2022 Edition

Background

Kiribati is made up of three distinct island groups - the Gilbert Islands, the Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. The first Austronesian voyagers arrived in the Gilbert Islands as early as 3000 B.C., but these islands were not widely settled until about A.D. 200 by Micronesians. Around 1300, Samoans and Tongans invaded the southern Gilbert Islands, bringing Polynesian cultural elements with them. Later arrivals by Fijians brought Melanesian elements to the Gilbert Islands, and extensive intermarriage between the Micronesian, Polynesian, and Melanesian people led to the creation of what would become Gilbertese cultural traditions by the time Europeans spotted the islands in the 1600s. The Phoenix Islands and Line Islands were both visited by various Melanesian and Polynesian peoples, but their isolation and lack of natural resources meant that long-term settlements were not possible and both island groups were uninhabited by the time of European contact. Kiribati experienced sustained European contact by the 1760s; all three island groups were named and charted by 1826. American whaling ships frequently passed through the islands, and the UK declared a protectorate over the Gilbert and nearby Ellice Islands in 1892 to block growing US influence. Phosphate-rich Banaba Island was annexed to the protectorate in 1900. In 1916, the protectorate became a colony, and some Line Islands were added in 1916 and 1919, with the final ones added in 1972. The Phoenix Islands were added to the colony in 1937, and the UK agreed to share jurisdiction of some of them with the US because of their strategic location for aviation. Japan occupied the northern Gilbert Islands in 1941; the islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The UK continued to rule the colony after World War II. The Ellice Islands became its own colony in 1974. The Gilbert Islands became fully self-governing in 1977 and independent in 1979 as Kiribati, the Gilbertese spelling of Gilberts. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Islands in a 1979 treaty of friendship.In 1994, Kiribati adjusted the international date line to the east of the Line Islands, bringing all islands in the country to the same day and giving Kiribati the earliest time zone in the world. Kiribati is a leading climate change and marine protection advocate. The Phoenix Islands Protected Area was established in 2008; in 2010, it became the world's largest (and deepest) UNESCO World Heritage site. In 2012, Kiribati purchased a 22 sq km (8.5 sq mi) plot of land in Fiji for potential eventual resettlement of its population because of climate change.

Area

land

811 sq km

note

note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, and Phoenix Islands - dispersed over about 3.5 million sq km (1.35 million sq mi)

total

811 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

four times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Coastline

1,143 km

Elevation

highest point

unnamed elevation on Banaba 81 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

2 m

Geographic coordinates

1 25 N, 173 00 E

Geography - note

21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru; Kiribati is the only country in the world to fall into all four hemispheres (northern, southern, eastern, and western)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

42% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 39.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

15% (2018 est.)

other

43% (2018 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of 32 coral atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific Ocean, straddling the Equator; the capital Tarawa is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March; occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level

Natural resources

phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish

Population distribution

consists of three achipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

Terrain

mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs

Age structure

0-14 years

28.47% (male 16,223/female 15,604)

15-24 years

20.24% (male 11,171/female 11,459)

25-54 years

40.05% (male 21,530/female 23,249)

55-64 years

6.65% (male 3,350/female 4,084)

65 years and over

4.59% (male 2,004/female 3,122) (2020 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

20.12 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

8.6% (2019 est.)

women married by age 15

2.4%

women married by age 18

18.4%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.9% (2018/19)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

33.5% (2018/19)

Current health expenditure

10.3% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

6.92 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.2

potential support ratio

16.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

66.4

youth dependency ratio

60.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 63.1% of population

improved: total

total: 82% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 36.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 18% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.8% of population

Education expenditures

12.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Ethnic groups

I-Kiribati 95.78%, I-Kiribati/mixed 3.8%, Tuvaluan 0.2%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

Hospital bed density

1.9 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Infant mortality rate

female

30.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

34.88 deaths/1,000 live births

total

32.93 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Gilbertese, English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.64 years (2022 est.)

male

65.3 years

total population

67.9 years

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Major urban areas - population

64,000 TARAWA (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

92 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

26.6 years (2020 est.)

male

24.8 years

total

25.7 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

23.1 years (2009 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Nationality

adjective

Kiribati

noun

I-Kiribati (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

46% (2016)

Physicians density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

114,189 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

consists of three achipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

Population growth rate

1.04% (2022 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%, Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 45.4% of population

improved: total

total: 62.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 75.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 54.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 37.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 24.6% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

0.98 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.92 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.82 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.46 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

27.3% (2020 est.)

male

53.9% (2020 est.)

total

40.6% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.2 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

57.8% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

24.6% (2019 est.)

male

21.2%

total

22.5%

Administrative divisions

3 geographical units: Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions, but there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island councils - one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang, Abemama, Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati, Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea, Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)

Capital

etymology

in Kiribati creation mythology, "tarawa" was what the spider Nareau named the land to distinguish it from "karawa" (the sky) and "marawa" (the ocean)

geographic coordinates

1 21 N, 173 02 E

name

Tarawa

time difference

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note

Kiribati has three time zones: the Gilbert Islands group at UTC+12, the Phoenix Islands at UTC+13, and the Line Islands at UTC+14

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Kiribati

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; passage of amendments affecting the constitutional section on amendment procedures and parts of the constitutional chapter on citizenship requires deferral of the proposal to the next Assembly meeting where approval is required by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and support of the nominated or elected Banaban member of the Assembly; amendments affecting the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms also requires approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum; amended several times, last in 2018

history

The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915, The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975 (preindependence); latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Kiribati

conventional short form

Kiribati

etymology

the name is the local pronunciation of "Gilberts," the former designation of the islands; originally named after explorer Thomas GILBERT, who mapped many of the islands in 1788

former

Gilbert Islands

local long form

Republic of Kiribati

local short form

Kiribati

note

note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Kiribati

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

685 Third Avenue, Suite 1109, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Teburoro TITO (since 24 January 2018)

email address and website

Kimission.newyork@mfa.gov.ki

FAX

[1] (212) 867-3320

note

note - the Kiribati Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the embassy

telephone

[1] (212) 867-3310

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly members

chief of state

President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016); Vice President Teuea TOATU (since 19 June 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKB) 59.3%, Banuera BERINA (BKM) 40.7%.

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote following nomination of candidates from among House of Assembly members; term is 4 years (eligible for 2 additional terms); election last held on 22 June 2020 (next to be held in 2024); vice president appointed by the president

head of government

President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016); Vice President Teuea TOATU (since 19 June 2019)

Flag description

the upper half is red with a yellow frigatebird flying over a yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal wavy white stripes to represent the Pacific ocean; the white stripes represent the three island groups - the Gilbert, Line, and Phoenix Islands; the 17 rays of the sun represent the 16 Gilbert Islands and Banaba (formerly Ocean Island); the frigatebird symbolizes authority and freedom

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

12 July 1979 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president); note - the High Court has jurisdiction on constitutional issues

judge selection and term of office

chief justice appointed by the president on the advice of the cabinet in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC); other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice along with the PSC

subordinate courts

Court of Appeal; magistrates' courts

Legal system

English common law supplemented by customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral House of Assembly or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (46 seats; 44 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two-rounds if needed; 1 member appointed by the Rabi Council of Leaders - representing Banaba Island, and 1 ex officio member - the attorney general; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party (second round) - NA; seats by party (second round) - TKB 22, BKM 22, 1 independent

elections

legislative elections originally scheduled to be held in two rounds on 7 and 15 April 2020 but rescheduled for 14 and 21 April (next to be held in 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Urium Tamuera IOTEBA

name

"Teirake kaini Kiribati" (Stand Up, Kiribati)

note

note: adopted 1979

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Phoenix Islands Protected Area

total World Heritage Sites

1 (natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 12 July (1979)

National symbol(s)

frigatebird; national colors: red, white, blue, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Boutokaan Kiribati Moa Party or BKM [Tessie LAMBOURNE]Tobwaan Kiribati Party or TKP [Taneti MAAMAU]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, roots/tubers nes, bananas, vegetables, taro, tropical fruit, poultry, pork, nuts, eggs

Budget

expenditures

277.5 million (2017 est.)

revenues

151.2 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-64.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$35 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$18 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2015

$32.3 million (2015 est.)

Debt - external 2016

$40.9 million (2016 est.)

Economic overview

A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural resources and is one of the least developed Pacific Island countries. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted by the time of independence from the United Kingdom in 1979. Earnings from fishing licenses and seafarer remittances are important sources of income. Although the number of seafarers employed declined due to changes in global shipping demands, remittances are expected to improve with more overseas temporary and seasonal work opportunities for Kiribati nationals.   Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. The public sector dominates economic activity, with ongoing capital projects in infrastructure including road rehabilitation, water and sanitation projects, and renovations to the international airport, spurring some growth. Public debt increased from 23% of GDP at the end of 2015 to 25.8% in 2016.   Kiribati is dependent on foreign aid, which was estimated to have contributed over 32.7% in 2016 to the government’s finances. The country’s sovereign fund, the Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund (RERF), which is held offshore, had an estimated balance of $855.5 million in late July 2016. The RERF seeks to avoid exchange rate risk by holding investments in more than 20 currencies, including the Australian dollar, US dollar, the Japanese yen, and the Euro. Drawdowns from the RERF helped finance the government’s annual budget.

Exchange rates

Currency

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1.11 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1.33 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

1.34 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

1.34 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1.31 (2017 est.)

note

note: the Australian dollar circulates as legal tender

Exports

Exports 2018

$20 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2019

$30 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

fish and fish produces, ships, coconut oil, copra (2019)

Exports - partners

Thailand 53%, Philippines 17%, South Korea 10%, Japan 9% (2019)

Fiscal year

NA

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

23% (2016 est.)

industry

7% (2016 est.)

services

70% (2016 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$197 million (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2018

$170 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2019

$180 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, netting, raw sugar, rice, poultry meats (2019)

Imports - partners

China 20%, Fiji 19%, Australia 12%, Taiwan 11%, South Korea 11%, New Zealand 7%, Japan 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

1.1% (2012 est.)

Industries

fishing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

1.9% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0.4% (2017 est.)

Labor force

39,000 (2010 est.)

note

note: economically active, not including subsistence farmers

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

15%

industry

10%

services

75% (2010)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2016

22.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

26.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$260 million (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$270 million (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$270 million (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

10.3% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

1.1% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3.1% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$2,300 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$2,300 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$2,300 (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2010

$8.37 million (31 December 2010 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$0 (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

76.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2005

6.1% (2005)

Unemployment rate 2010

30.6% (2010 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

24.6% (2019 est.)

male

21.2%

total

22.5%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

76,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

76,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

25.137 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

11,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

4.7 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

84.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

15.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

9.335 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

500 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

420 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.2 (2020 est.)

total

185 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station broadcasts on AM, FM, and shortwave (2017)

Internet country code

.ki

Internet users

percent of population

38% (2020 est.)

total

45,390 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular approximately 46 per 100 subscriptions (2020)

general assessment

generally good national and international service; wireline service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati (Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF radiotelephone; recently formed (mobile network operator) MNO is implementing the first phase of improvements with 3G and 4G upgrades on some islands; islands are connected to each other and the rest of the world via satellite; launch of Kacific-1 in December 2019 will improve telecommunication for Kiribati (2020)

international

country code - 686; landing point for the Southern Cross NEXT submarine cable system from Australia, 7 Pacific Ocean island countries to the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2020 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

33 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

46 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

54,661 (2020 est.)

Airports

total

19 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

4 (2021)

total

4

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

10

total

15

under 914 m

5 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T3

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 3, general cargo 35, oil tanker 12, other 38 (2021)

total

88

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

66,567 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

8

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Betio (Tarawa Atoll), Canton Island, English Harbor

Roadways

total

670 km (2017)

Waterways

5 km (2012) (small network of canals in Line Islands)

Military - note

defense assistance is provided by Australia and NZKiribati has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Kiribati's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2022)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Kiribati Police and Prison Service (Ministry of Justice)

Disputes - international

none identified

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.07 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.02 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

10.45 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds

Environment - current issues

heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to overcrowding mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk; potential for water shortages, disease; coastal erosion

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

42% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 2.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 39.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

15% (2018 est.)

other

43% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

57.8% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

35,724 tons (2016 est.)