Population in Kiribati

Kiribati: Population was 132,540 people in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
132,540 people
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
192nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
132,540 people
in 2023
All-time low
37,871 people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Population in Kiribati, 1950–2023

40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k120.0k140.0k195019862023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

Kiribati recorded 132,540 people for population in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and up 16.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in Kiribati peaked at 132,540 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 37,871 people, in 1950.

That places Kiribati 192nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.

Population in Kiribati, year by year

Annual values for Population in Kiribati, 1950 to 2023.
Year people Change
1950 37,871 people
1951 38,644 people +2.0%
1952 39,449 people +2.1%
1953 40,285 people +2.1%
1954 41,151 people +2.1%
1955 42,062 people +2.2%
1956 43,009 people +2.3%
1957 43,992 people +2.3%
1958 45,005 people +2.3%
1959 46,061 people +2.3%
1960 47,177 people +2.4%
1961 48,347 people +2.5%
1962 49,562 people +2.5%
1963 50,812 people +2.5%
1964 52,106 people +2.5%
1965 53,452 people +2.6%
1966 54,449 people +1.9%
1967 55,016 people +1.0%
1968 55,545 people +1.0%
1969 56,380 people +1.5%
1970 57,530 people +2.0%
1971 58,672 people +2.0%
1972 59,796 people +1.9%
1973 60,839 people +1.7%
1974 61,235 people +0.7%
1975 61,011 people -0.4%
1976 60,683 people -0.5%
1977 60,285 people -0.7%
1978 59,878 people -0.7%
1979 60,192 people +0.5%
1980 61,170 people +1.6%
1981 62,137 people +1.6%
1982 63,146 people +1.6%
1983 64,183 people +1.6%
1984 65,245 people +1.7%
1985 66,510 people +1.9%
1986 68,079 people +2.4%
1987 69,749 people +2.5%
1988 71,445 people +2.4%
1989 73,164 people +2.4%
1990 74,872 people +2.3%
1991 76,385 people +2.0%
1992 77,655 people +1.7%
1993 78,853 people +1.5%
1994 80,033 people +1.5%
1995 81,251 people +1.5%
1996 82,637 people +1.7%
1997 84,161 people +1.8%
1998 85,672 people +1.8%
1999 87,139 people +1.7%
2000 88,632 people +1.7%
2001 90,350 people +1.9%
2002 92,281 people +2.1%
2003 94,189 people +2.1%
2004 96,096 people +2.0%
2005 98,045 people +2.0%
2006 100,028 people +2.0%
2007 102,081 people +2.1%
2008 104,235 people +2.1%
2009 106,479 people +2.2%
2010 108,717 people +2.1%
2011 110,660 people +1.8%
2012 112,293 people +1.5%
2013 113,847 people +1.4%
2014 115,339 people +1.3%
2015 116,826 people +1.3%
2016 118,488 people +1.4%
2017 120,288 people +1.5%
2018 122,097 people +1.5%
2019 123,928 people +1.5%
2020 126,110 people +1.8%
2021 128,387 people +1.8%
2022 130,483 people +1.6%
2023 132,540 people +1.6%

Kiribati compared with similar countries

  • Kiribati's 132,540 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.20 million people, 1% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • Kiribati's 132,540 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.38 million people, 10% of the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 41,753 people 37,871 people 46,061 people 10
1960s 52,285 people 47,177 people 56,380 people 10
1970s 60,012 people 57,530 people 61,235 people 10
1980s 66,483 people 61,170 people 73,164 people 10
1990s 80,866 people 74,872 people 87,139 people 10
2000s 97,242 people 88,632 people 106,479 people 10
2010s 116,248 people 108,717 people 123,928 people 10
2020s 129,380 people 126,110 people 132,540 people 4

Countries ranked near Kiribati

  1. 189 Curacao 185,437 people compare
  2. 190 Saint Lucia 179,291 people compare
  3. 191 Guam 166,522 people compare
  4. 193 Seychelles 127,961 people compare
  5. 194 Grenada 117,094 people compare
  6. 195 Micronesia (country) 112,646 people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Kiribati

All data for Kiribati →

Frequently asked questions

What is population in Kiribati?
Population in Kiribati was 132,540 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest population recorded in Kiribati?
The highest recorded value was 132,540 people in 2023.
What is the lowest population recorded in Kiribati?
The lowest recorded value was 37,871 people in 1950.
How does Kiribati rank for population?
Kiribati ranks 192nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is population rising or falling in Kiribati?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Kiribati data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population in Kiribati. Statizoid, drawing on UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-with-un-projections/kiribati/

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About this data

Indicator
Population
Unit
people
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed

Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.