Kiribati has a GDP of $308M compared to $591M for Tonga, ranking 192/197 and 191/197 by economy size, respectively.
Kiribati has $30.5M in government debt (16.4% of GDP), compared to $260M (51.7% of GDP) in Tonga.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1970 | $11,560,877 | $84,746,567 | - | - |
| 1971 | $12,356,134 | $82,805,820 | - | - |
| 1972 | $15,314,346 | $92,808,123 | - | - |
| 1973 | $25,645,040 | $112,214,193 | - | - |
| 1974 | $69,256,489 | $163,050,311 | - | - |
| 1975 | $44,547,454 | $171,764,404 | $32,506,742 | - |
| 1976 | $33,246,817 | $125,786,110 | $30,036,417 | - |
| 1977 | $31,335,459 | $119,984,062 | $34,139,388 | - |
| 1978 | $36,563,965 | $121,255,406 | $41,567,472 | - |
| 1979 | $34,466,197 | $107,207,974 | $44,667,002 | - |
| 1980 | $33,157,723 | $106,050,808 | $53,260,077 | - |
| 1981 | $35,267,489 | $112,543,444 | $62,242,013 | $253,486,812 |
| 1982 | $32,742,713 | $111,316,550 | $62,068,161 | $265,505,295 |
| 1983 | $31,000,546 | $100,432,082 | $60,863,964 | $270,768,679 |
| 1984 | $34,394,167 | $114,410,709 | $64,248,355 | $275,475,700 |
| 1985 | $26,126,615 | $99,262,591 | $60,058,663 | $293,542,673 |
| 1986 | $25,993,009 | $96,815,050 | $68,195,856 | $299,761,847 |
| 1987 | $29,554,413 | $98,066,611 | $81,667,133 | $308,711,650 |
| 1988 | $38,278,810 | $119,685,802 | $106,657,267 | $302,902,092 |
| 1989 | $37,645,319 | $110,957,785 | $106,344,855 | $304,083,128 |
| 1990 | $36,534,295 | $103,872,759 | $113,563,822 | $297,867,390 |
| 1991 | $41,247,792 | $98,005,316 | $132,201,141 | $316,975,445 |
| 1992 | $61,491,369 | $121,486,638 | $137,066,291 | $317,774,139 |
| 1993 | $58,953,596 | $121,360,298 | $138,489,884 | $329,652,721 |
| 1994 | $67,055,334 | $123,842,427 | $195,990,986 | $345,978,842 |
| 1995 | $68,596,395 | $127,250,829 | $208,871,666 | $367,526,959 |
| 1996 | $81,456,854 | $127,184,599 | $222,100,576 | $367,868,458 |
| 1997 | $80,205,807 | $128,681,731 | $214,991,452 | $365,659,269 |
| 1998 | $74,905,706 | $134,398,126 | $191,504,893 | $374,042,287 |
| 1999 | $77,323,978 | $129,137,472 | $199,208,718 | $382,654,471 |
| 2000 | $74,910,527 | $137,844,779 | $204,848,488 | $397,019,693 |
| 2001 | $64,935,850 | $133,510,761 | $181,117,230 | $402,945,137 |
| 2002 | $74,743,869 | $135,442,869 | $182,764,281 | $420,792,478 |
| 2003 | $96,105,619 | $133,309,011 | $202,246,591 | $421,010,472 |
| 2004 | $104,085,892 | $132,497,203 | $230,678,011 | $412,725,207 |
| 2005 | $113,895,437 | $134,209,637 | $261,823,805 | $410,010,917 |
| 2006 | $112,338,353 | $141,962,839 | $292,232,703 | $401,131,460 |
| 2007 | $138,054,946 | $146,299,918 | $298,519,623 | $391,246,346 |
| 2008 | $147,017,895 | $141,933,258 | $344,438,844 | $410,272,035 |
| 2009 | $140,177,384 | $142,695,158 | $312,415,028 | $389,228,452 |
| 2010 | $165,458,433 | $144,444,532 | $366,887,375 | $392,437,239 |
| 2011 | $195,970,140 | $149,158,807 | $414,143,828 | $418,745,044 |
| 2012 | $207,001,546 | $157,815,477 | $471,122,971 | $422,596,498 |
| 2013 | $201,730,861 | $170,016,068 | $451,788,498 | $424,261,201 |
| 2014 | $200,287,282 | $172,164,498 | $440,997,738 | $432,706,274 |
| 2015 | $191,559,399 | $191,559,399 | $437,525,514 | $437,525,514 |
| 2016 | $206,467,819 | $205,137,186 | $420,828,262 | $466,396,529 |
| 2017 | $222,875,736 | $212,828,045 | $459,976,850 | $481,332,022 |
| 2018 | $233,514,717 | $220,233,267 | $493,530,783 | $483,872,624 |
| 2019 | $216,985,388 | $227,422,252 | $506,031,239 | $482,492,577 |
| 2020 | $220,898,020 | $224,083,567 | $506,571,468 | $491,207,297 |
| 2021 | $285,259,881 | $243,085,266 | $519,306,353 | $486,614,871 |
| 2022 | $270,040,453 | $254,185,332 | $556,514,555 | $476,257,056 |
| 2023 | $288,610,748 | $260,926,355 | $591,139,749 | $489,545,312 |
| 2024 | $307,862,564 | $274,669,078 | - | - |
Economic indicators
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$308M
2024 |
$591M
2023 |
| GDP rank |
192/197
2024 |
191/197
2023 |
| GDP growth |
6.67%
2023-2024 |
6.22%
2022-2023 |
| GDP per capita |
$2,289
2024 |
$5,652
2023 |
| GDP per capita rank |
152/197
2024 |
115/197
2023 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$3,702
2024 |
$7,803
2023 |
| Government debt |
$30.5M
2024 |
$260M
2023 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
16.4%
2026 |
51.7%
2026 |
| Government debt per person |
$226.9
2024 |
$2,484
2023 |
| Government debt per person rank |
181/185
2024 |
111/185
2023 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$2,170
2026 |
$4,126
2026 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
22.8%
2019 |
22%
2021 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
4%
2019 |
4%
2021 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
111.2%
2026 |
48.7%
2026 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
3.5%
2025-2026 |
3.18%
2023-2024 |
| Unemployment rate |
2.79%
2023 |
1.65%
2023 |
| Population |
138472
|
103290
|
GDP per capita in Kiribati vs Tonga
Kiribati's GDP per capita is $2,289, ranking 152/197, compared to $5,652 in Tonga, ranking 115/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Kiribati ranks 169th at $3,702, while Tonga ranks 144th at $7,803.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1970 | $201 | - | - | - |
| 1971 | $210.7 | - | - | - |
| 1972 | $256.2 | - | - | - |
| 1973 | $422 | - | - | - |
| 1974 | $1,131 | - | - | - |
| 1975 | $730 | - | $349 | - |
| 1976 | $548 | - | $315 | - |
| 1977 | $520 | - | $353 | - |
| 1978 | $611 | - | $428 | - |
| 1979 | $573 | - | $458 | - |
| 1980 | $542 | - | $545 | - |
| 1981 | $568 | - | $636 | - |
| 1982 | $519 | - | $633 | - |
| 1983 | $483 | - | $621 | - |
| 1984 | $527 | - | $656 | - |
| 1985 | $393 | - | $613 | - |
| 1986 | $382 | - | $696 | - |
| 1987 | $424 | - | $830 | - |
| 1988 | $536 | - | $1,078 | - |
| 1989 | $515 | - | $1,070 | - |
| 1990 | $488 | $1,192 | $1,139 | $2,416 |
| 1991 | $540 | $1,139 | $1,323 | $2,652 |
| 1992 | $792 | $1,421 | $1,370 | $2,716 |
| 1993 | $748 | $1,431 | $1,383 | $2,882 |
| 1994 | $838 | $1,469 | $1,957 | $3,088 |
| 1995 | $844 | $1,518 | $2,084 | $3,347 |
| 1996 | $986 | $1,519 | $2,215 | $3,410 |
| 1997 | $953 | $1,535 | $2,136 | $3,434 |
| 1998 | $874 | $1,593 | $1,889 | $3,527 |
| 1999 | $887 | $1,526 | $1,952 | $3,636 |
| 2000 | $845 | $1,638 | $1,995 | $3,834 |
| 2001 | $719 | $1,591 | $1,754 | $3,955 |
| 2002 | $810 | $1,605 | $1,759 | $4,171 |
| 2003 | $1,021 | $1,578 | $1,936 | $4,231 |
| 2004 | $1,083 | $1,579 | $2,195 | $4,235 |
| 2005 | $1,162 | $1,617 | $2,478 | $4,315 |
| 2006 | $1,123 | $1,728 | $2,750 | $4,327 |
| 2007 | $1,353 | $1,792 | $2,797 | $4,316 |
| 2008 | $1,411 | $1,735 | $3,218 | $4,600 |
| 2009 | $1,317 | $1,718 | $2,914 | $4,384 |
| 2010 | $1,522 | $1,724 | $3,416 | $4,465 |
| 2011 | $1,771 | $1,786 | $3,850 | $4,855 |
| 2012 | $1,844 | $1,896 | $4,384 | $4,996 |
| 2013 | $1,772 | $2,049 | $4,219 | $5,120 |
| 2014 | $1,737 | $2,084 | $4,137 | $5,336 |
| 2015 | $1,640 | $2,311 | $4,124 | $5,472 |
| 2016 | $1,743 | $2,463 | $3,988 | $5,920 |
| 2017 | $1,853 | $2,562 | $4,366 | $6,229 |
| 2018 | $1,913 | $2,672 | $4,675 | $6,393 |
| 2019 | $1,751 | $2,763 | $4,789 | $6,473 |
| 2020 | $1,752 | $2,711 | $4,792 | $6,676 |
| 2021 | $2,222 | $3,020 | $4,923 | $6,929 |
| 2022 | $2,070 | $3,329 | $5,298 | $7,296 |
| 2023 | $2,178 | $3,486 | $5,652 | $7,803 |
| 2024 | $2,289 | $3,702 | - | - |
Spending and national debt comparison
In 2024, Kiribati's government spending was $302M, accounting for 111.2% of its GDP, while Tonga's spent $285M, or 48.7% of GDP.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is 16.4% in Kiribati and 51.7% in Tonga, ranking 175/185 and 104/185, respectively.
| Year | % of GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|||
| Government spending | Government debt | Government spending | Government debt | |
| 1990 | 105.5% | 7.72% | - | - |
| 1991 | 82.1% | 8.43% | - | - |
| 1992 | 65.9% | 7.31% | - | - |
| 1993 | 55.3% | 10.9% | - | - |
| 1994 | 54.6% | 12.3% | - | - |
| 1995 | 69.6% | 12.3% | - | - |
| 1996 | 68.4% | 11% | - | - |
| 1997 | 70.9% | 10.7% | - | - |
| 1998 | 74.7% | 9.81% | - | - |
| 1999 | 77.6% | 11.8% | 18.8% | 38.4% |
| 2000 | 66% | 12.7% | 20% | 43.6% |
| 2001 | 101.3% | 17% | 19.1% | 53.4% |
| 2002 | 96.9% | 13.3% | 21.3% | 60.7% |
| 2003 | 84.4% | 12.3% | 20% | 56.2% |
| 2004 | 103.8% | 13.6% | 19.3% | 52.2% |
| 2005 | 95.6% | 12.1% | 19.8% | 43.3% |
| 2006 | 82.1% | 12.9% | 25.6% | 39.6% |
| 2007 | 77.3% | 11.1% | 23.2% | 37.8% |
| 2008 | 79.4% | 13.9% | 24% | 34% |
| 2009 | 74.7% | 10.3% | 23.9% | 39.7% |
| 2010 | 75.7% | 9.43% | 28.4% | 44.7% |
| 2011 | 80.9% | 8.8% | 32.6% | 51.9% |
| 2012 | 83.9% | 8.13% | 32% | 60% |
| 2013 | 78% | 8.86% | 34.3% | 48.9% |
| 2014 | 101.2% | 8.97% | 31.5% | 47.4% |
| 2015 | 90.9% | 18.8% | 37.4% | 51.1% |
| 2016 | 99% | 21.2% | 37.2% | 49.4% |
| 2017 | 92.1% | 20.2% | 39.7% | 44.7% |
| 2018 | 108.8% | 19% | 39.6% | 45.8% |
| 2019 | 108.3% | 19% | 39.9% | 42.8% |
| 2020 | 102.2% | 21% | 37.9% | 42.6% |
| 2021 | 84% | 17.3% | 44.6% | 43% |
| 2022 | 87.5% | 16.3% | 44.4% | 43.8% |
| 2023 | 95.3% | 11.4% | 48.2% | 43.9% |
| 2024 | 98.1% | 9.92% | 49.6% | 38.2% |
| 2025 | 126.6% | 8.77% | 49.7% | 44.1% |
| 2026 | 111.2% | 16.4% | 48.7% | 51.7% |
Government deficit by year
In 2023, Kiribati's government surplus, the difference between spending and revenue, was $370K, equivalent to 0.13% of GDP. This compares to Tonga's surplus of $36.3M, or 6.14% of GDP.
Over the past 25 years, Kiribati recorded a fiscal deficit in 15 of those years, while Tonga ran a deficit in 7 years. On average, Kiribati posted an annual surplus equal to +0.26% of GDP, compared to surplus of +1.95% of GDP for Tonga.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|
| 1990 | -4.62% | - |
| 1991 | 3.87% | - |
| 1992 | 0.79% | - |
| 1993 | 6.27% | - |
| 1994 | 0.74% | - |
| 1995 | -5.14% | - |
| 1996 | -20.2% | - |
| 1997 | 5.92% | - |
| 1998 | 14.6% | - |
| 1999 | -1.81% | 1.55% |
| 2000 | -0.03% | 1.35% |
| 2001 | -10.9% | 2.23% |
| 2002 | 3.13% | 2.59% |
| 2003 | -8.93% | 2.37% |
| 2004 | -19.2% | 4.23% |
| 2005 | -9.96% | 4.23% |
| 2006 | -12.3% | 1.34% |
| 2007 | -12.5% | 5.39% |
| 2008 | -15.8% | 2.14% |
| 2009 | -8.56% | 6.85% |
| 2010 | -7.8% | -1.22% |
| 2011 | -17.6% | -6.02% |
| 2012 | -5.43% | -1.74% |
| 2013 | 11.8% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 35% | 6.38% |
| 2015 | 42.5% | -2.75% |
| 2016 | 20.1% | 1.47% |
| 2017 | 34.1% | 3.58% |
| 2018 | 5.18% | 2.92% |
| 2019 | 10.8% | 3.28% |
| 2020 | 3.57% | 5.25% |
| 2021 | -10.8% | -0.87% |
| 2022 | -18.3% | -0.69% |
| 2023 | 0.13% | 6.14% |
| 2024 | -22% | 3.49% |
| 2025 | -15.1% | -7.9% |
| 2026 | -16.7% | -9.49% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 28 years, Kiribati has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 2.25%, compared with 5.19% in Tonga. In 2024, inflation was 3.5% in Kiribati and 3.18% in Tonga.
| Year | Inflation | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|
| 1997 | 2.6% | 2.12% |
| 1998 | 3.7% | 3.27% |
| 1999 | 1.8% | 4.46% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | 6.33% |
| 2001 | 6% | 8.29% |
| 2002 | 3.2% | 10.4% |
| 2003 | 1.6% | 11.6% |
| 2004 | -0.7% | 11% |
| 2005 | -0.4% | 8.67% |
| 2006 | -1% | 6.15% |
| 2007 | 3.6% | 5.84% |
| 2008 | 13.7% | 10.4% |
| 2009 | 9.8% | 1.43% |
| 2010 | -3.9% | 3.53% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | 6.27% |
| 2012 | -3% | 1.15% |
| 2013 | -1.5% | 0.78% |
| 2014 | 2.1% | 2.51% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | -1.05% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | 2.58% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | 7.52% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | 5.03% |
| 2019 | -1.8% | 1.18% |
| 2020 | 2.6% | -0.35% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | 5.64% |
| 2022 | 5.3% | 11% |
| 2023 | 9.3% | 6.35% |
| 2024 | 2.5% | 3.18% |
| 2025 | 7.8% | - |
| 2026 | 3.5% | - |
Top exports between countries
Balance of trade
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$59.5M
2024 |
-$43.5M
2024 |
| Current account balance ranking |
85/190
2024 |
83/190
2024 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-19.3%
2024 |
-7.93%
2023 |
| Goods imports |
$227M
2024 |
$232M
2024 |
| Goods exports |
$8.49M
2024 |
$10.8M
2024 |
| Service imports |
$108M
2024 |
$161M
2024 |
| Service exports |
$7M
2024 |
$93.6M
2024 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
94.9%
2024 |
64.9%
2023 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
6.27%
2024 |
14.7%
2023 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 50.9 | 58.5 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 159/197 | 106/197 |
| Property rights | 68.5 | 67.9 |
| Government integrity | 48.9 | 45.8 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 59.9 | 65.7 |
| Tax burden | 72.9 | 84.9 |
| Government spending | 0 | 28.9 |
| Fiscal health | 19.7 | 96.3 |
| Business freedom | 62.8 | 59.5 |
| Labor freedom | 65.3 | 56.6 |
| Monetary freedom | 72.5 | 61 |
| Trade freedom | 80 | 75.4 |
| Investment freedom | 30 | 40 |
| Financial freedom | 30 | 20 |
Economic freedom by year comparison
The Economic Freedom Index for Kiribati is 50.9, ranking 159/197, compared to 58.5 for Tonga, ranking 106/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.
| Year | Economic freedom index | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|
| 2009 | 45.7 | 54.1 |
| 2010 | 43.7 | 53.4 |
| 2011 | 44.8 | 55.8 |
| 2012 | 46.9 | 57 |
| 2013 | 45.9 | 56 |
| 2014 | 46.3 | 58.2 |
| 2015 | 46.4 | 59.3 |
| 2016 | 46.2 | 59.6 |
| 2017 | 50.9 | 63 |
| 2018 | 50.8 | 63.1 |
| 2019 | 47.3 | 57.7 |
| 2020 | 45.2 | 58.8 |
| 2021 | 44.4 | 57.5 |
| 2022 | 59.2 | 60.8 |
| 2023 | 58.8 | 60 |
| 2024 | 51.3 | 59.2 |
| 2025 | 50.9 | 58.5 |
More economic indicators
|
Kiribati
|
Tonga
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
67.1%
2023 |
50%
2023 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
11.5%
2023 |
14.9%
2023 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
27.2%
2023 |
19%
2023 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$493M
2024 |
$619M
2023 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$6,060
2024 |
$8,400
2023 |
| Total reserves including gold | n/a |
$377M
2024 |
| Total reserves ranking | n/a |
163/177
2024 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$8.06M
2024 |
$13.3M
2024 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$8.07M
2024 |
-$12.1M
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$16.4K
2024 |
$1.25M
2024 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
n/a |
2.76%
2023 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
5.5%
2023 |
20.6%
2021 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
25.8%
2023 |
25.9%
2023 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.