | 1.629 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
timber | 3 383 | m³ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pigs | 14.378 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
birds | 700 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
eggs | 0.252 | 1000 t | 2019 |
meat | 2.006 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
crustaceans and molluscs | 41$ | t | 2019 |
marine fishes | 224 992 | t | 2019 |
Energy
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
non-renewable electricity generation | 83.789 | % | 2018 |
- thermal | 25$ | M kWh | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 8$ | 1000 kW | 2018 |
- other renew. | 3$ | 1000 kW | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
total net generation | 29.84 | M kWh | 2018 |
total installed capacity | 11$ | 1000 kW | 2018 |
Industry
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconut oil | 3.03 | 1000 t | 2018 |
vegetable oils | 3.03 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
manufacturing production | 8.021 | M US$ | 2018 |
Trade
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
food products | 74.418 | % of goods exports | 2016 |
manufactures | 13.822 | % of goods exports | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Australia | 20$ | M US$ | 2009 |
Fiji | 17.6 | M US$ | 2009 |
Tourism
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures | 13.2 | M US$ | 2018 |
Number of arrivals | 12 000 | units | 2019 |
Social and welfare
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expected years of schooling | 12$ | years | 2008 |
Gross enrolment ratio, primary - Female | 104.858 | index | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Students, primary level | 16 695 | units | 2017 |
Students, secondary level | 11 583 | units | 2008 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Social protection spending | 2.186 | % of total expenses | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Hospital beds | 1.86 | per 1000 pop. | 2016 |
Physicians | 0.2 | per 1000 pop. | 2013 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tuberculosis | 436 | per 100 000 pop. | 2019 |
Tuberculosis (prevalence) | 749 | per 100 000 pop. | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking | 10.2 | % | 2019 |
Access to electricity | 100 | % | 2019 |