Net migration in Kiribati
Kiribati: Net migration was -462 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Net migration in Kiribati, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
Analysis
Kiribati recorded -462 for net migration in 2025.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 54.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net migration in Kiribati peaked at 0 in 1960 and was at its lowest, -1,858, in 1978.
That places Kiribati 102nd out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Net migration in Kiribati, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1961 | 0 | — |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | -840 | — |
| 1967 | -873 | +3.9% |
| 1968 | -876 | +0.3% |
| 1969 | -222 | -74.7% |
| 1970 | -233 | +5.0% |
| 1971 | -265 | +13.7% |
| 1972 | -290 | +9.4% |
| 1973 | -440 | +51.7% |
| 1974 | -1,605 | +264.8% |
| 1975 | -1,706 | +6.3% |
| 1976 | -1,795 | +5.2% |
| 1977 | -1,854 | +3.3% |
| 1978 | -1,858 | +0.2% |
| 1979 | -516 | -72.2% |
| 1980 | -610 | +18.2% |
| 1981 | -645 | +5.7% |
| 1982 | -674 | +4.5% |
| 1983 | -702 | +4.2% |
| 1984 | -730 | +4.0% |
| 1985 | -419 | -42.6% |
| 1986 | -273 | -34.8% |
| 1987 | -298 | +9.2% |
| 1988 | -321 | +7.7% |
| 1989 | -338 | +5.3% |
| 1990 | -441 | +30.5% |
| 1991 | -844 | +91.4% |
| 1992 | -951 | +12.7% |
| 1993 | -975 | +2.5% |
| 1994 | -996 | +2.2% |
| 1995 | -928 | -6.8% |
| 1996 | -701 | -24.5% |
| 1997 | -693 | -1.1% |
| 1998 | -716 | +3.3% |
| 1999 | -733 | +2.4% |
| 2000 | -629 | -14.2% |
| 2001 | -201 | -68.0% |
| 2002 | -137 | -31.8% |
| 2003 | -157 | +14.6% |
| 2004 | -181 | +15.3% |
| 2005 | -226 | +24.9% |
| 2006 | -290 | +28.3% |
| 2007 | -290 | -0.0% |
| 2008 | -289 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | -289 | -0.0% |
| 2010 | -456 | +57.8% |
| 2011 | -1,019 | +123.5% |
| 2012 | -1,093 | +7.3% |
| 2013 | -1,101 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | -1,128 | +2.5% |
| 2015 | -1,022 | -9.4% |
| 2016 | -756 | -26.0% |
| 2017 | -750 | -0.8% |
| 2018 | -741 | -1.2% |
| 2019 | -705 | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2021 | -348 | — |
| 2022 | -395 | +13.5% |
| 2023 | -485 | +22.8% |
| 2024 | -471 | -2.9% |
| 2025 | -462 | -1.9% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's -462 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -10,230, 5% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's -462 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -462, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Net migration in Kiribati changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | -264.8% | -440 | -1,605 |
| 2011 | -123.5% | -456 | -1,019 |
| 2020 | +100.0% | -705 | 0 |
| 1991 | -91.4% | -441 | -844 |
| 1969 | +74.7% | -876 | -222 |
| 1979 | +72.2% | -1,858 | -516 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -281.1 | -876 | 0 | 10 |
| 1970s | -1,056 | -1,858 | -233 | 10 |
| 1980s | -501 | -730 | -273 | 10 |
| 1990s | -797.8 | -996 | -441 | 10 |
| 2000s | -268.9 | -629 | -137 | 10 |
| 2010s | -877.1 | -1,128 | -456 | 10 |
| 2020s | -360.17 | -485 | 0 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
- 99 Papua New Guinea -284 compare
- 100 Macao -328 compare
- 101 United States Virgin Islands -357 compare
- 103 Guam -493 compare
- 104 Djibouti -581 compare
- 105 Sao Tome and Principe -650 compare
More financial sector data for Kiribati
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0055 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 14.14 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 10.32 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0055 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 14.14 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net migration in Kiribati?
- Net migration in Kiribati was -462 in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest net migration recorded in Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 0 in 1960.
- What is the lowest net migration recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was -1,858 in 1978.
- How does Kiribati rank for net migration?
- Kiribati ranks 102nd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is net migration rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kiribati data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Net migration. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens.