Kiribati 2023 Press Freedom: Free

Kiribati is not rated by the RSF index; Freedom House classifies it as Free with a total score of 90/100. Context: pop 118K, GDP $194.6M.

RSF Score——

Freedom StatusFreeFH total 90/100

GDP$194.6MWorld Bank data

Population118KNational total

2023 Press Freedom Scorecard

Overall score and global position

Kiribati is not currently scored by the RSF World Press Freedom Index or by the V-Dem Freedom of Expression project; the profile relies on Freedom House and World Bank indicators below. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Kiribati earns 16 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Electoral Process (12/12) and its weakest is Rule of Law (12/16).

Composite index comparison

Political Rights (Freedom House)37 / 40

Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.

Civil Liberties (Freedom House)53 / 60

Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.

Full socio-economic dashboard

public

Demographics & geography

Population118K

Urban population64K

Density147.0 people / km²

Land area811 km²

CapitalSouth Tarawa

Largest citySouth Tarawa

Latitude1.8369°

Longitude-157.3768°

Forested area15.0%

Agricultural land42.0%

CO₂ emissions66 kt

payments

Economy & labour

GDP$194.6M

GDP per capita$1,655

CurrencyAUD

CPI99.55

CPI change (%)0.6%

Minimum wage—

Unemployment rate—

Labor-force participation—

Tax revenue (% of GDP)22.0%

Total tax rate32.7%

Gasoline price—

medical_services

Health

Life expectancy68.1 years

Birth rate27.89 / 1 000

Fertility rate3.57 births / woman

Infant mortality41.2 / 1 000 live births

Maternal mortality ratio92 / 100 000 live births

Physicians0.20 / 1 000 people

Out-of-pocket health spend0.2%

school

Education

Gross primary enrollment101.3%

Gross tertiary enrollment—

account_balance

Administration

Official languageEnglish

ISO abbreviationKI

Calling code+686

Armed forces size—

All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).

Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties

Freedom status explained

Freedom House classifies Kiribati as Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 90/100 — meaning national institutions reliably protect political rights and civil liberties.

Within Freedom House's Asia region (43 countries), Kiribati ranks #9 on the latest aggregate score — the 81st percentile. The region leaders are New Zealand, Japan, Australia.

Political Rights vs Civil Liberties

Political Rights

37/ 40

Rating 1 of 7 (1 = best)

Civil Liberties

53/ 60

Rating 1 of 7 (1 = best)

Political rights and civil liberties are rated in similar territory, a sign that formal political channels and everyday personal freedoms move together in this country.

Twelve-year Freedom House trend

Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Kiribati from Free (Free, 91/100) to Free (Free, 90/100).

Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)

Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Kiribati, 6 moved at least one point across the available Freedom House history. The eight with the largest absolute change appear below.

Code	Indicator	Earliest	Latest	Δ
F1	Independent judiciary	4/4 (2013)	2/4 (2024)	▼ -2
B4	Minority political rights	4/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▼ -1
C2	Anti-corruption safeguards	2/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▲ +1
C3	Government transparency	2/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▲ +1
D1	Free media	3/4 (2013)	4/4 (2024)	▲ +1
F2	Due process	4/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▼ -1

Latest A–G indicator scorecard

Electoral Process

Subtotal12 / 12

A1Free and fair head-of-government elections

4/4
A2Free and fair legislative elections

4/4
A3Electoral laws and framework

4/4

Political Pluralism & Participation

Subtotal15 / 16

B1Right to organise in political parties

4/4
B2Opposition can realistically gain power

4/4
B3Free political choice without domination

4/4
B4Political rights of minorities

3/4

Functioning of Government

Subtotal10 / 12

C1Elected officials determine government policy

4/4
C2Safeguards against corruption

3/4
C3Transparency of government

3/4

Freedom of Expression & Belief

Subtotal16 / 16

D1Free and independent media

4/4
D2Freedom of religious expression

4/4
D3Academic freedom

4/4
D4Free private discussion

4/4

Associational & Organisational Rights

Subtotal12 / 12

E1Freedom of assembly

4/4
E2Freedom for NGOs

4/4
E3Free trade unions

4/4

Rule of Law

Subtotal12 / 16

F1Independent judiciary

2/4
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters

3/4
F3Protection from illegitimate force

4/4
F4Equal treatment under the law

3/4

Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights

Subtotal13 / 16

G1Freedom of movement

4/4
G2Property rights

3/4
G3Personal social freedoms

3/4
G4Equality of opportunity

3/4

Each indicator is scored 0–4 by Freedom House analysts; category subtotals combine into the Political Rights (A + B + C = 0–40) and Civil Liberties (D + E + F + G = 0–60) aggregates shown above. 2024 edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Kiribati?

Indicator F1 (Independent judiciary) changed by -2 points, moving from 4/4 to 2/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Kiribati.

How does Kiribati rank within its Freedom House region?

Kiribati holds position #9 of 43 in the Asia region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is New Zealand (99/100).

What is Kiribati's economic context for its press freedom score?

Kiribati has a GDP of $194.6M across a population of 118K, giving a per-capita GDP of about $1,655. Its capital is South Tarawa; the official language is English.