Human Development & Quality of Life in Kiribati
Human Development
Kiribati's 2023 HDI profile combines a headline index of 0.644 and UNDP rank 140 with a relatively sparse set of published adjustment measures. The component layer therefore carries more of the story here: life expectancy is 66.5 years, expected schooling is 11.9 years and mean schooling is 9.1 years. Missing composite fields remain blank rather than being reconstructed from those inputs.
What sits inside Kiribati's HDI
The 2023 HDI profile for Kiribati rests on life expectancy of 66.5, schooling measures of 11.9 expected years and 9.1 mean years, plus GNI per capita of $4,947 in 2021 PPP dollars. The page keeps those components visible so the composite index is not read in isolation. When the indicator is reused, preserve the distinction between level and distribution before comparing it with a quality-of-life observation.
Inequality changes the headline
IHDI reframes Kiribati's HDI by accounting for unequal outcomes within the population. That is a different question from how satisfied people say they are with life. When using this figure elsewhere, use the UNDP definition rather than a proxy rather than creating a broader claim than the source supports.
Gender and planetary-pressure adjustments
For Kiribati, the available complementary indices are GDI 0.976. Each measure has a different definition, so they are not combined.
Quality-of-life coverage is conditional
No dated comparable life-satisfaction figure is included for Kiribati in this release. No proxy is inserted for a value the source does not report.
What Kiribati's numbers say together
For a fuller view of Kiribati, the page shows IHDI 0.535 with a 16.9% loss; GDI 0.976. These measures remain distinct because they measure different aspects of development.
At 0.644, Kiribati's 2023 HDI corresponds to UNDP rank 140. The ranking reflects the HDI framework only and does not capture every aspect of lived experience.
The IHDI is 0.535, and UNDP reports an overall loss of 16.9% relative to the headline index.
The GDI value is 0.976 in group 1; it should be read alongside, not merged into, HDI.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kiribati's HDI?
Kiribati's 2023 Human Development Index is 0.644, corresponding to UNDP rank 140 in the 2025 report.
How does inequality affect Kiribati's HDI?
IHDI for Kiribati is 0.535 in the 2023 table. That represents a 16.9% reduction from the headline development index.
Why is there no life satisfaction score on this page?
For Kiribati, subjective well-being is shown only with a verified comparable observation, a missing source value is shown as unavailable.
Is HDI the same as quality of life?
No. HDI is built from health, schooling and income indicators. Subjective well-being is kept outside the HDI calculation.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the development indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Primary source for 2023 HDI and its components, plus IHDI, GDI, GII and PHDI where reported.
Report edition underlying the 2023 human-development indices and ranking.
Data note: Reference years are shown with each indicator; unavailable observations remain unfilled.