Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Kiribati
Kiribati: Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 was 63.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
63.4%
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
130th
of 238 countries
All-time high
63.4%
in 2025
All-time low
10.5%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Kiribati, 1950–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Kiribati stood at 63.4%. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 24.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Kiribati peaked at 63.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 1950.
Kiribati ranks 130th of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Kiribati, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 10.5% | — |
| 1951 | 11.0% | +4.3% |
| 1952 | 11.4% | +3.9% |
| 1953 | 11.8% | +3.6% |
| 1954 | 12.2% | +3.5% |
| 1955 | 12.6% | +3.4% |
| 1956 | 13.1% | +3.4% |
| 1957 | 13.5% | +3.5% |
| 1958 | 14.0% | +3.7% |
| 1959 | 14.6% | +4.0% |
| 1960 | 15.2% | +4.2% |
| 1961 | 16.0% | +5.2% |
| 1962 | 17.0% | +6.4% |
| 1963 | 18.2% | +6.9% |
| 1964 | 19.5% | +6.9% |
| 1965 | 20.7% | +6.4% |
| 1966 | 21.9% | +5.7% |
| 1967 | 22.9% | +4.7% |
| 1968 | 23.7% | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 24.2% | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 24.5% | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 24.8% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 25.1% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 25.5% | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 26.1% | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 27.4% | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 29.0% | +5.7% |
| 1977 | 30.5% | +5.3% |
| 1978 | 31.6% | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 32.1% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 32.4% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 32.7% | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 32.9% | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 33.1% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 33.3% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 33.5% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 33.8% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 34.1% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 34.4% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 34.7% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 35.0% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 35.3% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 35.5% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 35.7% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 36.0% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 36.3% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 37.1% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 38.6% | +4.2% |
| 1998 | 40.5% | +5.0% |
| 1999 | 42.3% | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 43.3% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 43.5% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 43.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 43.5% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 43.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 43.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 43.7% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 44.6% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 45.9% | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 47.4% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 48.5% | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 49.1% | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 49.6% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 50.0% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 50.4% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 51.0% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 51.8% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 53.0% | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 54.5% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 56.3% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 58.4% | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 59.6% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 60.6% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 61.5% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 62.5% | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 63.4% | +1.5% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's 63.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's 63.4% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 97% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.5% | 10.5% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.9% | 15.2% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.7% | 24.5% | 32.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.5% | 32.4% | 34.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.2% | 35.0% | 42.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.3% | 43.3% | 47.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.4% | 48.5% | 56.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.0% | 58.4% | 63.4% | 6 |
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)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 274.88 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 14,189 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Kiribati?
- Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Kiribati was 63.4% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 63.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 1950.
- How does Kiribati rank for share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050?
- Kiribati ranks 130th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kiribati data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.