
Population growth in Kiribati
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Kiribati increased from 41,196.00 to 128,874.00 people. This is a growth of 212.8 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Kiribati was recorded in 2015 with 6.69 percent. The smallest increase in 1993 with 1.26 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Kiribati rose by 2.55 years from 2012 to 2021 from 23.15 to 25.70 years (median value).
Around 56 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.2 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Kiribati
Population development in Kiribati since 1960
(Data given in 1000 inhabitants)Year | Population Kiribati | Change Kiribati | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 42,000 | 2.52 % | 46.8 ‰ | 18.7 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 43,000 | 2.48 % | 45.9 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 44,000 | 2.45 % | 44.8 ‰ | 17.7 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 45,000 | 2.37 % | 43.6 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 46,000 | 2.28 % | 42.2 ‰ | 16.6 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 47,000 | 2.15 % | 40.6 ‰ | 16.1 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 48,000 | 2.05 % | 39.0 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 49,000 | 1.96 % | 37.4 ‰ | 15.0 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 50,000 | 1.85 % | 35.9 ‰ | 14.5 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 51,000 | 1.74 % | 34.6 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 52,000 | 1.64 % | 33.6 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 53,000 | 1.53 % | 33.0 ‰ | 13.4 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 54,000 | 1.48 % | 32.8 ‰ | 13.1 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 54,000 | 1.45 % | 32.9 ‰ | 12.9 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 55,000 | 1.44 % | 33.3 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 56,000 | 1.47 % | 33.9 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 57,000 | 1.50 % | 34.6 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 58,000 | 1.50 % | 35.2 ‰ | 12.4 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 58,000 | 1.49 % | 35.8 ‰ | 12.3 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 59,000 | 1.41 % | 36.2 ‰ | 12.2 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 60,000 | 1.36 % | 36.6 ‰ | 12.1 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 61,000 | 1.31 % | 36.8 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 62,000 | 1.39 % | 37.0 ‰ | 11.7 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 63,000 | 1.63 % | 37.2 ‰ | 11.5 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 64,000 | 1.98 % | 37.3 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 66,000 | 2.37 % | 37.4 ‰ | 11.1 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 67,000 | 2.66 % | 37.3 ‰ | 10.8 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 69,000 | 2.74 % | 37.2 ‰ | 10.6 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 71,000 | 2.55 % | 37.0 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 72,000 | 2.18 % | 36.7 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 74,000 | 1.79 % | 36.3 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 75,000 | 1.46 % | 35.8 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 76,000 | 1.26 % | 35.1 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 77,000 | 1.26 % | 34.4 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 78,000 | 1.37 % | 33.7 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 79,000 | 1.53 % | 33.0 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 80,000 | 1.63 % | 32.3 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 82,000 | 1.71 % | 31.6 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 83,000 | 1.73 % | 31.0 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 84,000 | 1.73 % | 30.6 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 86,000 | 1.70 % | 30.2 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 87,000 | 1.71 % | 29.9 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 89,000 | 1.75 % | 29.7 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 90,000 | 1.87 % | 29.6 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 92,000 | 2.01 % | 29.5 ‰ | 7.3 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 94,000 | 2.19 % | 29.5 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 97,000 | 2.32 % | 29.5 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 99,000 | 2.31 % | 29.5 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 101,000 | 2.20 % | 29.6 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 103,000 | 1.98 % | 29.6 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 105,000 | 1.75 % | 29.6 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 106,000 | 1.55 % | 29.5 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 108,000 | 1.44 % | 29.4 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 109,000 | 1.39 % | 29.5 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 117,000 | 6.69 % | 29.2 ‰ | 6.6 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
2016 | 119,000 | 1.55 % | 28.9 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
2017 | 120,000 | 1.56 % | 28.6 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 122,000 | 1.58 % | 28.5 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 124,000 | 1.62 % | 28.1 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 126,000 | 1.79 % | 27.6 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
2021 | 129,000 | 1.91 % | 27.2 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |

Birth and death rate in Kiribati
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2021 in the graph: The population in Kiribati increased by about 2,410 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 6.2 per 1,000 people (~ 790 deaths) and the birth rate was 27.2 per 1,000 people (~ 3,440 births). As a result, around 240 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 766 in Kiribati. The number of births was 3,379 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate