| Economy - overview | A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure, and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more than one-fifth of GDP. Private sector initiatives and a financial sector are in the early stages of development. Foreign financial aid from UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and China equals more than 10% of GDP. Remittances from seamen on merchant ships abroad account for more than $5 million each year. Kiribati receives around $15 million annually for the government budget from an Australian trust fund. |
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| GDP | NA |
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| GDP - real growth rate | 0.3% (2005) |
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| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 8.9%
industry: 24.2%
services: 66.8% (2004) |
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| Population below poverty line | NA% |
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Household income or consumption
by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
| Labor force | 7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers (2001 est.) |
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| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 2.7%
industry: 32%
services: 65.3% (2000) |
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| Unemployment rate | 2% official rate; underemployment 70% (1992 est.) |
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| Budget | revenues: $55.52 million
expenditures: $59.71 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY05) |
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| Industries | fishing, handicrafts |
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| Industrial production growth rate | 0.7% (1991 est.) |
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Electricity -
production | 13 million kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption | 12.09 million kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
exports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
imports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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| Oil - production | 0 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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| Oil - consumption | 200 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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| Oil - exports | NA bbl/day |
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| Oil - imports | NA bbl/day |
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| Agriculture - products | copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish |
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| Exports | $17 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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| Exports - commodities | copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish |
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| Exports - partners | US 22.8%, Belgium 21.5%, Japan 14.3%, Samoa 7.8%, Australia 7.5%, Malaysia 6.7%, Taiwan 5.6%, Denmark 4.6% (2005) |
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| Imports | $62 million c.i.f. (2004 est.) |
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| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured goods, fuel |
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| Imports - partners | Australia 33%, Fiji 27.1%, Japan 18.1%, NZ 6.9% (2005) |
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| Debt - external | $10 million (1999 est.) |
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| Economic aid - recipient | $16.7 million largely from UK and Japan (2004) |
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| Currency code | AUD |
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| Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002) |
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| Fiscal year | NA |
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