Kiribati

presidential republic

name: Tarawa geographic coordinates: 1 21 N, 173 02 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Kiribati has three time zones: the Gilbert Islands group at UTC+12, the Phoenix Islands at UTC+13, and the Line Islands at UTC+14 etymology: the name is said to derive from the I-Kiribati words te (the) and rawa (run), referring to a channel through a nearby reef

chief of state: President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016) head of government: President Taneti MAAMAU (since 11 March 2016) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among House of Assembly members election/appointment process: president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for 2 additional terms) by simple-majority popular vote, after candidates are nominated from among House of Assembly members; vice president appointed by the president most recent election date: 25 October 2024 election results: 2024: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKP) 55%, Kaotitaake KOKORIA (independent) 42%, Bautaake BEIA (TKP) 3% 2020: Taneti MAAMAU reelected president; percent of vote - Taneti MAAMAU (TKP) 59.3%, Banuera BERINA (BKM) 40.7% expected date of next election: 2028 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name: House of Assembly (Maneaba Ni Maungatabu) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 45 (44 directly elected; 1 appointed) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 8/14/2024 to 8/19/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 11.1% expected date of next election: August 2028

highest court(s): High Court (consists of a chief justice and other judges as prescribed by the president) judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the president on the advice of the cabinet in consultation with the Public Service Commission (PSC); other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice along with the PSC subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; magistrates' courts

history: The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order in Council 1915, The Gilbert Islands Order in Council 1975 (pre-independence); latest promulgated 12 July 1979 (at independence) amendment process: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; passage of amendments affecting the constitutional section on amendment procedures and parts of the constitutional chapter on citizenship requires deferral of the proposal to the next Assembly meeting where approval is required by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership and support of the nominated or elected Banaban member of the Assembly; amendments affecting the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms also requires approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum

ABEDA, ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Kiribati Police Service (includes Maritime Police) (2025)

Australia, NZ, and the US have provided security assistance; Kiribati has a "ship rider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Kiribati's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; ship rider agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025)

$438.143 million (2024 est.) $416.221 million (2023 est.) $405.468 million (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$3,300 (2024 est.) $3,100 (2023 est.) $3,100 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

5.3% (2024 est.) 2.7% (2023 est.) 4.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

9.3% (2023 est.) 5.3% (2022 est.) 2.1% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

22.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

$17.099 million (2023 est.) $20.58 million (2022 est.) $10.754 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$293.624 million (2023 est.) $272.004 million (2022 est.) $201.984 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

revenues: $260.557 million (2023 est.) expenditures: $264.736 million (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

fishing, handicrafts

coconuts, bananas, vegetables, taro, tropical fruits, pork, chicken, nuts, eggs, pork offal (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 116,545 (2024 est.) male: 56,364 female: 60,181

0.98% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 26.8% (male 15,895/female 15,304) 15-64 years: 67.9% (male 38,046/female 41,059) 65 years and over: 5.4% (2024 est.) (male 2,423/female 3,818)

19.4 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.88 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-2.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 68.5 years (2024 est.) male: 65.9 years female: 71.3 years

urban population: 57.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

Gilbertese, English (official)

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.)

total population: 98.6% (2020 est.) male: 98.6% (2020 est.) female: 98.9% (2020 est.)

phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish

21 (2025)

total: 74 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 24, oil tanker 11, other 37

total subscriptions: 70,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 88% (2023 est.)