Nauru
Republic of Nauru
- Background
- By 1000 B.C., Micronesian and Polynesian settlers inhabited Nauru, and the island was divided among 12 clans. Nauru developed in relative isolation because ocean currents made landfall on the island difficult. As a result, the Nauruan language does not clearly resemble any other in the Pacific region. In 1798, a British mariner was the first European to spot the island and by 1830, European whalers used Nauru as a supply stop, trading firearms for food. A civil war in 1878 reduced the population by more than a third. Germany forcibly annexed Nauru in 1888 by holding the 12 chiefs under house arrest until they consented to the annexation. Phosphate was discovered in 1900 and was heavily mined, although Nauru and Nauruans earned about one tenth of one percent of the profits from the phosphate deposits.Australian forces captured Nauru from Germany during World War I, and in 1919, it was placed under a joint Australian-British-New Zealand mandate with Australian administration. Japan occupied Nauru during World War II and used its residents as forced labor elsewhere in the Pacific while destroying much of the infrastructure on the island. After the war, Nauru became a UN trust territory under Australian administration. In 1962, recognizing the phosphate stocks would eventually be depleted, Australian Prime Minister Robert MENZIES offered to resettle all Nauruans on Curtis Island in Queensland, but Nauruans rejected that plan and opted for independence, which was achieved in 1968. In 1970, Nauru purchased the phosphate mining assets, and income from the mines made Nauruans among the richest people in the world. However, a series of unwise investments led to near bankruptcy by 2000. Widespread phosphate mining officially ceased in 2006. As its economy faltered, Nauru briefly tried to rebrand itself as an offshore banking haven, an initiative that ended in 2005, and the country made a successful bid for Russian humanitarian aid in 2008. In 2001, Australia set up the Nauru Regional Processing Center (NRPC), an offshore refugee detention facility, paying Nauru per person at the center. The NRPC closed in 2008 but reopened in 2012. The number of refugees steadily declined after 2014, and in 2020, the remaining people were moved to Brisbane, Australia, effectively shuttering the NRPC. However, in 2023, Australia agreed to continue funding NRPC for two years and restarted settling asylees in the center in mid-2023. The center remains the Government of Nauru’s largest source of income.
- Location
- Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
- Geographic coordinates
- 0 32 S, 166 55 E
- Map references
- Oceania
- Area
- total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km - Area - comparative
- about 0.1 times the size of Washington, D.C.
- Land boundaries
- total: 0 km
- Coastline
- 30 km
- Maritime claims
- territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm - Climate
- tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)
- Terrain
- sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
- Elevation
- highest point: Command Ridge 70 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m - Natural resources
- phosphates, fish
- Land use
- agricultural land: 20% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 0% (2022 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 20% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
forest: 0% (2022 est.)
other: 80% (2023 est.) - Irrigated land
- 0 sq km (2022)
- Population distribution
- most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast
- Natural hazards
- periodic droughts
- Geography - note
- Nauru is the third-smallest country in the world behind the Holy See (Vatican City) and Monaco; it is the smallest country in the Pacific Ocean, the smallest country outside Europe, the world's smallest island country, and the world's smallest independent republic; situated just 53 km south of the equator, Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean -- the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia
- Population
- total: 9,930 (2025 est.)
male: 4,874
female: 5,056 - Nationality
- noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan - Ethnic groups
- Nauruan 94.6%, I-Kiribati 2.2%, Fijian 1.3%, other 1.9% (2021 est.)
- Languages
- Nauruan 93% (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English 2% (widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes), other 5% (includes Gilbertese 2% and Chinese 2%) (2011 est.)
- Religions
- Protestant 60.4% (Nauruan Congregational 34.7%, Assemblies of God 11.6%, Pacific Light House 6.3%, Nauru Independent 3.6%, Baptist 1.5, Seventh Day Adventist 1.3%, other Protestant 1.4%), Roman Catholic 33.9%, other 4.2%, none 1.3%, no answer 0.3% (2021 est.)
- Age structure
- 0-14 years: 29.6% (male 1,493/female 1,433)
15-64 years: 66% (male 3,220/female 3,309)
65 years and over: 4.4% (2024 est.) (male 143/female 294) - Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: 50.7 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 43.7 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 7 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 14.4 (2025 est.) - Median age
- total: 28.2 years (2025 est.)
male: 27.3 years
female: 28.4 years - Population growth rate
- 0.37% (2025 est.)
- Birth rate
- 19.64 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -9.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast
- Urbanization
- urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.18% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) - Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.) - Maternal mortality ratio
- 273 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
- Infant mortality rate
- total: 7.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births - Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 68.6 years (2024 est.)
male: 65 years
female: 72.3 years - Total fertility rate
- 2.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.24 (2025 est.)
- Drinking water source
- improved: total: total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2020 est.) - Health expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 13.1% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 11.8% of national budget (2022 est.) - Physician density
- 1.27 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate
- 61% (2016)
- Alcohol consumption per capita
- total: 2.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.81 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) - Tobacco use
- total: 47.7% (2025 est.)
male: 49.3% (2025 est.)
female: 46.1% (2025 est.) - Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 3.8% (2023 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15-49)
- 57.7% (2021 est.)
- Education expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.7% of GDP (2023 est.) NA
Education expenditure (% national budget): 6.6% national budget (2025 est.) - Literacy
- total population: 96.6% (2023 est.)
male: 93.4% (2023 est.)
female: 99.7% (2023 est.)
- Environmental issues
- limited natural freshwater resources; effects of intensive phosphate mining that left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland; air and water pollution from cadmium residue, phosphate dust, and other contaminants; rising sea levels
- International environmental agreements
- party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements - Climate
- tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)
- Land use
- agricultural land: 20% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 0% (2022 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 20% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
forest: 0% (2022 est.)
other: 80% (2023 est.) - Urbanization
- urban population: 100% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.18% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) - Carbon dioxide emissions
- total emissions: 86,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 86,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) - Particulate matter emissions
- 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually: 6,200 tons (2024 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 10 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Country name
- conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
local long form: Republic of Nauru
local short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island
etymology: the island name may derive from the Nauruan word "anaoero" meaning "I go to the beach"; the former name, Pleasant Island, came from British navigator John Frean, who visited in 1798 - Government type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- name: no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) - Administrative divisions
- 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baitsi, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
- Legal system
- mixed system of common law based on the English model and customary law
- Constitution
- history: effective 29 January 1968
amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament; amendments to constitutional articles, such as the republican form of government, protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and authorities of the executive and legislative branches, also require two-thirds majority of votes in a referendum - International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Suffrage
- 20 years of age; universal and compulsory
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023)
head of government: President David ADEANG (since 30 October 2023)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among members of Parliament
election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by Parliament for 3-year term (eligible for a second term)
most recent election date: 14 October 2025
election results: 2025: David ADEAGN elected president (unopposed)2023: David ADEAGN elected president over Delvin THOMA, 10-8
expected date of next election: 2028 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Parliament
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 19 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: Full renewal
term in office: 3 years
most recent election date: 10/11/2025
percentage of women in chamber: 10.5%
expected date of next election: October 2028 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several justices)
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president to serve until age 65
subordinate courts: District Court, Family Court - Political parties
- Nauru does not have formal political parties; alliances within the government are often formed based on extended family ties
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Lara Erab DANIEL (since 13 January 2025); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN
chancery: 801 2nd Avenue, Third Floor, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074
FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079
email address and website: nauru@onecommonwealth.orghttps://www.un.int/nauru/ - Diplomatic representation from the US
- embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru
- International organization participation
- ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICCt, IFAD, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
- Independence
- 31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
- Flag
- description: blue with a narrow horizontal gold stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the left sidemeaning: blue stands for the Pacific Ocean; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the equator (the gold stripe), and the 12 points stand for the original tribes of Nauru; the star's white color represents phosphate, the basis of the island's wealth
- National symbol(s)
- frigatebird, calophyllum flower
- National color(s)
- blue, yellow, white
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Nauru Bwiema" (Nauru, Our Homeland)
lyrics/music: Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS
history: adopted 1968
- Economic overview
- upper-middle-income Pacific island country; phosphate resource exhaustion made island interior uninhabitable; licenses fishing rights; houses Australia’s Regional Processing Centre; former tax haven; largely dependent on foreign subsidies
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $150.581 million (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $147.976 million (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $147.026 million (2022 est.) - Real GDP growth rate
- Real GDP growth rate 2024: 1.8% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 3% (2022 est.) - Real GDP per capita
- Real GDP per capita 2024: $12,600 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $12,500 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $12,500 (2022 est.) - GDP (official exchange rate)
- $160.351 million (2024 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 2.6% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021: 2.4% (2021 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020: 1.8% (2020 est.) - Agricultural products
- coconuts, tropical fruits, pork, eggs, pork offal, pork fat, chicken, papayas, vegetables, cabbages (2023)
- Industries
- phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products
- Remittances
- Remittances 2023: 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 0.7% of GDP (2021 est.) - Budget
- revenues: $199.74 million (2020 est.)
expenditures: $157.86 million (2020 est.) - Public debt
- Public debt 2016: 65% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 44.4% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
- Current account balance
- Current account balance 2023: $1.923 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: $2.966 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: $6.597 million (2021 est.) - Exports
- Exports 2023: $64.931 million (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $78.383 million (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $54.403 million (2021 est.) - Exports - partners
- Thailand 78%, Philippines 11%, NZ 5%, Japan 1%, Canada 1% (2023)
- Exports - commodities
- fish, phosphates (2023)
- Imports
- Imports 2023: $150.193 million (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $165.371 million (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $141.185 million (2021 est.) - Imports - partners
- Australia 50%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%, Senegal 9%, China 9% (2023)
- Imports - commodities
- ships, titanium ore, refined petroleum, plastic products, other foods (2023)
- Exchange rates
- Currency: Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 1.515 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 1.505 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 1.442 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 1.331 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 1.453 (2020 est.)
- Electricity access
- electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
- Electricity
- installed generating capacity: 19,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 37.893 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 3.922 million kWh (2023 est.) - Electricity generation sources
- fossil fuels: 88% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 12% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) - Petroleum
- refined petroleum consumption: 500 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions: 0 (2019 est.) 0
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1 - Telephones - mobile cellular
- total subscriptions: 10,300 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 87 (2022 est.) - Broadcast media
- 1 state-owned TV station broadcasting programs from New Zealand; 1 state-owned radio station, broadcasting on AM and FM, uses Australian and British programs (2019)
- Internet country code
- .nr
- Internet users
- percent of population: 82% (2020 est.)
- Broadband - fixed subscriptions
- total: 1,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- C2
- Airports
- 1 (2025)
- Merchant marine
- total: 6 (2023)
by type: other 6 - Ports
- total ports: 1 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 0
very small: 1
ports with oil terminals: 1
key ports: Nauru
- Military and security forces
- no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force
- Military - note
- under the terms of a security deal signed in December 2024, Australia and Nauru agreed to “deepen and expand security cooperation” and “consult and consider” in the event of threats; Nauru pledged to seek Australia’s agreement before it signed any bilateral accords on maritime security, defense, and policing, and would receive Australian financial assistance in support of Nauru's police and security needsNauru has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Nauru's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025)
- Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees: 95 (2024 est.)