Skip to content

Economy of Nauru vs Solomon Islands compared: GDP & Debt

Updated on by Georank team

Nauru has a GDP of $160M compared to $1.76B for the Solomon Islands, ranking 195/197 and 182/197 by economy size, respectively.

Nauru has $28.2M in government debt (15.2% of GDP), compared to $388M (23.7% of GDP) in the Solomon Islands.

The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.

Nauru
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Solomon Islands
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Year GDP
Nauru Solomon Islands
Current $ Constant $ Current $ Constant $
1967 - - $25,203,524 -
1968 - - $28,084,253 -
1969 - - $28,606,411 -
1970 $17,570,366 $265,597,277 - -
1971 $19,009,433 $273,295,314 $50,056,883 -
1972 $21,734,269 $281,216,471 $40,606,712 -
1973 $26,529,817 $289,367,215 $55,272,109 -
1974 $35,994,511 $297,754,198 $84,539,332 -
1975 $40,106,776 $306,384,268 $74,620,320 -
1976 $40,287,427 $297,754,198 $83,100,834 -
1977 $40,444,702 $289,367,215 $93,145,283 -
1978 $41,754,147 $281,216,471 $111,027,427 -
1979 $44,431,330 $273,295,314 $151,276,496 -
1980 $46,947,124 $265,597,277 $182,852,107 $526,656,506
1981 $51,689,637 $258,116,073 $193,750,541 $517,192,386
1982 $52,877,742 $250,845,596 $192,902,019 $508,557,520
1983 $48,439,093 $243,779,910 $181,220,399 $528,343,417
1984 $47,363,231 $236,913,245 $181,570,474 $529,242,659
1985 $41,548,741 $230,239,999 $165,524,943 $512,665,070
1986 $39,939,391 $223,754,720 $147,620,048 $511,632,408
1987 $40,118,410 $217,452,114 $155,128,542 $554,718,560
1988 $45,931,134 $211,327,039 $176,494,394 $561,653,631
1989 $53,736,786 $205,374,490 $172,882,411 $585,603,984
1990 $55,572,376 $199,589,610 $214,877,667 $598,487,271
1991 $52,533,789 $161,680,011 $227,540,473 $634,396,517
1992 $51,133,123 $135,390,360 $269,034,596 $714,964,863
1993 $43,542,088 $113,568,991 $300,746,361 $743,563,455
1994 $39,742,511 $109,178,266 $402,837,005 $803,792,104
1995 $39,969,706 $100,527,536 $469,443,202 $884,883,597
1996 $37,458,801 $88,605,472 $510,586,430 $899,129,406
1997 $37,331,507 $80,672,081 $526,554,006 $890,910,669
1998 $29,664,451 $71,162,476 $457,579,840 $902,416,890
1999 $27,328,613 $66,488,375 $488,024,514 $898,033,573
2000 $26,930,980 $61,929,804 $419,842,674 $769,821,324
2001 $22,613,288 $57,742,675 $409,508,553 $708,569,673
2002 $21,017,424 $51,984,931 $346,406,739 $688,729,844
2003 $24,778,160 $52,132,910 $417,668,983 $733,658,907
2004 $30,587,566 $49,883,465 $468,005,319 $790,028,121
2005 $30,282,840 $49,706,055 $552,864,570 $848,157,142
2006 $29,183,627 $53,845,954 $617,258,154 $883,256,262
2007 $23,068,623 $41,900,065 $695,295,348 $915,403,897
2008 $37,184,925 $50,439,678 $776,337,692 $972,396,664
2009 $44,024,970 $47,588,861 $805,557,563 $1,000,248,710
2010 $47,442,299 $47,512,730 $898,133,685 $1,097,356,737
2011 $65,444,174 $54,352,013 $1,063,895,361 $1,178,889,790
2012 $100,794,925 $68,091,833 $1,185,215,418 $1,207,961,229
2013 $94,385,015 $70,575,646 $1,285,911,586 $1,271,231,099
2014 $98,752,257 $82,166,522 $1,335,571,421 $1,286,348,802
2015 $84,383,389 $84,383,389 $1,307,909,888 $1,307,909,888
2016 $97,276,023 $88,065,239 $1,379,490,304 $1,380,560,771
2017 $108,862,279 $82,771,435 $1,469,789,119 $1,423,017,819
2018 $130,937,590 $81,762,350 $1,615,478,393 $1,462,093,823
2019 $124,871,111 $88,701,305 $1,619,155,017 $1,487,659,507
2020 $124,530,027 $90,459,205 $1,536,145,814 $1,437,359,544
2021 $175,513,985 $96,978,233 $1,522,794,913 $1,474,218,470
2022 $152,190,819 $99,840,564 $1,566,360,686 $1,509,636,295
2023 $151,455,968 $100,485,943 $1,660,896,531 $1,549,737,698
2024 $160,350,640 $102,254,749 $1,760,767,447 $1,589,090,837

Economic indicators

Nauru Solomon Islands
Gross domestic product
$160M
2024
$1.76B
2024
GDP rank
195/197
2024
182/197
2024
GDP growth
5.87%
2023-2024
6.01%
2023-2024
GDP per capita
$13,422
2024
$2,149
2024
GDP per capita rank
75/197
2024
153/197
2024
GDP per capita, PPP
$14,327
2024
$2,872
2024
Government debt
$28.2M
2024
$388M
2024
Debt-to-GDP ratio
15.2%
2025
23.7%
2025
Government debt per person
$2,360
2024
$473
2024
Government debt per person rank
114/185
2024
169/185
2024
Average annual personal income after taxes
$8,196
2025
$2,069
2025
Income share by richest 10%
25.3%
2012
29.2%
2012
Income share by poorest 10%
3.4%
2012
2.8%
2012
Government expenditure, % of GDP
135%
2025
35.7%
2025
Consumer prices inflation
6.1%
2024-2025
4.32%
2023-2024
Unemployment rate
5.06%
2021
0.69%
2013
Population
12088
854419

GDP per capita in Nauru vs Solomon Islands

Nauru's GDP per capita is $13,422, ranking 75/197, compared to $2,149 in the Solomon Islands, ranking 153/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Nauru ranks 118th at $14,327, while the Solomon Islands ranks 183rd at $2,872.

Nauru
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Solomon Islands
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
Nauru Solomon Islands
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1967 - - $153.5 -
1968 - - $166.9 -
1969 - - $165.9 -
1970 $2,619 - $162 -
1971 $2,811 - $277.1 -
1972 $3,191 - $219.5 -
1973 $3,864 - $291.3 -
1974 $5,199 - $433 -
1975 $5,740 - $372 -
1976 $5,703 - $401 -
1977 $5,646 - $434 -
1978 $5,721 - $500 -
1979 $5,950 - $658 -
1980 $6,138 - $768 -
1981 $6,594 - $786 -
1982 $6,577 - $756 -
1983 $5,896 - $686 -
1984 $5,654 - $665 -
1985 $4,859 - $586 -
1986 $4,569 - $506 -
1987 $4,485 - $515 -
1988 $5,012 - $567 -
1989 $5,723 - $538 -
1990 $5,776 $16,443 $648 $1,266
1991 $5,333 $13,451 $666 $1,346
1992 $5,103 $11,324 $764 $1,505
1993 $4,310 $9,646 $829 $1,556
1994 $3,921 $9,439 $1,078 $1,668
1995 $3,932 $8,849 $1,220 $1,821
1996 $3,679 $7,928 $1,289 $1,830
1997 $3,661 $7,332 $1,292 $1,793
1998 $2,909 $6,540 $1,092 $1,785
1999 $2,683 $6,204 $1,134 $1,754
2000 $2,649 $5,920 $953 $1,503
2001 $2,232 $5,666 $912 $1,387
2002 $2,085 $5,205 $757 $1,344
2003 $2,463 $5,335 $896 $1,433
2004 $3,041 $5,241 $986 $1,556
2005 $3,014 $5,392 $1,144 $1,693
2006 $2,908 $6,030 $1,256 $1,786
2007 $2,302 $4,826 $1,390 $1,869
2008 $3,715 $5,928 $1,526 $1,989
2009 $4,395 $5,624 $1,555 $2,021
2010 $4,724 $5,668 $1,685 $2,182
2011 $6,481 $6,582 $1,924 $2,306
2012 $9,817 $8,261 $2,066 $2,320
2013 $8,975 $8,501 $2,161 $2,394
2014 $9,193 $9,858 $2,165 $2,377
2015 $7,703 $10,020 $2,045 $2,354
2016 $8,724 $10,371 $2,083 $2,421
2017 $9,613 $9,770 $2,144 $2,454
2018 $11,409 $9,740 $2,278 $2,494
2019 $10,777 $10,640 $2,224 $2,512
2020 $10,696 $10,942 $2,063 $2,405
2021 $14,990 $12,197 $1,997 $2,518
2022 $12,896 $13,347 $2,005 $2,697
2023 $12,754 $13,830 $2,076 $2,801
2024 $13,422 $14,327 $2,149 $2,872

Spending and national debt comparison

In 2024, Nauru's government spending was $198M, accounting for 135% of its GDP, while the Solomon Islands' spent $630M, or 35.7% of GDP.

Debt-to-GDP ratio is 15.2% in Nauru and 23.7% in the Solomon Islands, ranking 177/185 and 171/185, respectively.

Nauru
Government spending

Government debt
Solomon Islands
Government spending

Government debt
Year % of GDP
Nauru Solomon Islands
Government spending Government debt Government spending Government debt
1990 - - 30% -
1991 - - 39.4% -
1992 - - 35.1% -
1993 - - 33.2% -
1994 - - 30.2% -
1995 - - 24.7% -
1996 - - 24.2% -
1997 - - 19.3% 25.9%
1998 - - 15.5% 39.5%
1999 - - 18.7% 42%
2000 - - 18.7% 44.3%
2001 - - 18.1% 52.8%
2002 - - 16.7% 65.7%
2003 - - 14.9% 61.3%
2004 - - 14.7% 58.2%
2005 - - 17% 44.7%
2006 - - 19.9% 42.3%
2007 - - 23.7% 33%
2008 - - 27% 28.9%
2009 68% 246.7% 24.8% 18.9%
2010 73.8% 242.5% 23.9% 22.9%
2011 44.7% 188.9% 27% 18.3%
2012 46% 123.1% 29.4% 13.3%
2013 66% 126.9% 41.8% 11.6%
2014 61.3% 112.5% 39.8% 10.1%
2015 85.4% 82.2% 41.5% 7.88%
2016 96% 61.2% 39.6% 7.54%
2017 102.3% 78% 40.4% 8.77%
2018 90.8% 71.1% 34.8% 7.95%
2019 106% 59.6% 35.6% 7.82%
2020 109.4% 56.3% 40.4% 12.8%
2021 93% 20.5% 37.8% 15.9%
2022 134.8% 22.4% 40.8% 15.5%
2023 118.1% 20.5% 40.1% 20.3%
2024 123.5% 17.6% 35.8% 22%
2025 135% 15.2% 35.7% 23.7%

Government deficit by year

In 2024, Nauru's government surplus, the difference between spending and revenue, was $48.3M, equivalent to 30.1% of GDP. This compares to the Solomon Islands' deficit of -$54.3M, or -3.08% of GDP.

Over the past 16 years, Nauru recorded a fiscal deficit in 0 of those years, while the Solomon Islands ran a deficit in 8 years. On average, Nauru posted an annual surplus equal to +19.4% of GDP, compared to surplus of +0.39% of GDP for the Solomon Islands.

Deficit/surplus
Nauru

Solomon Islands
Year Deficit/surplus, % of GDP
Nauru Solomon Islands
1990 - 0.58%
1991 - 0.14%
1992 - 4.13%
1993 - 2.45%
1994 - 4.33%
1995 - 3.19%
1996 - 3.73%
1997 - 2.14%
1998 - 5.04%
1999 - -0.32%
2000 - -2.93%
2001 - -2.4%
2002 - -4.35%
2003 - 10.6%
2004 - 17%
2005 - 13.4%
2006 - 13%
2007 - 15.3%
2008 - 1.94%
2009 0.37% 2.35%
2010 0.09% 6.02%
2011 2.73% 6.22%
2012 8.12% 4.63%
2013 1.71% 3.57%
2014 29.6% 2.13%
2015 10.7% 0.81%
2016 18.9% -3.56%
2017 16.2% -2.27%
2018 29.6% 1.49%
2019 31% -1.52%
2020 42.8% -2.44%
2021 44.5% -1.86%
2022 24.3% -2.51%
2023 19.4% -3.81%
2024 30.1% -3.08%
2025 10.8% -3.15%

Inflation comparison by year

Over the past 20 years, Nauru has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 4.84%, compared with 4.98% in the Solomon Islands. In 2024, inflation was 6.1% in Nauru and 4.32% in the Solomon Islands.

Inflation
Nauru

Solomon Islands
Year Inflation
Nauru Solomon Islands Nauru Solomon Islands
1996 - 11.8%
1997 - 8.08%
1998 - 12.4%
1999 - 8.02%
2000 - 7.89%
2001 - 6.93%
2002 - 10.9%
2003 - 8.27%
2004 - 6.99%
2005 8.7% 7.33%
2006 19.3% 11.2%
2007 5.6% 7.67%
2008 1% 17.3%
2009 22.4% 7.09%
2010 -2% 1.05%
2011 -3.4% 7.34%
2012 0.3% 5.91%
2013 -1.1% 5.39%
2014 0.3% 5.17%
2015 9.8% -0.57%
2016 8.1% 0.51%
2017 4.5% 0.49%
2018 1.1% 3.46%
2019 4.1% 1.63%
2020 0.9% 2.96%
2021 2% -0.12%
2022 1.1% 5.52%
2023 4.8% 5.89%
2024 9.3% 4.32%
2025 6.1% -

Top exports between countries

Nauru
Export category Export value
Solomon Islands
Export category Export value
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $435K
Machinery & equipment $66K
Metals $5K
Textiles & consumer goods $3K
Chemicals & pharma $1K
Raw agricultural goods $1K
Raw materials & minerals $1K

Balance of trade

Nauru Solomon Islands
Current account balance
$1.92M
2023
-$66.2M
2024
Current account balance ranking
74/189
2023
83/189
2024
Current account balance, % of GDP
+1.27%
2023
-3.76%
2024
Goods imports
$89M
2023
$609M
2024
Goods exports
$31.8M
2023
$510M
2024
Service imports
$61.2M
2023
$248M
2024
Service exports
$33.1M
2023
$133M
2024
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
118.7%
2024
51.7%
2022
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
39.5%
2024
26.3%
2022

Economic freedom indices

The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.

Nauru Solomon Islands
Economic freedom 60 56.3
Economic freedom ranking 96/197 121/197
Property rights n/a 48.2
Government integrity n/a 42
Judicial effectiveness n/a 61.9
Tax burden n/a 70.6
Government spending n/a 70.2
Fiscal health n/a 95.3
Business freedom n/a 50.1
Labor freedom n/a 60.5
Monetary freedom n/a 76.2
Trade freedom n/a 55.4
Investment freedom n/a 15
Financial freedom n/a 30

More economic indicators

Nauru Solomon Islands
Services, % of GDP n/a
47.3%
2022
Industry, % of GDP n/a
18.7%
2022
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP n/a
33.8%
2022
GNI, Atlas method
$254M
2024
$1.71B
2024
GNI per capita, PPP
$23,210
2024
$2,880
2024
Total reserves including gold n/a
$688M
2023
Total reserves ranking n/a
149/177
2023
Net foreign direct investment
$3.11M
2023
$19.9M
2024
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
-$280K
2024
$33M
2024
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$6.17M
2024
$52.9M
2024
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
n/a
1.77%
2023
Poverty at national poverty lines n/a
12.7%
2012
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
n/a
23.4%
2022

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Economy comparisons

Economy vs Nauru vs Solomon Islands
Afghanistan Compare Compare
Albania Compare Compare
Algeria Compare Compare
Andorra Compare Compare
Angola Compare Compare
Antigua Compare Compare
Argentina Compare Compare
Armenia Compare Compare
Australia Compare Compare
Austria Compare Compare
Azerbaijan Compare Compare
Bahamas Compare Compare
Bahrain Compare Compare
Bangladesh Compare Compare
Barbados Compare Compare
Belarus Compare Compare
Belgium Compare Compare
Belize Compare Compare
Benin Compare Compare
Bhutan Compare Compare
Bolivia Compare Compare
Bosnia Compare Compare
Botswana Compare Compare
Brazil Compare Compare
Brunei Compare Compare
Bulgaria Compare Compare
Burkina Faso Compare Compare
Burundi Compare Compare
Cambodia Compare Compare
Cameroon Compare Compare
Canada Compare Compare
Cape Verde Compare Compare
Cayman Islands Compare Compare
CAR Compare Compare
Chad Compare Compare
Chile Compare Compare
China Compare Compare
Colombia Compare Compare
Comoros Compare Compare
Congo Compare Compare
Costa Rica Compare Compare
Croatia Compare Compare
Cuba Compare Compare
Curacao Compare Compare
Cyprus Compare Compare
Czech Republic Compare Compare
DR Congo Compare Compare
Denmark Compare Compare
Djibouti Compare Compare
Dominica Compare Compare
Dominican Republic Compare Compare
East Timor Compare Compare
Ecuador Compare Compare
Egypt Compare Compare
El Salvador Compare Compare
Equatorial Guinea Compare Compare
Eritrea Compare Compare
Estonia Compare Compare
Eswatini Compare Compare
Ethiopia Compare Compare
Fiji Compare Compare
Finland Compare Compare
France Compare Compare
Gabon Compare Compare
Gambia Compare Compare
Georgia Compare Compare
Germany Compare Compare
Ghana Compare Compare
Greece Compare Compare
Grenada Compare Compare
Guatemala Compare Compare
Guinea Compare Compare
Guinea-Bissau Compare Compare
Guyana Compare Compare
Haiti Compare Compare
Honduras Compare Compare
Hungary Compare Compare
Iceland Compare Compare
India Compare Compare
Indonesia Compare Compare
Iran Compare Compare
Iraq Compare Compare
Ireland Compare Compare
Israel Compare Compare
Italy Compare Compare
Ivory Coast Compare Compare
Jamaica Compare Compare
Japan Compare Compare
Jordan Compare Compare
Kazakhstan Compare Compare
Kenya Compare Compare
Kiribati Compare Compare
Kuwait Compare Compare
Kyrgyzstan Compare Compare
Laos Compare Compare
Latvia Compare Compare
Lebanon Compare Compare
Lesotho Compare Compare
Liberia Compare Compare
Libya Compare Compare
Liechtenstein Compare Compare
Lithuania Compare Compare
Luxembourg Compare Compare
Madagascar Compare Compare
Malawi Compare Compare
Malaysia Compare Compare
Maldives Compare Compare
Mali Compare Compare
Malta Compare Compare
Marshall Islands Compare Compare
Mauritania Compare Compare
Mauritius Compare Compare
Mexico Compare Compare
Moldova Compare Compare
Monaco Compare Compare
Mongolia Compare Compare
Montenegro Compare Compare
Morocco Compare Compare
Mozambique Compare Compare
Myanmar Compare Compare
Namibia Compare Compare
Nepal Compare Compare
Netherlands Compare Compare
New Zealand Compare Compare
Nicaragua Compare Compare
Niger Compare Compare
Nigeria Compare Compare
North Korea Compare Compare
North Macedonia Compare Compare
Norway Compare Compare
Oman Compare Compare
Pakistan Compare Compare
Palau Compare Compare
Palestine Compare Compare
Panama Compare Compare
Papua New Guinea Compare Compare
Paraguay Compare Compare
Peru Compare Compare
Philippines Compare Compare
Poland Compare Compare
Portugal Compare Compare
Qatar Compare Compare
Romania Compare Compare
Russia Compare Compare
Rwanda Compare Compare
Saint Kitts Compare Compare
Saint Lucia Compare Compare
Saint Vincent Compare Compare
Samoa Compare Compare
San Marino Compare Compare
Sao Tome Compare Compare
Saudi Arabia Compare Compare
Senegal Compare Compare
Serbia Compare Compare
Seychelles Compare Compare
Sierra Leone Compare Compare
Singapore Compare Compare
Slovakia Compare Compare
Slovenia Compare Compare
Somalia Compare Compare
South Africa Compare Compare
South Korea Compare Compare
South Sudan Compare Compare
Spain Compare Compare
Sri Lanka Compare Compare
Sudan Compare Compare
Suriname Compare Compare
Sweden Compare Compare
Switzerland Compare Compare
Syria Compare Compare
Taiwan Compare Compare
Tajikistan Compare Compare
Tanzania Compare Compare
Thailand Compare Compare
Togo Compare Compare
Tonga Compare Compare
Trinidad Compare Compare
Tunisia Compare Compare
Turkey Compare Compare
Turkmenistan Compare Compare
Tuvalu Compare Compare
Uganda Compare Compare
Ukraine Compare Compare
UAE Compare Compare
United Kingdom Compare Compare
United States Compare Compare
Uruguay Compare Compare
Uzbekistan Compare Compare
Vanuatu Compare Compare
Vatican Compare Compare
Venezuela Compare Compare
Vietnam Compare Compare
Yemen Compare Compare
Zambia Compare Compare
Zimbabwe Compare Compare

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.