Nauru - NR - NRU - NRU - Australia and Oceania

embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru

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)

0 32 S, 166 55 E

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.)

periodic droughts

about 0.1 times the size of Washington, D.C.

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.

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

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

fish, phosphates (2023)

note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

Thailand 78%, Philippines 11%, NZ 5%, Japan 1%, Canada 1% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baitsi, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren

coconuts, tropical fruits, pork, eggs, pork offal, pork fat, chicken, papayas, vegetables, cabbages (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force (2025)

revenues: $199.728 million (2020 est.)

expenditures: $132.607 million (2020 est.)

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

name: no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District

time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

ships, titanium ore, refined petroleum, plastic products, other foods (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)

30 km

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

Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
1.505 (2023 est.)
1.442 (2022 est.)
1.331 (2021 est.)
1.453 (2020 est.)
1.439 (2019 est.)

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

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by Parliament for 3-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 30 October 2023 (next to be held in 2026)

election results:
2023: David ADEAGN elected president over Delvin THOMA, 10-8

2022: Russ KUN elected president unopposed

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

blue with a narrow, horizontal, gold stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; 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 symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru; the star's white color represents phosphate, the basis of the island's wealth

31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)

phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products

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

note: in 2017, the Nauruan Government revoked the 1976 High Court Appeals Act, which had allowed appeals beyond the Nauruan Supreme Court, and in 2018, the government formed its own appeals court

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 20% (2022 est.)

arable land: 0% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 20% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

forest: 0% (2022 est.)

other: 80% (2022 est.)

mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and customary law

legislature name: Parliament

legislative structure: unicameral

number of seats: 19 (all directly elected)

electoral system: plurality/majority

term in office: 3 years

most recent election date: 9/24/2022

percentage of women in chamber: 10.5%

expected date of next election: September 2025

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICCt, IFAD, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO

Independence Day, 31 January (1968)

noun: Nauruan(s)

adjective: Nauruan

phosphates, fish

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

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

Nauru does not have formal political parties; alliances within the government are often formed based on extended family ties

20 years of age; universal and compulsory

general assessment: relies on satellite as the primary Internet service provider and mobile operator; internet connectivity on the island is very limited and unstable due to the vulnerability of the network infrastructure to bad weather and limited network coverage, with several blind spots (2022)

domestic: fixed-line 0 per 100 and mobile-cellular subscribership approximately 80 per 100 (2021)

international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center

parliamentary republic

under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia; under the terms of a security deal signed in December 2024, Nauru pledged to seek Australia’s agreement before it signed any bilateral accords on maritime security, defense, and policing, and would receive economic assistance from Australia, including to its police force

Nauru 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 (2024)

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

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands

Oceania

0 sq km (2022)

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.org

https://www.un.int/nauru/

percent of population: 83% (2022 est.)

.nr

$154.17 million (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

urban population: 100% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.18% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

1 government-owned TV station broadcasting programs from New Zealand sent via satellite or on videotape; 1 government-owned radio station, broadcasting on AM and FM, utilizes Australian and British programs (2019)

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: NA

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: NA

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

name: "Nauru Bwiema" (Song of Nauru)

lyrics/music: Margaret HENDRIE/Laurence Henry HICKS

note: adopted 1968

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

1.27 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

frigatebird, calophyllum flower; national colors: blue, yellow, white

extensive phosphate mining made approximately 90% of the island unsuitable for farming; most people live in the fertile coastal areas, especially along the southwest coast

C2

improved:

urban: 96.3% of population

rural: NA

total: 96.3% of population

unimproved:

urban: 3.7% of population

rural: NA

total: 3.7% of population (2017 est.)

Nauruan 94.6%, I-Kiribati 2.2%, Fijian 1.3%, other 1.9% (2021 est.)

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.)

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.)

note: data represent main language spoken at home; Nauruan is spoken by 95% of the population, English by 66%, and other languages by 12%

Australia 50%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%, Senegal 9%, China 9% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

stateless persons: 140 (2022)

exports of goods and services: 42.7% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -98.7% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

highest point: Command Ridge 70 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

NA

13.1% of GDP (2021)

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

total dependency ratio: 51.5 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 44.8 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 6.7 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 14.9 (2024 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 6,192 tons (2016 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.05 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.01 megatons (2020 est.)

fossil fuels: 88% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 12% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 500 bbl/day (2023 est.)

1.25 (2024 est.)

59.6% (2023 est.)

0.57% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.59% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.68% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

total ports: 1 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 0

small: 0

very small: 1

ports with oil terminals: 1

key ports: Nauru

-9.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 27.8 years (2024 est.)

male: 27.3 years

female: 28.4 years

62% of GDP (2017 est.)

2.55 children born/woman (2024 est.)

total: 9,892 (2024 est.)

male: 4,856

female: 5,036

86,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 86,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total : 21 sq km

land: 21 sq km

water: 0 sq km

44.4% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

$147.996 million (2023 est.)
$147.127 million (2022 est.)
$142.811 million (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

1 (2025)

total: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 10,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)

5.1% (2017 est.)
8.2% (2016 est.)

$1.923 million (2023 est.)
$2.966 million (2022 est.)
$6.597 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$12,500 (2023 est.)
$12,500 (2022 est.)
$12,200 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 1,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)

total: 48.5% (2020 est.)

male: 47.8% (2020 est.)

female: 49.1% (2020 est.)

61% (2016)

(2019)

6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

20.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

installed generating capacity: 19,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 37.893 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 3.922 million kWh (2023 est.)

total: 6 (2023)

by type: other 6

NA

$150.193 million (2023 est.)
$165.371 million (2022 est.)
$141.185 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

$64.931 million (2023 est.)
$78.383 million (2022 est.)
$54.403 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

total subscriptions: 0 (2019 est.) 0

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1

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.)

total population: 68.6 years (2024 est.)

male: 65 years

female: 72.3 years

0.59% (2023 est.)
3.02% (2022 est.)
7.75% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

4.3% (2014 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

7.1% of GDP (2021) NA

0.39% (2024 est.)