
Population growth in Kiribati
From 1960 to 2020 the population of Kiribati increased from 41,196.00 to 119,446.00 people. This is a growth by 189.9 percent in 60 years. The highest increase in Kiribati was recorded in 1988 with 2.74%. The smallest increase in 1993 with 1.26%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 156.0 percent.
The average age in Kiribati rose by 2.55 years from 2012 to 2020 from 23.15 to 25.70 years (median value).
Around 56% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 2.9% 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 | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 % | 29.2 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 111,000 | 1.41 % | 29.0 ‰ | 6.6 ‰ | 7,348 M | 1.18 % | |
2016 | 113,000 | 1.44 % | 28.7 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 7,434 M | 1.17 % | |
2017 | 114,000 | 1.44 % | 28.3 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 7,519 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 116,000 | 1.48 % | 27.9 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 7,602 M | 1.11 % | |
2019 | 118,000 | 1.52 % | 27.5 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 7,683 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 119,000 | 1.56 % | 7,762 M | 1.02 % |

Birth- and deathrate in Kiribati
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2019 in the graph: The population in Kiribati increased by about 1,770 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 6.3 per 1000 people (~ 730 deaths) and the birth rate was 27.5 per 1000 people (~ 3,180 births). As a result, around 680 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 731 in Kiribati. The number of births was 3,179 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate