Population growth rate in Nauru
Nauru: Population growth rate was 0.5% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population growth rate in Nauru, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nauru recorded 0.5% for population growth rate in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 32.3% on the previous year and down 77.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Nauru peaked at 5.6% in 1965 and was at its lowest, -0.5%, in 2002.
Nauru ranks 145th of 236 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 rate in Nauru, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.1% | — |
| 1951 | 2.9% | -3.9% |
| 1952 | 2.5% | -14.0% |
| 1953 | 2.2% | -10.9% |
| 1954 | 2.3% | +2.4% |
| 1955 | 3.2% | +37.6% |
| 1956 | 3.7% | +17.8% |
| 1957 | 3.0% | -20.1% |
| 1958 | 3.6% | +20.2% |
| 1959 | 3.6% | -0.4% |
| 1960 | 3.2% | -9.4% |
| 1961 | 3.8% | +18.6% |
| 1962 | 4.6% | +18.9% |
| 1963 | 5.1% | +12.9% |
| 1964 | 5.6% | +8.2% |
| 1965 | 5.6% | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 1.6% | -71.4% |
| 1967 | 1.4% | -13.6% |
| 1968 | 4.8% | +244.4% |
| 1969 | 3.1% | -35.1% |
| 1970 | 0.8% | -74.5% |
| 1971 | 0.8% | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 0.7% | -8.3% |
| 1973 | 0.9% | +24.0% |
| 1974 | 0.8% | -9.2% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | +31.6% |
| 1976 | 1.1% | +9.8% |
| 1977 | 1.6% | +41.2% |
| 1978 | 2.1% | +30.3% |
| 1979 | 2.5% | +17.4% |
| 1980 | 2.3% | -6.6% |
| 1981 | 2.6% | +12.5% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | -5.8% |
| 1983 | 1.9% | -22.0% |
| 1984 | 2.0% | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 2.2% | +9.9% |
| 1986 | 2.3% | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 2.4% | +5.1% |
| 1988 | 2.5% | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | -8.9% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | -45.5% |
| 1993 | 0.4% | -67.5% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | -22.7% |
| 1995 | 0.2% | -26.1% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | -39.4% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | -0.1% | -186.1% |
| 1999 | -0.1% | -16.9% |
| 2000 | -0.3% | +190.8% |
| 2001 | -0.4% | +55.8% |
| 2002 | -0.5% | +18.5% |
| 2003 | 0.1% | -115.2% |
| 2004 | -0.1% | -175.0% |
| 2005 | -0.2% | +165.0% |
| 2006 | -0.1% | -6.3% |
| 2007 | -0.1% | -19.5% |
| 2008 | -0.1% | -25.0% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -344.4% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +45.0% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | +139.2% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | +234.5% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | -11.3% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | -12.4% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 1.6% | -14.9% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | -10.2% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | -16.2% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | -45.2% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -56.6% |
| 2021 | 0.8% | +183.6% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | -9.9% |
| 2023 | 0.5% | -32.3% |
Nauru compared with similar countries
- Nauru's 0.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Nauru's 0.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7%, 73% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +344.4% | -0.1% | 0.2% |
| 1968 | +244.4% | 1.4% | 4.8% |
| 2012 | +234.5% | 0.8% | 2.6% |
| 2000 | -190.8% | -0.1% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | +183.6% | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| 1998 | -186.1% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.0% | 2.2% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.9% | 1.4% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.2% | 0.7% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7% | -0.1% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.2% | -0.5% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 0.3% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nauru
- 142 Guyana 0.6% compare
- 143 Denmark 0.5% compare
- 144 Fiji 0.5% compare
- 146 Antigua and Barbuda 0.5% compare
- 147 Costa Rica 0.5% compare
- 148 Cape Verde 0.5% compare
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)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 1,034 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1,413 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Nauru?
- Population growth rate in Nauru was 0.5% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Nauru?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 1965.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Nauru?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.5% in 2002.
- How does Nauru rank for population growth rate?
- Nauru ranks 145th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Nauru?
- Over the last ten years it is down 77.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nauru data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.