Current account balance in Kiribati
Kiribati: Current account balance was -17.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Kiribati, 1979–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for current account balance in Kiribati is -17.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 159.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Kiribati peaked at 60.4% in 1979 and was at its lowest, -25.1%, in 1990.
Kiribati ranks 185th of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Kiribati, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 60.4% | — |
| 1980 | 7.3% | -87.9% |
| 1981 | -10.2% | -239.1% |
| 1982 | -8.1% | -20.2% |
| 1983 | 15.7% | -293.2% |
| 1984 | 34.9% | +123.0% |
| 1985 | -6.6% | -118.8% |
| 1986 | -10.1% | +53.8% |
| 1987 | -11.2% | +10.3% |
| 1988 | -4.8% | -57.0% |
| 1989 | -4.1% | -14.9% |
| 1990 | -25.1% | +515.8% |
| 1991 | 10.4% | -141.3% |
| 1992 | -14.8% | -242.3% |
| 1993 | -7.0% | -52.9% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | -129.6% |
| 2006 | -8.6% | -517.8% |
| 2007 | -1.8% | -78.9% |
| 2008 | -3.6% | +96.4% |
| 2009 | -11.8% | +231.1% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -101.0% |
| 2011 | -8.8% | -7607.3% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | -119.8% |
| 2013 | -5.0% | -387.2% |
| 2014 | 28.0% | -657.2% |
| 2015 | 29.4% | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 9.3% | -68.3% |
| 2017 | 31.6% | +239.6% |
| 2018 | 32.9% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 40.0% | +21.7% |
| 2020 | 32.3% | -19.4% |
| 2021 | 7.1% | -78.0% |
| 2022 | -12.0% | -269.0% |
| 2023 | -1.8% | -85.4% |
| 2024 | -17.4% | +889.0% |
| 2025 | -17.6% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 60.4% | 60.4% | 60.4% | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | -11.2% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | -6.9% | -25.1% | 10.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | -6.5% | -11.8% | -1.8% | 4 |
| 2010s | 15.9% | -8.8% | 40.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.6% | -17.6% | 32.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
- 182 Afghanistan -15.7% compare
- 183 Palestine, State of -15.8% compare
- 184 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -16.1% compare
- 186 Maldives -18.7% compare
- 187 Malawi -18.8% compare
- 188 Bhutan -19.4% compare
More economy & growth data for Kiribati
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.6343 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.11 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 12.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.8912 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 2,274 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -15.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -16.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 0.351 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 895.5 current LCU per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Kiribati?
- Current account balance in Kiribati was -17.6% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 60.4% in 1979.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was -25.1% in 1990.
- How does Kiribati rank for current account balance?
- Kiribati ranks 185th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is down 159.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kiribati data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.