Kiribati People - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

115,372 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)

adjective: Kiribati

Ethnic groups

I-Kiribati 95.78%, I-Kiribati/mixed 3.8%, Tuvaluan 0.2%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

Languages

Gilbertese, English (official)

Religions

Roman Catholic 58.9%, Kiribati Uniting Church 21.2%, Kiribati Protestant Church 8.4%, Church of Jesus Christ 5.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.1%, Baha'i 2.1%, other 1.7% (2020 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.06% (male 15,906/female 15,314)

15-64 years: 67.77% (male 37,634/female 40,559)

65 years and over: 5.17% (2023 est.) (male 2,314/female 3,645)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 66.4

youth dependency ratio: 60.2

elderly dependency ratio: 6.2

potential support ratio: 16.1 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 25.7 years

male: 24.8 years

female: 26.6 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

1.02% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

19.92 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.91 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

-2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

consists of three achipelagos spread out over an area roughly the size of India; the eastern Line Islands and central Phoenix Islands are sparsely populated, but the western Gilbert Islands are some of the most densely settled places on earth, with the main island of South Tarawa boasting a population density similar to Tokyo or Hong Kong

Urbanization

urban population: 57.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

64,000 TARAWA (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female

total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

23.1 years (2009 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

76 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 32.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 34.17 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 30.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68.22 years

male: 65.6 years

female: 70.97 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.18 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.06 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

33.5% (2018/19)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97.2% of population

rural: 63.1% of population

total: 82% of population

unimproved: urban: 2.8% of population

rural: 36.9% of population

total: 18% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

11.6% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density

1.9 beds/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 75.4% of population

rural: 45.4% of population

total: 62.1% of population

unimproved: urban: 24.6% of population

rural: 54.6% of population

total: 37.9% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

46% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 0.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 40.6% (2020 est.)

male: 53.9% (2020 est.)

female: 27.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.9% (2018/19)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

67.6% (2023 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 2.4%

women married by age 18: 18.4%

men married by age 18: 8.6% (2019 est.)

Education expenditures

12.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Literacy

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 22.5%

male: 21.2%

female: 24.6% (2019 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Kiribati on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Kiribati 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Kiribati 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.