Land use in Kiribati
Kiribati: Land use was 34,000 hectares in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
34,000 hectares
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
169th
of 224 countries
All-time high
43,000 hectares
in 1963
All-time low
34,000 hectares
in 1998
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Kiribati, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land use in Kiribati is 34,000 hectares, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Kiribati peaked at 43,000 hectares in 1963 and was at its lowest, 34,000 hectares, in 1998.
That places Kiribati 169th out of 224 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Kiribati, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 39,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 43,000 hectares | +10.3% |
| 1964 | 43,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 43,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 43,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 38,000 hectares | -11.6% |
| 1968 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 38,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 39,000 hectares | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 39,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 37,000 hectares | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 37,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 37,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 37,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 37,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 34,000 hectares | -8.1% |
| 1999 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 34,000 hectares | +0.0% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's 34,000 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.82 million hectares, 1% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's 34,000 hectares is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 141,800 hectares, 24% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 40,444 hectares | 38,000 hectares | 43,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 38,000 hectares | 38,000 hectares | 38,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 38,600 hectares | 38,000 hectares | 39,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 37,000 hectares | 34,000 hectares | 39,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 34,000 hectares | 34,000 hectares | 34,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 34,000 hectares | 34,000 hectares | 34,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 34,000 hectares | 34,000 hectares | 34,000 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
- 166 Trinidad and Tobago 47,000 hectares compare
- 167 Samoa 42,420 hectares compare
- 168 Sao Tome and Principe 42,000 hectares compare
- 170 Tonga 31,000 hectares compare
- 171 Reunion 28,665 hectares compare
- 172 French Polynesia 28,500 hectares compare
More environment data for Kiribati
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.182 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.02 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.97 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 3.12 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Kiribati?
- Land use in Kiribati was 34,000 hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 43,000 hectares in 1963.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was 34,000 hectares in 1998.
- How does Kiribati rank for land use?
- Kiribati ranks 169th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kiribati data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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