Kiribati Population Growth

Kiribati’s population growth has slowed to 1.42 percent in 2025, placing the island nation at rank 80 globally, a figure that matches the current rate of Bolivia, Plurinational State of, and is only marginally below Pakistan’s 1.42 percent and Andorra’s 1.52 percent. The long‑term trend over the 65‑year series shows a marked decline from the all‑time peak of 2.56 percent recorded in 1965 to the all‑time trough of –0.67 percent in 1978, when the country experienced its only negative growth episode. The early post‑colonial surge gave way to a gradual moderation as fertility rates fell and out‑migration intensified, especially among working‑age adults seeking opportunities abroad. The recent figure remains well above the historic low, suggesting that the demographic transition is stabilising rather than reversing. Continued improvements in health services, education and economic diversification could sustain modest positive growth, whereas heightened climate‑related displacement might again depress the trajectory.