Nauru ranked 195/197 by economy size with a GDP of $160M and 75/197 by GDP per capita at $13,422. Nauru has $28.2M in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 15.2%.
In 2025, Nauru made up 0.0001% of the world's economy, compared to 0.0006% in 1970.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1970 | $17,570,366 | $265,597,277 | - |
| 1971 | $19,009,433 | $273,295,314 | 8.19% |
| 1972 | $21,734,269 | $281,216,471 | 14.3% |
| 1973 | $26,529,817 | $289,367,215 | 22.1% |
| 1974 | $35,994,511 | $297,754,198 | 35.7% |
| 1975 | $40,106,776 | $306,384,268 | 11.4% |
| 1976 | $40,287,427 | $297,754,198 | 0.45% |
| 1977 | $40,444,702 | $289,367,215 | 0.39% |
| 1978 | $41,754,147 | $281,216,471 | 3.24% |
| 1979 | $44,431,330 | $273,295,314 | 6.41% |
| 1980 | $46,947,124 | $265,597,277 | 5.66% |
| 1981 | $51,689,637 | $258,116,073 | 10.1% |
| 1982 | $52,877,742 | $250,845,596 | 2.3% |
| 1983 | $48,439,093 | $243,779,910 | -8.39% |
| 1984 | $47,363,231 | $236,913,245 | -2.22% |
| 1985 | $41,548,741 | $230,239,999 | -12.3% |
| 1986 | $39,939,391 | $223,754,720 | -3.87% |
| 1987 | $40,118,410 | $217,452,114 | 0.45% |
| 1988 | $45,931,134 | $211,327,039 | 14.5% |
| 1989 | $53,736,786 | $205,374,490 | 17% |
| 1990 | $55,572,376 | $199,589,610 | 3.42% |
| 1991 | $52,533,789 | $161,680,011 | -5.47% |
| 1992 | $51,133,123 | $135,390,360 | -2.67% |
| 1993 | $43,542,088 | $113,568,991 | -14.8% |
| 1994 | $39,742,511 | $109,178,266 | -8.73% |
| 1995 | $39,969,706 | $100,527,536 | 0.57% |
| 1996 | $37,458,801 | $88,605,472 | -6.28% |
| 1997 | $37,331,507 | $80,672,081 | -0.34% |
| 1998 | $29,664,451 | $71,162,476 | -20.5% |
| 1999 | $27,328,613 | $66,488,375 | -7.87% |
| 2000 | $26,930,980 | $61,929,804 | -1.46% |
| 2001 | $22,613,288 | $57,742,675 | -16% |
| 2002 | $21,017,424 | $51,984,931 | -7.06% |
| 2003 | $24,778,160 | $52,132,910 | 17.9% |
| 2004 | $30,587,566 | $49,883,465 | 23.4% |
| 2005 | $30,282,840 | $49,706,055 | -1% |
| 2006 | $29,183,627 | $53,845,954 | -3.63% |
| 2007 | $23,068,623 | $41,900,065 | -21% |
| 2008 | $37,184,925 | $50,439,678 | 61.2% |
| 2009 | $44,024,970 | $47,588,861 | 18.4% |
| 2010 | $47,442,299 | $47,512,730 | 7.76% |
| 2011 | $65,444,174 | $54,352,013 | 37.9% |
| 2012 | $100,794,925 | $68,091,833 | 54% |
| 2013 | $94,385,015 | $70,575,646 | -6.36% |
| 2014 | $98,752,257 | $82,166,522 | 4.63% |
| 2015 | $84,383,389 | $84,383,389 | -14.6% |
| 2016 | $97,276,023 | $88,065,239 | 15.3% |
| 2017 | $108,862,279 | $82,771,435 | 11.9% |
| 2018 | $130,937,590 | $81,762,350 | 20.3% |
| 2019 | $124,871,111 | $88,701,305 | -4.63% |
| 2020 | $124,530,027 | $90,459,205 | -0.27% |
| 2021 | $175,513,985 | $96,978,233 | 40.9% |
| 2022 | $152,190,819 | $99,840,564 | -13.3% |
| 2023 | $151,455,968 | $100,485,943 | -0.48% |
| 2024 | $160,350,640 | $102,254,749 | 5.87% |
Economic Statistics of Nauru
Nauru
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$160M
2024 |
195/197 |
| GDP growth |
5.87%
2023-2024 |
94/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$13,422
2024 |
75/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$14,327
2024 |
118/197 |
| Government debt |
$28.2M
2024 |
184/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
15.2%
2025 |
177/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$2,360
2024 |
114/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$8,196
2025 |
86/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
25.3%
2012 |
112/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
3.4%
2012 |
41/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
135%
2025 |
1/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
6.1%
2024-2025 |
45/195 |
| Unemployment rate |
5.06%
2021 |
103/196 |
| Population |
12088
|
195/197 |
Nauru's GDP per capita
Nauru has a GDP per capita of $13,422, ranking 75/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $14,327, ranking 118/197, and a median annual after tax income of $8,196, ranking 86/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1970 | $2,619 | - |
| 1971 | $2,811 | - |
| 1972 | $3,191 | - |
| 1973 | $3,864 | - |
| 1974 | $5,199 | - |
| 1975 | $5,740 | - |
| 1976 | $5,703 | - |
| 1977 | $5,646 | - |
| 1978 | $5,721 | - |
| 1979 | $5,950 | - |
| 1980 | $6,138 | - |
| 1981 | $6,594 | - |
| 1982 | $6,577 | - |
| 1983 | $5,896 | - |
| 1984 | $5,654 | - |
| 1985 | $4,859 | - |
| 1986 | $4,569 | - |
| 1987 | $4,485 | - |
| 1988 | $5,012 | - |
| 1989 | $5,723 | - |
| 1990 | $5,776 | $16,443 |
| 1991 | $5,333 | $13,451 |
| 1992 | $5,103 | $11,324 |
| 1993 | $4,310 | $9,646 |
| 1994 | $3,921 | $9,439 |
| 1995 | $3,932 | $8,849 |
| 1996 | $3,679 | $7,928 |
| 1997 | $3,661 | $7,332 |
| 1998 | $2,909 | $6,540 |
| 1999 | $2,683 | $6,204 |
| 2000 | $2,649 | $5,920 |
| 2001 | $2,232 | $5,666 |
| 2002 | $2,085 | $5,205 |
| 2003 | $2,463 | $5,335 |
| 2004 | $3,041 | $5,241 |
| 2005 | $3,014 | $5,392 |
| 2006 | $2,908 | $6,030 |
| 2007 | $2,302 | $4,826 |
| 2008 | $3,715 | $5,928 |
| 2009 | $4,395 | $5,624 |
| 2010 | $4,724 | $5,668 |
| 2011 | $6,481 | $6,582 |
| 2012 | $9,817 | $8,261 |
| 2013 | $8,975 | $8,501 |
| 2014 | $9,193 | $9,858 |
| 2015 | $7,703 | $10,020 |
| 2016 | $8,724 | $10,371 |
| 2017 | $9,613 | $9,770 |
| 2018 | $11,409 | $9,740 |
| 2019 | $10,777 | $10,640 |
| 2020 | $10,696 | $10,942 |
| 2021 | $14,990 | $12,197 |
| 2022 | $12,896 | $13,347 |
| 2023 | $12,754 | $13,830 |
| 2024 | $13,422 | $14,327 |
Nauru's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Nauru's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 17 years, Nauru recorded a fiscal deficit in 0 years — average annual surplus equal to +18.9% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $198M (135% of GDP), with a surplus of +10.8%.
The national debt reached $28.2M, ranking 184th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 15.2%, ranking 177th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 2009 | 68% | 246.7% | 0.37% |
| 2010 | 73.8% | 242.5% | 0.09% |
| 2011 | 44.7% | 188.9% | 2.73% |
| 2012 | 46% | 123.1% | 8.12% |
| 2013 | 66% | 126.9% | 1.71% |
| 2014 | 61.3% | 112.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015 | 85.4% | 82.2% | 10.7% |
| 2016 | 96% | 61.2% | 18.9% |
| 2017 | 102.3% | 78% | 16.2% |
| 2018 | 90.8% | 71.1% | 29.6% |
| 2019 | 106% | 59.6% | 31% |
| 2020 | 109.4% | 56.3% | 42.8% |
| 2021 | 93% | 20.5% | 44.5% |
| 2022 | 134.8% | 22.4% | 24.3% |
| 2023 | 118.1% | 20.5% | 19.4% |
| 2024 | 123.5% | 17.6% | 30.1% |
| 2025 | 135% | 15.2% | 10.8% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Nauru has had an average annual inflation rate of 4.71%. In 2025, inflation was 6.1%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 8.7% |
| 2006 | 19.3% |
| 2007 | 5.6% |
| 2008 | 1% |
| 2009 | 22.4% |
| 2010 | -2% |
| 2011 | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 0.3% |
| 2013 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 0.3% |
| 2015 | 9.8% |
| 2016 | 8.1% |
| 2017 | 4.5% |
| 2018 | 1.1% |
| 2019 | 4.1% |
| 2020 | 0.9% |
| 2021 | 2% |
| 2022 | 1.1% |
| 2023 | 4.8% |
| 2024 | 9.3% |
| 2025 | 6.1% |
Balance of trade
|
Nauru
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$1.92M
2023 |
74/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+1.27%
2023 |
63/189 |
| Goods imports |
$89M
2023 |
187/188 |
| Goods exports |
$31.8M
2023 |
182/188 |
| Service imports |
$61.2M
2023 |
184/188 |
| Service exports |
$33.1M
2023 |
182/188 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
118.7%
2024 |
5/180 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
39.5%
2024 |
80/193 |
Nauru's top 10 trading partners
Nauru's biggest trading partner accounting for 53.4%% of all exports and imports is Thailand, with a trade balance between the two of +$141M — Nauru exports $143M worth of goods and services to Thailand and imports $1.57M.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Nauru.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Thailand
|
$145M | 53.4% | $143M | $1.57M | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 2 |
Australia
|
$36.4M | 13.4% | $114K | $36.3M | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 3 |
China
|
$20M | 7.38% | $8.53M | $11.5M | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 4 |
Philippines
|
$10M | 3.71% | $9.98M | $55K | Animal & marine products | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 5 |
Senegal
|
$9.54M | 3.52% | $9.54M | $0 | Raw agricultural goods | Animal & marine products |
| 6 |
South Korea
|
$9M | 3.32% | $8.84M | $163K | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 7 |
Japan
|
$7.11M | 2.63% | $626K | $6.49M | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 8 |
New Zealand
|
$6.77M | 2.5% | $5.53M | $1.24M | Raw materials & minerals | Machinery & equipment |
| 9 |
Fiji
|
$5.17M | 1.91% | $54K | $5.12M | Processed food, beverages & tobacco | Raw agricultural goods |
| 10 |
United States
|
$3.24M | 1.2% | $2.32M | $917K | Textiles & consumer goods | Machinery & equipment |
Nauru's top 10 exports
|
Nauru
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Animal & marine products | $155M | 95/192 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $23.1M | 161/193 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $9.54M | 158/193 |
| Machinery & equipment | $9.08M | 165/193 |
| Business & finance services | $8.61M | 173/188 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $4.94M | 154/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $2.46M | 186/188 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $618K | 176/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $499K | 183/192 |
| Metals | $348K | 184/192 |
Nauru's top 10 imports
|
Nauru
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Transport & tourism services | $32.9M | 186/188 |
| Machinery & equipment | $28M | 190/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $10.1M | 191/193 |
| Miscellaneous | $4.67M | 169/193 |
| Animal & marine products | $4.53M | 192/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $4.08M | 192/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $3.97M | 191/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $3.93M | 191/193 |
| Metals | $3.73M | 190/193 |
| Government & miscellaneous services | $2.79M | 159/180 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Nauru
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 60 | 96/197 |
More economic indicators
|
Nauru
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$254M
2024 |
192/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$23,210
2024 |
80/191 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
$3.11M
2023 |
40/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
-$280K
2024 |
173/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$6.17M
2024 |
125/187 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Nauru topic pages:
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.