Kiribati Control of Corruption

Kiribati’s score on the World Bank’s Control of Corruption indicator has fallen sharply since the 2004 peak of 0.51, sliding to a trough of –0.14 in 2009 before stabilising at 0.30 in 2025, placing the island nation at 75th out of 180 countries. The 21‑year series shows a persistent decline in perceived integrity of public institutions, reflecting challenges such as limited administrative capacity, vulnerability to external aid dependence and the governance pressures of climate‑driven displacement. By contrast, regional peers such as Fiji register a similar 2025 level of 0.29, while Bahrain scores slightly higher at 0.33, underscoring that Kiribati’s corruption environment remains comparable to other small Pacific economies but lags behind higher‑ranked neighbours. The modest rebound from the 2009 low suggests that recent anti‑corruption reforms and increased transparency initiatives have had some effect, yet further improvements will likely depend on strengthening institutional frameworks, enhancing civil‑society oversight and securing resilient financing to sustain reform momentum.