Kiribati (Republic of Kiribati)

Kiribati Republic of Kiribati
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	157th 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
   1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   2. Gender Equality Datasets
   3. Prejudice Datasets
5. Kiribati's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Kiribati's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Kiribati's Modernity and Learning
   1. Education Datasets
   2. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Kiribati's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

---

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
	...
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
139	Namibia	0.615
140=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.607
	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
	...
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
154	Nepal	$3 877
155	Myanmar	$3 851
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.0
	...
154	Gambia	112.6
155	Libya	113.5
156	Togo	114.2
157	Kiribati	115.1
158	Benin	115.3
159	Swaziland	115.8
160	Mali	116.0
161	Djibouti	116.1
	Australasia Avg	100.9
	World Avg	89.4
q=200.

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

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Kiribati's population is predicted to rise to 132 178 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.27. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
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
182	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.1m
183	Tonga	0.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
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
139	Senegal	67.1
140	Eritrea	66.5
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
155	Tonga	3.19
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
161	Uzbekistan	3.31
162	Pakistan	3.41
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
61=	Djibouti	09.1
61=	Tajikistan	09.1
63	Equatorial Guinea	09.4
64=	Kiribati	09.5
64=	Guatemala	09.5
64=	Saudi Arabia	09.5
67	Haiti	09.6
68	Vanuatu	09.9
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

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

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
110	Chile	2.7%
111	Micronesia	2.6%
112	Azerbaijan	2.6%
113	Kiribati	2.6%
114	Samoa	2.5%
115	Zimbabwe	2.4%
116	Swaziland	2.4%
117	Ecuador	2.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
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%
94	Finland	6.2%
95	Singapore	6.1%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Kiribati's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Australasia (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	New Zealand	18.9
2	Australia	22.1
3	Micronesia	59.3
4	Vanuatu	78.5
5	Kiribati	81.6
6	Tuvalu	83.8
7	Nauru	89.3
8	Fiji	89.5
9	Palau	91.4
10	Samoa	98.2
11	Tonga	101.0
12	Marshall Islands	102.9
13	Papua New Guinea	108.8
	Australasia Avg	81.74
q=14.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
74	Mongolia	80.4
75	Colombia	80.7
76	Georgia	81.4
77	Kiribati	81.6
78	Philippines	81.7
79	Seychelles	82.0
80	Thailand	83.0
81	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	83.5
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, 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 Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #politics

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
22=	Italy	1.0
22=	Japan	1.0
22=	Luxembourg	1.0
22=	Kiribati	1.0
22=	Estonia	1.0
22=	Austria	1.0
22=	Taiwan	1.0
22=	Spain	1.0
	Australasia Avg	1.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better21
Pos.		2009 Treaties21
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
187=	Singapore	5
187=	Nauru	5
189=	Marshall Islands	4
189=	Myanmar	4
189=	Palau	4
189=	Malaysia	4
193=	Bhutan	3
193=	Kiribati	3
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better22
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty22
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
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
191	Sao Tome & Principe	16.17
192	Tuvalu	16.33
	Australasia Avg	14.35
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

See:

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

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
149=	Lesotho	1965
149=	Botswana	1965
151=	Tuvalu	1967
151=	Kiribati	1967
151=	Ecuador	1967
154=	Swaziland	1968
154=	Nauru	1968
156=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	1970
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better23
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score23
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
132	Cook Islands	-2.17
133	Antigua & Barbuda	-2.25
134	Singapore	-2.31
135	Kiribati	-2.32
136	Armenia	-2.34
137	Azerbaijan	-2.45
138	St Kitts & Nevis	-2.48
139	Tajikistan	-2.50
	Australasia Avg	-0.93
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

In 1892 (Colonial era) British sodomy laws were introduced, criminalizing male homosexual acts: Penal Code Sections 153-155 is still in force.

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Kiribati had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, .

Freedom of Thought Lower is better24
Pos.		202124
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
37=	Botswana	2.3
37=	Benin	2.3
37=	Cape Verde	2.3
37=	Kiribati	2.3
37=	Antigua & Barbuda	2.3
37=	Uruguay	2.3
43	Seychelles	2.3
44=	San Marino	2.5
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Kiribati's Health

#health

Compared to Australasia (2025)25
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank25
1	Australia	62.1
2	New Zealand	66.8
3	New Caledonia	68.1
	...
11	Vanuatu	123.4
12	Solomon Islands	123.9
13=	Samoa	124.1
14	Cook Islands	127.5
15	Micronesia	127.9
16	Papua New Guinea	133.7
17	Nauru	136.0
18	Kiribati	136.8
19	Marshall Islands	141.2
	Australasia Avg	110.70
q=19.

Health (2025)25
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank25
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
183	Nauru	136.0
184	Sudan	136.1
185	Gabon	136.6
186	Kiribati	136.8
187	Cameroon	137.0
188	Burkina Faso	138.2
189	Yemen	138.8
190	Congo, DR	139.9
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₆. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₆.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on 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, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₆, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₆.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #kiribati #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

Kiribati is a pretty unhealthy country. Kiribati comes in the best 20 when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₂₇ (one of the best in Australasia). It does better than average in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₂₈. When it comes to most other metrics, Kiribati does not do well. It does worse than average for its adolescent birth rate₂₉, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₀, its average life expectancy₁₁, its fertility rate₁₅ and in childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₁. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its smoking rate₃₂, its suicide rate₃₃ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₄. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in Kiribati improved by +6.2yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Kiribati's peak fertility rate was 6.63 in 1961.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
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
139	Senegal	67.1
140	Eritrea	66.5
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better27
Pos.		2016 Per Capita27
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
8=	Saudi Arabia	0.2
9=	Syria	0.3
9=	Pakistan	0.3
11=	Kiribati	0.4
11=	Iraq	0.4
11=	Brunei	0.4
11=	Egypt	0.4
15=	Djibouti	0.5
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
155	Tonga	3.19
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
161	Uzbekistan	3.31
162	Pakistan	3.41
	Australasia Avg	2.82
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better32
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %32
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
158	Indonesia	38.2%
159	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	38.8%
160	Bulgaria	39.5%
161	Serbia	39.6%
162	Papua New Guinea	39.7%
163	Kiribati	39.7%
164	Myanmar	44.4%
165	Nauru	48.3%
	Australasia Avg	29.2%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

In the 2000s, Kiribati had the worst average smoking rate (62%) in the world, needlessly adding a huge burden to its health services and damaging its economy. Over the following decade, a full 12% of the population stopped smoking, and the country improved to 3^rd-worse, a position it has maintained so far in the 2020s as another 11% stopped.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better33
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k33
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
168	Belgium	19.45
169	Japan	19.89
170	Slovenia	20.27
171	Kiribati	20.28
172	Solomon Islands	20.62
173	Hungary	20.94
174	Latvia	20.98
175	Micronesia	21.06
	Australasia Avg	13.23
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Overweight Adults Lower is better34
Pos.		1976 %34
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
178	Czechia	47.1
179	Qatar	49.0
180	Malta	49.6
181	Kiribati	50.0
182=	Micronesia	51.4
182=	Tuvalu	51.4
184	Niue	51.7
185	Kuwait	52.2
	Australasia Avg	48.8
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better35
Pos.		2022 %35
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
184	Qatar	43.8%
185	Kuwait	45.4%
186	Micronesia	45.6%
187	Kiribati	46.2%
188	St Kitts & Nevis	46.6%
189	Marshall Islands	47.3%
190	Bahamas	47.6%
191	French Polynesia	48.4%
	Australasia Avg	49.3%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better29
Pos.		2022 Per 100029
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
105	Dominica	37.9
106	Syria	38.1
107	Bulgaria	38.2
108	Kiribati	39.6
109	Azerbaijan	40.1
110	Pakistan	41.2
111	Barbados	41.9
112	Palau	42.1
	Australasia Avg	40.2
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better28
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %28
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
85=	Thailand	94.6
85=	Trinidad & Tobago	94.6
85=	Armenia	94.6
88	Kiribati	94.5
89=	Iceland	94.4
89=	Italy	94.4
91	Australia	94.2
92	Palestine	94.0
	Australasia Avg	90.0
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better30
Pos.		2015 Avg %30
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
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
133	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
134	Sierra Leone	87.7
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better31
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 100031
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
157	Laos	55.34
158	Tanzania	56.34
159	Uganda	58.61
160	Kiribati	58.77
161	Malawi	60.75
162	Swaziland	60.78
163	Gambia	61.12
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	62.21
	Australasia Avg	25.09
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Kiribati's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Australasia (2025)36
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank36
1	New Zealand	75.8
2	Australia	76.6
3	Fiji	89.1
4	Vanuatu	93.0
5	Tonga	96.1
6	Papua New Guinea	104.5
7	Samoa	107.0
8	Kiribati	111.4
9	Micronesia	114.6
10	Cook Islands	119.6
11	Solomon Islands	121.6
12	Marshall Islands	123.1
13	Palau	124.5
	Australasia Avg	109.27
q=16.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)36
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank36
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
172	Angola	109.5
173	Kazakhstan	109.8
174	Barbados	110.1
175	Kiribati	111.4
176	Micronesia	114.6
177	Bhutan	115.3
178	Belarus	116.0
179	Uzbekistan	116.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₃₇. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Kiribati is 175th in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is calculated from 21 data sets. Kiribati does better than average in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₈ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₉. And finally, it does worse than average for its environmental performance₄₀ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better38
Pos.		Total38
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
132=	Liechtenstein	0.0%
132=	Libya	0.0%
132=	Montserrat	0.0%
132=	Kiribati	0.0%
132=	Saudi Arabia	0.0%
137	Nepal	-0.1%
138	Finland	-0.2%
139	Canada	-0.3%
	Australasia Avg	0.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better40
Pos.		201840
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
92	Bolivia	56.0
93	Barbados	55.8
94	Georgia	55.7
95	Kiribati	55.3
96	Bahrain	55.2
97	Nicaragua	55.0
98	Bahamas	55.0
99	Kyrgyzstan	54.9
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
172	Eritrea	43%
173	Somalia	43%
174	Tonga	43%
175	Kiribati	42%
176	Cook Islands	42%
177	Niue	42%
178	Solomon Islands	42%
179	Marshall Islands	42%
	Australasia Avg	48.2%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Meat Consumption Lower is better39
Pos.		2021 kg39
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
89	Libya	50.0
90	Ecuador	50.9
91	Albania	52.0
92	Kiribati	52.4
93	Vietnam	52.6
94	Dominican Rep.	53.5
95	Peru	54.0
96	Mauritius	54.2
	Australasia Avg	74.2
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Kiribati's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	New Zealand	18.2
2	Australia	26.8
3	Tonga	80.0
4	Fiji	82.1
5	Samoa	109.0
6	Kiribati	113.8
7	Marshall Islands	116.7
8	Nauru	123.9
9	Micronesia	124.5
10	Vanuatu	129.6
11	Tuvalu	138.6
12	Solomon Islands	149.7
13	Papua New Guinea	157.6
	Australasia Avg	105.42
q=13.

Modernity & Learning (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
131	Ghana	111.9
132	Guyana	112.8
133	Bahamas	113.4
134	Kiribati	113.8
135	Cameroon	115.0
136	Palestine	115.1
137	Nigeria	115.5
138	Marshall Islands	116.7
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₄₂. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₂. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₃.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₄

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₂, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₂.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Education Datasets

#education #kiribati

In the 1990s, the expected duration of education in Kiribati fell by half a year, whereas most of the rest of the world's increased.₄₅

Length of Schooling Higher is better46
Pos.		2021 Years46
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
139	Namibia	11.9
140	Comoros	11.9
141	India	11.9
142	Kiribati	11.8
143	Nauru	11.7
144	Tajikistan	11.7
145	Micronesia	11.5
146	Vanuatu	11.5
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.2. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
46	Uruguay	89%
47	Libya	88%
48	Morocco	88%
49	Kiribati	88%
50	Argentina	88%
51	Azerbaijan	87%
52	Jordan	87%
53	Seychelles	87%
	Australasia Avg	64.0%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better47
Pos.		2017 Ratio47
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
138=	Solomon Islands	0.0
138=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.0
138=	Sao Tome & Principe	0.0
138=	Kiribati	0.0
138=	Ivory Coast	0.0
138=	Mauritania	0.0
138=	Iraq	0.0
138=	Oman	0.0
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Kiribati's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to Australasia (2025)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	New Zealand	17.1
2	Australia	28.9
3	Samoa	79.1
4	Fiji	81.6
5	Vanuatu	82.1
6	Kiribati	82.7
7	Tonga	87.4
8	Marshall Islands	89.6
9	Solomon Islands	95.9
10	Papua New Guinea	116.6
	Australasia Avg	76.09
q=10.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	Denmark	11.6
2	Finland	13.4
3	Netherlands	13.6
	...
88	Grenada	82.3
89	El Salvador	82.4
90	Morocco	82.5
91	Kiribati	82.7
92	Bahrain	84.2
93	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	84.5
94	Armenia	84.6
95	Philippines	85.1
	World Avg	81.27
q=187.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#internationalism

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better49
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q49
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
81	Macedonia	125.8
82	Montenegro	124.8
83	Marshall Islands	124.3
84	Kiribati	123.5
85	Palau	120.8
86	Moldova	120.7
87	Micronesia	119.7
88	Bosnia & Herzegovina	119.0
	Australasia Avg	123.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

8.2. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better50
Pos.		201950
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
145	Papua New Guinea	24.10
146=	Zimbabwe	24.20
146=	Ghana	24.20
148=	Kiribati	24.70
148=	Yemen	24.70
150	Ethiopia	24.90
151=	Swaziland	25.10
151=	Malawi	25.10
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better51
Pos.		2023 %51
1	Slovakia	24.1%52
2	Slovenia	24.3%52
3	Belarus	24.4%53
	...
15	Algeria	27.6%54
16=	Finland	27.7%52
16=	Norway	27.7%55
18	Kiribati	27.8%55
19	Armenia	27.9%56
20	Denmark	28.3%52
21=	Poland	28.5%52
21=	Bhutan	28.5%56
	Australasia Avg	34.8%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Kiribati - only for 2 years between 1980 and 2019.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₅₇:

	2010	2020
Christian	97.3%	97.6%
Other	2.53%	2.24%
Unaffiliated	<0.1%	0.1%
Muslim	0.103%	<0.1%
Jewish	None	None
Hindu	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

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)₅₈.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems