Kiribati (Republic of Kiribati)

Kiribati Republic of Kiribati
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	160th best
Capital	Tarawa
Land Area	810km21
Location	Australasia, Micronesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.1m2
Life Expectancy	67.42yrs (2017)3
GNI	$4 063 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	KI, KIR, 2965
Internet Domain	.ki6
Currency	Dollar (AUD)7
Telephone	+6868

1. Overview
2. Kiribati National and Social Development
3. Kiribati's Demographics and Migration
4. Kiribati's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Kiribati's Health
6. Kiribati's Modernity and Learning
7. The Natural Environment
8. Economic Inequality and Poverty
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#japan #UK

“The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“A tiny speck of islands in the Pacific, Kiribati still maintains traditional ways. Nothing happens too fast here, so wind down, relax and enjoy living on island time. Curving its way above and below the equator, the Republic of Kiribati encompasses the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands. Measured by land size Kiribati is a tiny nation of just over 811 sq km, but its 33 atolls span a huge 3.5 million sq km of the Pacific. Most atolls surround turquoise lagoons and barely rise above the surrounding ocean, so it´s rare to be out of the sight and sound of the sea.

Kiribati´s recent colonial and WWII history (the islands were occupied by the Japanese in 1942) has had little impact on the outer islands, where the people subsist on coconuts, breadfruit and fish as they have done for centuries. Even on the main island, Tarawa, most locals live in traditional raised thatched huts. Western influence is increasing, though, in the form of cars, bars, movies and the Internet, and inevitably there´s an escalating urban drift from the outer islands to Tarawa.The I-Kiribati, people of the islands, are friendly but laconic - expect a bold `mauri´ (hello) as you pass.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Kiribati National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
4	Hong Kong	0.952
5	Australia	0.951
	...
133	Ghana	0.632
134	Micronesia	0.628
135	Guatemala	0.627
136	Kiribati	0.624
137	Honduras	0.621
138	Sao Tome & Principe	0.618
	Australasia Avg	0.70
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
4	Luxembourg	$84 649
5	Ireland	$76 169
	...
148	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	$4 461
149	Syria	$4 192
150	Cambodia	$4 079
151	Kiribati	$4 063
152	Sao Tome & Principe	$4 021
153	Papua New Guinea	$4 009
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12,13
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12,13
1	Taiwan	28.6
2	Norway	29.4
3	Denmark	31.2
4	Sweden	32.2
5	Finland	32.6
	...
157	Haiti	110.9
158	Mozambique	111.3
159	Guinea	111.3
160	Kiribati	111.5
161	Cameroon	112.1
162	Nigeria	112.1
	Australasia Avg	102.8
	World Avg	86.1
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Kiribati's Demographics and Migration

#demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #population

Population:

Kiribati's population is predicted to rise to 132 178 by 2030.

Population (2018)2
Pos.		Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
4	Indonesia	267.7m
5	Pakistan	212.2m
	...
176	Sao Tome & Principe	0.2m
177	Samoa	0.2m
178	St Lucia	0.2m
179	Kiribati	0.1m
180	Micronesia	0.1m
181	Grenada	0.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)14
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10014
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
4	Burkina Faso	04.7
5	Sierra Leone	04.8
	...
61	Djibouti	09.1
62	Tajikistan	09.1
63	Equatorial Guinea	09.4
64	Kiribati	09.5
65	Guatemala	09.5
66	Saudi Arabia	09.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)15
Pos.		%15
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
4	Liechtenstein	65.1%
5	Monaco	54.9%
	...
110	Chile	2.7%
111	Micronesia	2.6%
112	Azerbaijan	2.6%
113	Kiribati	2.6%
114	Samoa	2.5%
115	Zimbabwe	2.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)16
Pos.		%16
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
	...
88	Bolivia	6.8%
89	Guinea-Bissau	6.8%
90	Slovenia	6.5%
91	Kiribati	6.5%
92	Bhutan	6.3%
93	Tunisia	6.3%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Kiribati's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freethought #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Compared to Australasia (2020)17,18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank17,18
1	New Zealand	17.5
2	Australia	24.1
3	Fiji	102.4
4	Papua New Guinea	122.4
5	Nauru	123.4
	...
9	Marshall Islands	134.6
10	Samoa	136.1
11	Vanuatu	138.2
12	Kiribati	138.4
13	Cook Islands	144.5
14	Tuvalu	158.8
15	Solomon Islands	166.6
	Australasia Avg	120.0
q=15.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)17,18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank17,18
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
4	Netherlands	15.8
5	New Zealand	17.5
	...
182	Angola	136.2
183	Palestine	138.0
184	Vanuatu	138.2
185	Kiribati	138.4
186	Eritrea	139.8
187	Afghanistan	140.8
188	Djibouti	140.9
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₇. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu₁₇.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁₇.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)19
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties19
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
4	Ecuador	23
5	Germany	23
	...
189	Marshall Islands	4
190	Myanmar (Burma)	4
191	Palau	4
192	Malaysia	4
193	Bhutan	3
194	Kiribati	3
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag (2019)20
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty20
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
4	Colombia	3.68
5	Costa Rica	4.05
	...
185	Tonga	15.55
186	Micronesia	15.55
187	Somalia	15.71
188	Kiribati	15.80
189	Solomon Islands	15.81
190	Nauru	16.16
	Australasia Avg	14.35
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality:

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Year Women Can Vote
Pos.		Lower is better Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
4	Norway	1913
5	Denmark	1915
	...
149	Lesotho	1965
150	Botswana	1965
151	Tuvalu	1967
152	Kiribati	1967
153	Ecuador	1967
154	Swaziland	1968
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality (2017)21
Pos.		Higher is better Score21
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
4	Brazil	81
5	Spain	79
	...
125	Grenada	-5
126	Dominica	-5
127	Namibia	-5
128	Kiribati	-5
129	Jamaica	-5
130	Cook Islands	-5
	Australasia Avg	07.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought (2021)22
Pos.		Lower is better22
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
4	Sao Tome & Principe	1.3
5	Ecuador	1.3
	...
34	Greece	2.3
35	Antigua & Barbuda	2.3
36	Japan	2.3
37	Kiribati	2.3
38	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.3
39	Cape Verde	2.3
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Kiribati's Health

#alcohol #health #Kiribati #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Australasia (2020)23,24
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank23,24
1	Solomon Islands	82.0
2	Australia	84.6
3	Kiribati	87.0
4	New Zealand	88.8
5	Fiji	90.6
6	Vanuatu	97.1
7	Niue	98.7
8	Tonga	104.1
9	Samoa	107.8
10	Tuvalu	112.5
11	Micronesia	114.2
12	Papua New Guinea	120.8
13	Cook Islands	123.7
	Australasia Avg	109.4
q=16.

Health (2020)23,24
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank23,24
1	Monaco	13.0
2	Hong Kong	18.3
3	Maldives	41.0
4	Singapore	42.6
5	Japan	51.0
	...
72	Vietnam	85.4
73	Trinidad & Tobago	86.6
74	Grenada	86.6
75	Kiribati	87.0
76	Algeria	87.3
77	Ireland	87.4
78	Burundi	87.4
	World Avg	93.5
q=196.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Hong Kong and The Maldives₂₃. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, S. Sudan and Palau₂₃.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and The Mediterranean₂₃, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Australasia and Africa₂₃.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Kiribati does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Kiribati comes in the best 20 when it comes to its smoking rate₂₅ (one of the best in Australasia) and in its alcohol consumption rate₂₆ (one of the lowest in Australasia). It does better than average when it comes to its adolescent birth rate₂₇. But, things could still be better. Kiribati does worse than average in its immunizations take-up₂₈ and in its average life expectancy₁₁. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016.

Life Expectancy (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
	...
133	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	67.7
134	Sao Tome & Principe	67.6
135	Indonesia	67.6
136	Kiribati	67.4
137	India	67.2
138	Fiji	67.1
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)26
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita26
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
4	Mauritania	0.0
5	Somalia	0.0
6	Yemen	0.1
7	Afghanistan	0.2
8	Saudi Arabia	0.2
9	Syria	0.3
10	Pakistan	0.3
11	Kiribati	0.4
12	Iraq	0.4
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Smoking Rates (2014)25
Pos.		Higher is worse25
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
179	Macedonia	2 732
178	Russia	2 690
	...
6	Samoa	54
5	Rwanda	53
4	Uganda	41
3	Kiribati	28
2	Solomon Islands	26
1	Guinea	15
	Australasia Avg	372
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Overweight Adults (2016)29
Pos.		Lower is better %29
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
4	Ethiopia	20.9
5	Nepal	21.0
	...
182	Micronesia	75.9
183	Samoa	77.6
184	Tonga	78.5
185	Kiribati	78.7
186	Niue	80.0
187	Tuvalu	81.9
	Australasia Avg	73.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)27
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100027
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
	...
53	Turkmenistan	16.4
54	Myanmar (Burma)	16.5
55	Malta	16.6
56	Kiribati	17.2
57	Macedonia	17.6
58	Uzbekistan	17.7
	Australasia Avg	30.1
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)28
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %28
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
	...
127	Kenya	88.5
128	Costa Rica	88.5
129	Colombia	88.4
130	Kiribati	88.4
131	Netherlands	88.1
132	Paraguay	88.1
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Kiribati's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2020)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	New Zealand	17.6
2	Australia	19.2
3	Palau	59.3
4	Tonga	75.2
5	New Caledonia	75.5
	...
10	Samoa	103.4
11	Vanuatu	117.0
12	Micronesia	131.3
13	Kiribati	143.0
14	Tuvalu	148.0
15	Papua New Guinea	150.4
16	Solomon Islands	152.7
	Australasia Avg	98.1
q=16.

Modernity and Learning (2020)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Finland	8.4
2	Taiwan	10.0
3	Switzerland	15.1
4	Estonia	15.8
5	Denmark	16.0
	...
186	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137.4
187	Burundi	139.0
188	Madagascar	142.5
189	Kiribati	143.0
190	Benin	143.3
191	Gambia	144.0
192	Cambodia	144.6
	World Avg	83.2
q=205.

Modernity and Education:

Length of Schooling (2021)30
Pos.		Higher is better Years30
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
	...
139	Namibia	11.9
140	Comoros	11.9
141	India	11.9
142	Kiribati	11.8
143	Nauru	11.7
144	Tajikistan	11.7
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)31
Pos.		Higher is better31
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
4	Bermuda	97%
5	Andorra	97%
	...
166	Turkmenistan	15%
167	Bangladesh	13%
168	Iraq	13%
169	Kiribati	13%
170	Rwanda	12%
171	Mali	12%
	Australasia Avg	44.3%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)32
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio32
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
	...
138	Solomon Islands	0.0
139	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.0
140	Sao Tome & Principe	0.0
141	Kiribati	0.0
142	Ivory Coast	0.0
143	Mauritania	0.0
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)33
Pos.		Higher is better %33
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
4	Kuwait	+81.2
5	Dominican Rep.	+79.5
	...
88	Turkmenistan	00.0
89	Djibouti	00.0
90	S. Africa	00.0
91	Kiribati	00.0
92	Andorra	00.0
93	Malta	00.0
	Australasia Avg	+03.4
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)34
Pos.		Higher is better34
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
	...
92	Bolivia	56.0
93	Barbados	55.8
94	Georgia	55.7
95	Kiribati	55.3
96	Bahrain	55.2
97	Nicaragua	55.0
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
4	Vanuatu	1993 Dec 29
5	Papua New Guinea	1993 Dec 29
	...
72	Estonia	1994 Oct 25
73	Greece	1994 Nov 02
74	Grenada	1994 Nov 09
75	Kiribati	1994 Nov 14
76	Romania	1994 Nov 15
77	Austria	1994 Nov 16
	Australasia Avg	1899 Dec 30
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

8. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#health #inequality #life_expectancy

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)35
Pos.		Higher is worse35
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
181	Somalia	38.90
180	Nigeria	37.10
	...
151	Swaziland	25.10
150	Ethiopia	24.90
149	Yemen	24.70
148	Kiribati	24.70
147	Zimbabwe	24.20
146	Ghana	24.20
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₆:

Christian	97%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.8%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 55%, Protestant 36%, Mormon 3.1%, Baha'i 2.2%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.9%, other 1.8% (2005 census)₃₇.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems