If you lived in Nauru instead of Kiribati, you would:

Health

see 6.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Kiribati spends $401 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nauru spends $2,474 as of 2023.

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have 6.7 times more doctors per person

Kiribati has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2013. Nauru has 12.7 as of 2015.

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have 25.0% more access to essential health services

Kiribati scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nauru scores 60 as of 2021.

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live 4.3 years less

In Kiribati, the average life expectancy is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 56.6% more likely to be obese

In Kiribati, 45.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 71.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 24.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Kiribati, 30.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2010. In Nauru, that number is 23.0% as of 2011.

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make 5.7 times more money

Kiribati has a GDP per capita of $2,559 as of 2025, while in Nauru, the GDP per capita is $14,640 as of 2025.

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Life

be 80.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Kiribati, approximately 38.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Nauru, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2024.

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be 3.4 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Kiribati, approximately 80.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Nauru, 273.0 women do as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 23.7% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Kiribati, approximately 79% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Nauru, 98% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 64.7% less on education

Kiribati spends 16.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Nauru spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 66.3% more on healthcare

Kiribati spends 10.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nauru, that number is 18.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 97.4% less coastline

Kiribati has a total of 1,143 km of coastline. In Nauru, that number is 30 km.

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Safety

be 29.0% more likely to die in a road accident

In Kiribati, road accidents kill 6.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nauru, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 332.0 times more home broadband

Kiribati has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nauru has 10.0 as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), The World Factbook (2010–2011), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Nauru: At a glance

Nauru is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 21 sq km. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
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How big is Nauru compared to Kiribati? See an in-depth size comparison.

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