Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Nauru
Nauru: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 0.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Nauru, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Nauru recorded 0.6% for population growth in 2024.
That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and down 71.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Nauru peaked at 2.5% in 1982 and was at its lowest, -0.5%, in 2002.
Nauru ranks 134th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Nauru, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.9% | — |
| 1971 | 0.8% | -60.2% |
| 1972 | 0.7% | -4.6% |
| 1973 | 0.8% | +7.2% |
| 1974 | 0.8% | +4.7% |
| 1975 | 0.9% | +11.3% |
| 1976 | 1.1% | +19.1% |
| 1977 | 1.4% | +27.0% |
| 1978 | 1.9% | +34.2% |
| 1979 | 2.3% | +23.3% |
| 1980 | 2.4% | +4.0% |
| 1981 | 2.5% | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 2.2% | -14.5% |
| 1984 | 1.9% | -10.4% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | +5.9% |
| 1986 | 2.2% | +7.5% |
| 1987 | 2.3% | +4.4% |
| 1988 | 2.4% | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 2.4% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 2.3% | -4.0% |
| 1992 | 1.7% | -26.5% |
| 1993 | 0.8% | -53.2% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | -57.0% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -20.2% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -35.9% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -22.3% |
| 1998 | 0.0% | -92.9% |
| 1999 | -0.1% | -1200.1% |
| 2000 | -0.2% | +73.0% |
| 2001 | -0.4% | +100.6% |
| 2002 | -0.5% | +26.9% |
| 2003 | -0.2% | -51.9% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | -104.4% |
| 2005 | -0.1% | -1200.6% |
| 2006 | -0.1% | +36.5% |
| 2007 | -0.1% | -6.5% |
| 2008 | -0.1% | -21.3% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -163.6% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +285.1% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | +102.9% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | +203.9% |
| 2013 | 2.4% | +45.0% |
| 2014 | 2.1% | -12.0% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | -7.7% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -9.3% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | -12.7% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 2019 | 1.0% | -28.9% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -49.5% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | +17.2% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | +38.5% |
| 2023 | 0.6% | -20.1% |
| 2024 | 0.6% | -3.3% |
Nauru compared with similar countries
- Nauru's 0.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Nauru's 0.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7%, 90% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Nauru 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | -1200.1% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | -1200.6% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | +285.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 2012 | +203.9% | 0.5% | 1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.3% | 0.7% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | -0.1% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.2% | -0.5% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 0.3% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nauru
More population data for Nauru
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1598 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2049)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1598 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.05 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 14.7 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5419 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2823 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.179 (2100)
- Population density 1,034 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1,413 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Nauru?
- Population growth in Nauru was 0.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Nauru?
- The highest recorded value was 2.5% in 1982.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Nauru?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.5% in 2002.
- How does Nauru rank for population growth?
- Nauru ranks 134th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Nauru?
- Over the last ten years it is down 71.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nauru 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