Flag of Kiribati
Oceania 0.1M people Capital: South Tarawa Currency: Australian dollar ($) Language: English, Gilbertese Time: UTC+12:00

Moving to KiribatiShare

While living in Kiribati comes with a higher tax burden of 80.2%, expats often benefit from its robust social infrastructure and high quality of life. It hosts a vibrant and diverse expat community, notably drawing a significant number of residents from Nauru.

Lifestyle & Vibe

Kiribati is a remote Pacific island nation spread across 33 atolls, facing an existential threat from rising sea levels, with extremely limited infrastructure and no meaningful remote work ecosystem. Internet connectivity is severely limited, expensive, and unreliable - making sustained remote work effectively impossible for most professional use cases. There is no digital nomad visa, no expat community, and daily logistics are challenging even for basic needs. Kiribati is not a viable destination for remote workers.

Unbiased Relocation & Lifestyle Assessment

Digital Freedom & Remote Work

Censorship and network interference data is currently being collected for Kiribati.

Society & Demographics

Kiribati's society is predominantly female, with a slight majority of 51.47% of the population being women. The country has made strides in internet access, with approximately 89.44% of its inhabitants online, reflecting a digitally connected populace. Despite this, only 11.11% of parliamentary seats are held by women, indicating room for improvement in gender representation. Kiribati's demographic is relatively young, with just 4.24% over the age of 65, and urbanization at 62.46%, showing a concentration of population in cities. The nation also faces challenges with net migration, recording a negative value of -462 people over a five-year period, suggesting a loss of population. Education spending accounts for a significant portion of the GDP at 20.12%, highlighting the government's commitment to education as a priority.

Gender Distribution

Male 48.6%
Female 51.4%

Connectivity

89.4 %

Internet Users

🏆 Top: 100.0% (Bahrain)

Language

-- / 800

EF English Proficiency

🏆 Top: 624 (Netherlands)

Inequality

24.7 / 100

GINI Index (Lower = more equal)

🏆 Top: 23.8 (Slovakia)

Equality

11.1 %

Women in Parliament

🏆 Top: 63.8% (Rwanda)

Aging Society

4.4 %

Population over 65 years old

Urbanization

63.4 %

People living in cities

🏆 Top: 100.0% (Bahrain)

Migration

-462

Net Migration (5-yr total)

🏆 Top: +1,702,358 (Ukraine)

Education Spending

20.1% of GDP

UNESCO Data. Indicates focus on public schooling.

🏆 Top: 31.9% (Mauritania)
Insights based on World Bank and UNESCO Data

Quality of Life

Kiribati faces significant challenges despite its efforts to improve the quality of life for its residents. With a life expectancy of 60.87 years, it underscores the need for enhanced healthcare services. The country has an average of 4.68 medical doctors per 10 thousand people and has a Universal Health Coverage Index of 51.00, which is relatively low, indicating that access to quality healthcare remains limited. Additionally, Kiribati struggles with obesity rates at 45.59%, reflecting broader public health concerns.

Life Expectancy
60.9 yrs
🏆 Top: 84.5 yrs (Japan)
Care Access
4.7 / 10k
🏆 Top: 86.1 (Monaco)
Health Coverage
51.0 / 100

Universal Health Coverage Index

🏆 Top: 92.0 (Canada)
Obesity Rate
45.6 %
🏆 Top: 2.4% (Vietnam)
Working Hours
27.7 hrs/wk
🏆 Top: 24.4 hrs (Vanuatu)
Paid Annual Leave
30 days
🏆 Top: 31 days (Andorra)
Public Holidays
16 days
🏆 Top: 27 days (Cambodia)
Air Quality
3.9 µg/m³
🏆 Top: 1.6 µg/m³ (Greenland)

Safety - Homicides

7.1per 100k

World Bank Crime Data. Lower is safer.

🏆 Top: 0.1 (Qatar)
Insights based on World Happiness Report, ILOSTAT, Wikipedia, and World Bank Data.

Economic Freedom & Business Climate

Kiribati faces economic challenges with an Overall Economic Freedom Score of 50.80, indicating a mixed performance across various indicators. The country has relatively robust Trade Freedom at 80.00, but struggles significantly in areas like Investment and Financial Freedom, both scoring only 30.00. While the economy is constrained by high Tax Burdens (72.60) and low Fiscal Health (19.80), it benefits from strong Monetary Freedom (76.70). Despite these challenges, Kiribati's GDP per Capita (PPP) is not available, suggesting a need for more comprehensive economic data to fully assess its financial freedom and business climate.

GDP per Capita (PPP)

3,936.6USD

Adjusts for purchasing power parity.

🏆 Top: $163,354 (Singapore)

Inflation Rate

2.5%

Annual CPI. Indicates recent price stability.

🏆 Optimal (2%): 2.0% (Saint Lucia)

Unemployment

--%

ILO Estimate. Indicates job market health.

🏆 Top: 0.1% (Qatar)
Overall Economic Freedom
50.8 / 100
🏆 Top: 89.1 (Hong Kong)
Property Rights
69.6 / 100
🏆 Top: 99.9 (Denmark)
Judicial Effectiveness
54.6 / 100
🏆 Top: 99.1 (Luxembourg)
Government Integrity
50.5 / 100
🏆 Top: 98.0 (Denmark)
Tax Burden Score
72.6 / 100
🏆 Top: 99.9 (Bahrain)
Government Spending
0.0 / 100
🏆 Top: 98.7 (Haiti)
Fiscal Health
19.8 / 100
🏆 Top: 99.9 (Kuwait)
Business Freedom
60.2 / 100
🏆 Top: 92.3 (Australia)
Labor Freedom
65.3 / 100
🏆 Top: 81.6 (Austria)
Monetary Freedom
76.7 / 100
🏆 Top: 88.8 (Bahrain)
Trade Freedom
80.0 / 100
🏆 Top: 95.0 (Singapore)
Investment Freedom
30.0 / 100
🏆 Top: 95.0 (Luxembourg)
Financial Freedom
30.0 / 100
🏆 Top: 80.0 (Australia)

Evaluated across 12 quantitative factors. Scores span 0-100, where higher scores indicate greater economic liberty, lighter tax burdens, and stronger property rights.

Insights based on Heritage Foundation, World Bank, & ILO Data

Climate Profile (South Tarawa)

Kiribati has a tropical marine climate, characterized by warm temperatures and high humidity levels throughout the year, with average maximum temperatures ranging from 28 to 29 degrees Celsius. The country experiences its hottest period from August to October, with temperatures reaching as high as 28.81 degrees Celsius, while the rainiest months occur from April to July, with an average of 18 to 20 rainy days, making November to June the best season to relocate or visit for comfortable weather, with fewer rainy days and warm yet pleasant temperatures. With its relatively dry and sunny season from November to June, expats and digital nomads can enjoy a more comfortable climate, ideal for outdoor activities and exploration of the island's stunning natural beauty, making it an attractive destination for those seeking a tropical paradise with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Jan
28 °C
min 27°17 rain days313h sun
Feb
28 °C
min 27°14 rain days302h sun
Mar
28 °C
min 27°17 rain days323h sun
Apr
28 °C
min 27°20 rain days318h sun
May
29 °C
min 27°19 rain days334h sun
Jun
29 °C
min 27°19 rain days314h sun
Jul
29 °C
min 27°21 rain days322h sun
Aug
29 °C
min 27°11 rain days335h sun
Sep
29 °C
min 27°12 rain days337h sun
Oct
29 °C
min 27°10 rain days347h sun
Nov
29 °C
min 27°10 rain days335h sun
Dec
28 °C
min 27°15 rain days317h sun
Powered by Open-Meteo Data

Political Stability & Governance

If you're an expat or digital nomad considering Kiribati as your new home, rest assured that political stability and safety are strong points - Kiribati's average political stability score hovers around a solid 1.3, indicating minimal risk of violence or instability. The rule of law is also relatively robust, albeit with some fluctuations; the average score of 0.8 offers reassurance that legal frameworks support fair and consistent governance. For your peace of mind and smooth business operations, the control of corruption, while not perfect, shows improvement, averaging at 0.24, suggesting a manageable environment for both personal safety and corporate integrity.
Stability & Violence
+1.24
🏆 Top: +1.58 (Liechtenstein)
Rule of Law
+0.79
🏆 Top: +2.02 (Finland)
Control of Corruption
+0.37
🏆 Top: +2.29 (Denmark)

Evaluated across Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI). Scores span approximately -2.5 to 2.5, where higher scores indicate stronger governance, better stability, and lower corruption.

Insights based on World Bank Data

Relocation Guides & Articles

We're currently working on an in-depth expat guide for Kiribati.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the tax burden in Kiribati?

The tax burden in Kiribati is approximately 80.2%, according to World Bank data.

Is Kiribati safe?

The homicide rate in Kiribati is 7.1 per 100,000 people (World Bank).