Kiribati: Interest payments (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Kiribati's interest payments (current LCU) rose 6.1% on 2022 (from 2.61 million to 2.77 million).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2022), the average change was +40.5% and a typical year strayed about 107.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 260.3% in 2019 and the biggest yearly fall was 90.5% in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 355,498 a year. A straight line explains 87% of the movement over 9 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Kiribati had the 17th highest value of the 17 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Kiribati in the 2023 ranking

• Vanuatu — 14th of 17: 1.12 billion
• Samoa — 15th of 17: 12.67 million
• Tonga — 16th of 17: 8.19 million

What this measures

Interest payments include interest payments on government debt (including long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments) to domestic and foreign residents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 12 values

Interest payments (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Australia — 19.17 billion (2022)
• Cambodia — 473.14 billion (2023)
• China — 590.85 billion (2021)
• Fiji — 527.5 million (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 35.54 trillion (2024)
• Lao PDR — 3.81 trillion (2022)
• Malaysia — 50.48 billion (2024)
• Marshall Islands — 664,000 (2020)
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts. — 523,714 (2020)
• Mongolia — 1.17 trillion (2024)
• New Zealand

More public sector data for Kiribati

• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2.5 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2.5 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 2.5 (2025)
• CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA quality of budgetary and financial management rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2.5 (2025)
• CPIA financial sector rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA fiscal policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA gender equality rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA building human resources rating (1=low to 6=high)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Kiribati's interest payments (current LCU)?

2.77 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2011?

It is down 28.51% from 3.88 million in 2011 (2.76% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 6.43 million in 2012 and the lowest 150,000 in 2016.

How does Kiribati rank?

17th highest of 17 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in interest payments (current LCU) unusual for Kiribati?

In 2023, Kiribati's interest payments (current LCU) rose 6.1% on 2022 (from 2.61 million to 2.77 million). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2012 to 2022), the average change was +40.5% and a typical year strayed about 107.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.INTP.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.