Kiribati — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Kiribati: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Kiribati is in 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. It covers 811 sq km. Terrain: mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs. Climate: tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds.
| Capital | Tarawa |
|---|---|
| Population | 116,545 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $438.143 million (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $3,300 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 5.3% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 9.3% (2023 est.) |
| Public debt | 22.9% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $17.099 million (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $293.624 million (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 68.5 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 27.7 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 57.8% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 12 July 1979 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Gilbertese, English (official) |
Kiribati’s GDP is $438.143 million (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $307.863 million (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 5.3% (2024 est.). See where Kiribati ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Little moved in Jul–Sep 2026: no crisis, no windfall. The quarter simply confirmed the country's standing course.
Deeper forces — trade patterns, regional stability, institutional strength — will decide the trajectory; three months rarely do.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 23% of GDP — room to maneuver
- What drags it down: life expectancy of only 68 years; graded on patchy data (75% complete) — read the score as an order of magnitude
Phosphates.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 94.4% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 81.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 18.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 8.578 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 0.3 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 2,515 kWh per person (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $17.099 million (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $293.624 million (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $276.5 million (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | fishing, handicrafts |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Taneti Maamau — President. President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016)
Kiribati maintains 2 embassies and 0 consulates abroad, hosts 4 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 2 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 0 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 4 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York |
Source: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Kiribati' / '... in Kiribati'
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 1143 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 21 (registration prefix T3) |
| Major seaports | Canton Island, English Harbor, Tarawa Atoll |
Major airports
Bonriki International Airport (TRW) — South Tarawa; Cassidy International Airport (CXI) — Kiritimati.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Kiribati.
Historical timeline of Kiribati
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Kiribati — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Kiribati's power score?
Kiribati has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.