Kiribati
Last updated August 4, 2026
Fragile/Conflict-Affected Country: This country is classified as experiencing institutional and social fragility.
In fragile and conflict-affected settings, severe data gaps, rapid disruption, and uneven reporting can distort index values. These scores should be read as a limited signal, not a complete picture of conditions in the country.
Composite GEFRI Score
Human Capital is a strength, but Innovation lags
Kiribati demonstrates early-stage readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (36th percentile worldwide). Investments are generating initial gains, yet substantial gaps persist in several dimensions.
- Global percentile
- 36th
- Global rank
- Not ranked (microstate)
- Regional rank
- Not ranked (microstate)
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Kiribati remains in the emerging-readiness range, with progress visible but major gaps still limiting future readiness. Its weakest results are in Innovation (27, 10th percentile). These gaps continue to weigh on overall readiness.
Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Limited tertiary enrollment narrows future talent pipelines and innovation capacity.
Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.
Regionally, School Access and Gender Parity lags peers the most, signalling where investment could have the highest impact.
Some indicators are imputed, so the profile should be read with moderate caution.
Key insights
Falls below many peers at the 36th percentile.
Scores range from Human Capital (68.8) to Innovation (27.1), reflecting variation across dimensions.
Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.
Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific
Composite GEFRI Score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | Singapore | 87.75 |
| 8 | 2 | Korea, Rep. | 87.61 |
| 9 | 3 | Australia | 87.58 |
| 12 | 4 | Japan | 86.42 |
| 14 | 5 | New Zealand | 86.25 |
| 16 | 6 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 85.13 |
| — | — | PalauMicrostate | 73.62 |
| — | — | NauruMicrostate | 72.35 |
| 51 | 7 | Thailand | 71.65 |
| 52 | 8 | Brunei Darussalam | 71.24 |
| — | — | GuamMicrostate | 70.43 |
| 56 | 9 | China | 70.26 |
| — | — | New CaledoniaMicrostate | 69.53 |
| — | — | American SamoaMicrostate | 69.29 |
| 59 | 10 | Malaysia | 69.27 |
| — | — | Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate | 69.27 |
| 65 | 11 | Macao SAR, China | 68.91 |
| 66 | 12 | Fiji | 68.84 |
| 70 | 13 | Mongolia | 68.44 |
| — | — | French PolynesiaMicrostate | 67.53 |
| 74 | 14 | Indonesia | 67.24 |
| 75 | 15 | Viet Nam | 67.00 |
| — | — | TongaMicrostate | 62.06 |
| — | — | SamoaMicrostate | 61.69 |
| 91 | 16 | Philippines | 60.80 |
| — | — | TuvaluFCSMicrostate | 59.38 |
| — | — | Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate | 56.13 |
| 109 | 17 | Vanuatu | 54.76 |
| — | — | KiribatiFCSMicrostate | 49.99 |
| 118 | 18 | Timor-LesteFCS | 47.72 |
| — | — | Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate | 47.06 |
| 124 | 19 | Cambodia | 44.53 |
| 125 | 20 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 44.29 |
| 135 | 21 | Solomon IslandsFCS | 40.40 |
| 142 | 22 | MyanmarFCS | 37.14 |
| 143 | 23 | Lao PDR | 36.90 |
| 156 | 24 | Papua New GuineaFCS | 31.85 |