Kiribati
Digital snapshot – key policies and laws
Kiribati’s digital governance is still foundation-building, but it now has a clearer legal and institutional shape. The Digital Government Act 2023 gives the state a framework for digital services, government ICT systems, cloud infrastructure, data repositories, APIs, open data and cybersecurity, while the Digital Transformation Office coordinates national ICT policy, standards and digital-government reform.
The main roadmap is the Digital Government Master Plan, which sets out plans for a government-wide network, national data centre, base registers, a citizen portal, secure data exchange, digital ID and e-signatures. Implementation is supported by the Kiribati Digital Government Project, which focuses on the enabling environment, digital infrastructure, digital ID, e-signatures, a government services portal and priority online services.
The National ICT Policy 2019 frames ICT as a tool for inclusive development, public-service improvement and economic opportunity, while the MICT Strategic Plan 2025–2028 links communications infrastructure, digital transformation and service delivery. Kiribati has no standalone broadband or 5G strategy found, but telecom regulation by the Communications Commission of Kiribati and new satellite options, including Starlink’s 2025 launch in the country, are expanding the connectivity mix.
Cybersecurity and trust are becoming more important as government services move online. The National Cybersecurity Strategy 2020 sets the policy direction for protecting Kiribati’s digital environment, while the Cybercrime Act 2021 provides offences, investigation powers and institutional arrangements for responding to cybercrime. The Electronic Transactions Act 2021 adds another trust layer by recognising electronic communications, contracts and signatures.
Kiribati is also moving toward a dedicated privacy regime. The Data Protection Bill 2025, which the ministry says passed its first reading in Parliament on 1 April 2025, is intended to regulate personal-data processing, define individual rights and support trusted data use in the digital economy.
The National E-commerce Policy for Kiribati is being developed through the Pacific E-commerce Initiative, while the Kiribati e-Commerce Project supports digital business operations, a redesigned business-chamber website and a national online marketplace/app. Kiribati has no verified standalone AI, cloud, blockchain or 5G strategy; these areas are currently addressed indirectly through digital government, cybersecurity, data protection, connectivity and public-sector infrastructure reforms.
Kiribati’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva:
Kiribati’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva represents the country’s interests across the Geneva multilateral system, with a strong focus on climate change, sustainable development, health, human rights and partnerships with Switzerland and international organisations. The mission gives Kiribati a dedicated diplomatic presence in Geneva, helping the Pacific island state bring its priorities, including resilience, inclusive development and the needs of I-Kiribati, into global policy discussions.
Official UNOG website: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/blue-book/missions/member-states/kiribati
EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA
Consult the Kiribati’s digital strategies and regulations
Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.
Main digital policies and regulations in the country:
Follow Kiribati’s digital submarine cables
The data is sourced from reputable international agencies and organizations. Hover over each field for source information and explanations.
General profile
Official name: Republic of Kiribati
National internet domain: KI
Area: 811 km2
Capital: South Tarawa
Population: 133.5 thousand
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.Population growth: 1.72
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Life expectancy at birth: 67.66
Total years (Estimate for 2022)The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Rule of law estimate: 0.62
Rule of Law captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, and in particular the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5 (Estimate for 2023)
Regulatory quality estimate: -0.26
Political stability: 1.12
Economic info
Currency: Kiribati dollar
Unemployment (%): 10.97
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
GDP (current US$): 279.0 million
GDP growth (annual %): 4.29
GDP per capita (current US$): 2.1 thousand
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.Inflation, consumer prices (annual %): 2.05
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Digital profile
Internet and social media penetration:
Individuals using the internet, total (%): 54.42
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.Social media users: 52.1 thousand
Estimate for 2024Male internet users (%): No data
Male internet users as a % of total male population.The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Facebook users: 52.1 thousand
Estimate for 2024Female internet users (%): No data
Female Internet users as a % of total female population.The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Instagram users: 1.7 thousand
Estimate for 2024Households with internet access at home (%): 60.18
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.Linkedin users: 11.0 thousand
Estimate for 2024Fixed broadband subscriptions: 0.33
Total fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) refers to fixed subscriptions to high-speed access to the public internet (a TCP/IP connection), at downstream speeds equal to, or greater than, 256 kbit/s.The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
X users: 496
Estimate for 2024Mobile infrastructure and access:
Mobile ownership (%): No data
Mobile phone ownership as a % of total population (Estimate for 2023)Mobile Infrastructure: No data
Mobile Infrastructure index: High-performance mobile internet coverage availability. It includes parameters such as network coverage, performance, quality of supporting infrastructure and amount of spectrum assigned to mobile network operators (Estimate for 2023)Gender gap in mobile internet (%): No data
This metric evaluates the disparity in mobile internet access between genders. (Estimate for 2023)Mobile Affordability: No data
Mobile Affordability index : The availability of mobile services and devices at price points that reflect the level of income across a national population. It includes parameters such as mobile tariffs, headset prices, taxation and inequality (Estimate for 2023)Gender gap in mobile ownership (%): No data
Represents the disparity between genders in owning mobile devices. (Estimate for 2023)Top-Level Domains (TLDs) per person: No data
Number of generic and country Top Level Domains per person Estimate for 2023.Network performance: No data
Network performance index: Quality of mobile services measured by download speed, upload speed and latencies (Estimate for 2023)Mobile download speeds: No data
Mobile download speeds: Average download speed for mobile users (originally in Mbit/s) (Estimate for 2023)Mobile uploads speeds: No data
Mobile uploads speeds: average uploads speed for mobile users (originally in Mbit/s) (Estimate for 2023)Mobile Latencies: No data
Mobile Latencies: Average latency for mobile users (originally in milliseconds) (Estimate for 2023)Network Coverage (%): No data
Network coverage (% of total population) (Estimate for 2023)2G Coverage (%): No data
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2023)3G Coverage (%): No data
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2023)4G Coverage (%): No data
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2023)5G Coverage (%): No data
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2023)Operating system and browser market share estimate
Operating system market share (%):
Desktop, Tablet & Console Operating System Market Share: Estimate for 2024Browser market share (%):
Browser Market Share Worldwide: Estimate for 2024Android: 67.16
Chrome: 89.19
Win10: 6.26
Safari: 2.96
iOS: 3.26
Edge: 3.18
OS X: 0.33
Firefox: 0.81
Win11: 6.22
Samsung Internet: 1.93
The UN E-Government Survey
The UN E-Government Survey is the assessment of the digital government landscape across all UN member states. The E-Government Survey is informed by over two decades of longitudinal research, with a ranking of countries based on the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a combination of primary data (collected and owned by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and secondary data from other UN agencies.E-Government Rank: 147
Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a combination of primary data (collected and owned by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and secondary data from other UN agencies. Estimate gives the country's rank.E-Government Index: 0.45
The EGDI is a composite measure of three important dimensions of e-government, namely: provision of online services, telecommunication connectivity and human capacity. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.E-Participation Index: 0.32
The E-Participation Index (EPI) is derived as a supplementary index to the United Nations E-Government Survey. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Online Service Index: 0.39
The online services index was developed by the UN to evaluate the scope and quality of government online services. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Human Capital Index: 0.62
The Human Capital Index (HCI) quantiï¬es the contribution of health and education to the productivity of the next generation of workers. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Telecommunication Infrastructure Index: 0.35
Telecommunication Infrastructure Index- Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII) Composite Indicator that measures the countries' Telecommunication infrastructure readiness to adopt the opportunities offered by Information and Communication Technology as to enhance their competitiveness. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Government AI Readiness Index
Ranking: 142
Global Ranking is calculated based on the total score. (Estimate for 2024).Total: 34.45
The total score is calculated by taking the arithmetic mean of each dimension, followed by the arithmetic mean of each pillar. The final score is the arithmetic mean of the three pillars, with all indicators, dimensions, and pillars weighted equally. (Estimate for 2024).Government: 30.85
This pillar evaluates a government's readiness and capability to implement AI responsibly and effectively. It includes several dimensions: the presence of a national AI strategy (Vision), regulations for data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity, along with ethical frameworks and accountability measures (Governance and Ethics). It also considers the existing IT infrastructure, online services, and promotion of emerging technology investments (Digital Capacity). Finally, it assesses the government’s ability to change and innovate effectively, including responsiveness to change, effectiveness, and use of procurement data (Adaptability). (Estimate for 2024).Technology Sector: 26.96
This pillar assesses the country's technology sector and its ability to support AI implementation. It includes the maturity of the sector, measured by metrics such as the number of AI and non-AI unicorns, value of trade in ICT services and goods, and spending on computer software (Maturity). It also evaluates the sector's capacity for innovation, considering factors like time spent dealing with regulations, availability of venture capital, R&D spending, company investment in emerging technology, and research papers published in AI (Innovation Capacity). Additionally, it examines the availability of skills within the population, focusing on STEM graduates, GitHub users, female STEM graduates, quality of engineering education, and ICT skills (Human Capital). (Estimate for 2024).Data and Infrastructure: 45.55
This pillar evaluates a country’s technological and data infrastructure to support AI implementation. It examines the quality of technological infrastructure, including telecommunications, supercomputing capabilities, broadband quality, 5G infrastructure, and the adoption of emerging technologies (Infrastructure). It also assesses the availability of data for training AI models, considering factors such as open data, data governance, mobile-cellular subscriptions, household internet access, and statistical capacity (Data Availability). Additionally, it considers the representativeness of the available data, focusing on metrics like the gender gap in internet access and the affordability of internet-enabled devices relative to GDP per capita (Data Representativeness). (Estimate for 2024).