How many people live in Kiribati right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
139,061
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 193 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0017%
- Median age
- 23.0 years
- Children per woman
- 3.06
- Life expectancy
- 66.9 years
- People per km²
- 191
According to UN estimates, about 139,061 people live in Kiribati right now. It ranks 193rd out of 237 countries and territories by population, between Guam and Seychelles, and it is home to one in every 59,800 people on the planet.
Every day, about 9 people are born there and about 3 die. More people leave than arrive: net migration reduces the population by about 440 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 5 people a day (1.41% a year).
In 1950, about 37,846 people lived there. Today there are 3.7 times as many. The UN expects it to peak around 2099, at about 222,649, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 182,621 people (31% more than today), and by 2100 about 222,645.
Half of its people are younger than 23 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 3.06 children each, above the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 67 years (worldwide, 74). There are 191 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Kiribati in 2026?
- Kiribati has about 139,061 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 138,445.
- How many people are born each day in Kiribati?
- About 9 a day (3,400 a year). About 3 people die each day (980 a year).
- Is the population of Kiribati growing?
- Yes: it grows by 1.41% a year, or about 1,900 people.
- What will the population of Kiribati be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 182,621, with a peak around 2099 at about 222,649.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- Curaçao 185,416
- Saint Lucia 180,577
- Guam 170,550
- Seychelles 135,570
- Grenada 117,373
- Micronesia 114,346
More countries in Oceania
- Australia 27,305,144
- Papua New Guinea 11,005,616
- New Zealand 5,298,032
- Fiji 938,561
- Solomon Islands 864,515
- Vanuatu 344,892
- New Caledonia 298,674
- French Polynesia 283,264
- Samoa 220,922
- Guam 170,550
- Micronesia 114,346
- Tonga 103,166
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.