Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Kiribati
Kiribati: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Population growth in Kiribati, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2024, population growth in Kiribati stood at 1.5%.
That represents a change of down 5.0% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Kiribati peaked at 2.4% in 1987 and was at its lowest, -0.7%, in 1978.
Kiribati ranks 74th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Kiribati, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.0% | — |
| 1971 | 2.0% | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 1.9% | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 1.7% | -8.8% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | -62.7% |
| 1975 | -0.4% | -158.7% |
| 1976 | -0.5% | +41.2% |
| 1977 | -0.7% | +21.6% |
| 1978 | -0.7% | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | -176.5% |
| 1980 | 1.6% | +213.5% |
| 1981 | 1.6% | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 1.6% | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 1.6% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 1.6% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 1.9% | +17.6% |
| 1986 | 2.3% | +20.7% |
| 1987 | 2.4% | +4.6% |
| 1988 | 2.4% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 2.3% | -3.0% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | -13.4% |
| 1992 | 1.7% | -17.3% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | -7.3% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 1.5% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | +12.7% |
| 1997 | 1.8% | +7.8% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 1.7% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | +13.7% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | +9.8% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 2.0% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 2.0% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -14.8% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | -17.1% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 1.3% | -5.5% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 1.4% | +10.2% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | +6.5% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | +16.7% |
| 2021 | 1.8% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -9.7% |
| 2023 | 1.6% | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | -5.0% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's 1.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.8%, 84% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's 1.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7%, 2.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Kiribati changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +213.5% | 0.5% | 1.6% |
| 1979 | +176.5% | -0.7% | 0.5% |
| 1975 | -158.7% | 0.6% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | -62.7% | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| 1976 | -41.2% | -0.4% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7% | -0.7% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
More population data for Kiribati
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.7128 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0327 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 188.57 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.43 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4909 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.006 (2100)
- Population density 274.88 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 14,189 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Kiribati?
- Population growth in Kiribati was 1.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 2.4% in 1987.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.7% in 1978.
- How does Kiribati rank for population growth?
- Kiribati ranks 74th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kiribati data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release