Asian Development Bank and Kiribati: Fact Sheet

Abstract

Updated yearly, this ADB Fact Sheet provides social and economic indicators on Kiribati as well as concise information on ADB's operations in the country and contact information. Rapid population growth in the Pacific island of Kiribati has spawned overcrowded urban areas where the most pressing development challenges are social and environmental concerns, including the spread of HIV/AIDS. Only a small percentage of the labor force participates in a formal economy in which the Government provides a large part of all wage employment in public service and state-owned enterprises. Formal jobs are concentrated in South Tarawa. The Government has given priority to focusing key government services and infrastructure in growth centers and includes economic growth through prudent investment, the equitable distribution of opportunities and wealth, a more efficient public sector using financial reserves more wisely, and the sustainable use of physical resources as its main policy areas.