Rural population growth in Kiribati
Kiribati: Rural population growth was -1.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Kiribati, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Kiribati recorded -1.0% for rural population growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.7% on the previous year and down 831.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Kiribati peaked at 2.1% in 2002 and was at its lowest, -3.2%, in 2020.
Kiribati ranks 170th of 209 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth in Kiribati, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.5% | — |
| 1962 | 1.3% | -16.3% |
| 1963 | 1.1% | -14.6% |
| 1964 | 1.0% | -8.6% |
| 1965 | 1.0% | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 0.3% | -66.0% |
| 1967 | -0.3% | -179.1% |
| 1968 | -0.0% | -83.3% |
| 1969 | 0.8% | -1888.0% |
| 1970 | 1.6% | +95.3% |
| 1971 | 1.6% | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 1.5% | -5.3% |
| 1973 | 1.2% | -19.5% |
| 1974 | -0.2% | -119.7% |
| 1975 | -2.1% | +771.6% |
| 1976 | -2.7% | +29.8% |
| 1977 | -2.8% | +3.7% |
| 1978 | -2.2% | -20.6% |
| 1979 | -0.3% | -87.8% |
| 1980 | 1.1% | -516.1% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | +6.2% |
| 1982 | 1.3% | +8.8% |
| 1983 | 1.3% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 1.3% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 1.6% | +17.1% |
| 1986 | 1.9% | +22.2% |
| 1987 | 2.0% | +4.7% |
| 1988 | 1.9% | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 1.9% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 1.6% | -14.8% |
| 1992 | 1.3% | -17.8% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | -9.0% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | -10.1% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | -9.2% |
| 1996 | 0.6% | -41.8% |
| 1997 | -0.7% | -219.0% |
| 1998 | -1.4% | +112.0% |
| 1999 | -1.3% | -7.3% |
| 2000 | -0.1% | -91.7% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | -1615.5% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | +25.3% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | -15.6% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | -73.5% |
| 2008 | -0.3% | -175.5% |
| 2009 | -0.5% | +50.6% |
| 2010 | -0.0% | -90.0% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -1055.1% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | +18.8% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | -25.0% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -68.6% |
| 2016 | -0.3% | -287.8% |
| 2017 | -1.0% | +284.0% |
| 2018 | -1.8% | +77.1% |
| 2019 | -2.5% | +38.8% |
| 2020 | -3.2% | +29.4% |
| 2021 | -1.2% | -63.1% |
| 2022 | -0.7% | -38.9% |
| 2023 | -0.9% | +19.2% |
| 2024 | -1.0% | +12.2% |
| 2025 | -1.0% | +5.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7% | -0.3% | 1.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | -0.4% | -2.8% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.1% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | -1.4% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | -0.5% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.3% | -2.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.3% | -3.2% | -0.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
More agriculture & rural data for Kiribati
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2317 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 590.95 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3661 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 23.17 (2024)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 23.17 (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.0% (2021)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.3% (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Kiribati?
- Rural population growth in Kiribati was -1.0% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 2.1% in 2002.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was -3.2% in 2020.
- How does Kiribati rank for rural population growth?
- Kiribati ranks 170th out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is down 831.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kiribati data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.