What they reported
School enrolment for Years 1-9 reached 99% between 2020 and 2024, and the poverty rate declined 16% between 2019 and 2023.
Two desalination plants in South Tarawa mark concrete water-security milestones.
Priorities and asks
Resilience and equitable services in outer islands, economic diversification, and climate adaptation.
What stands out
Climate change is named the most critical threat, through sea-level rise, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion.
The data angle
States that governance and data limitations affect coordination and evidence-based decision-making.
Kiribati: “Climate change remains the most critical threat, with rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion affecting livelihoods and food and water security.”
Read more
- Voluntary National Reviews 2026, the full brief with all 36 countries and the cross-cutting themes.
- Official VNR country database, home of Kiribati’s full report and main messages.
- HLPF 2026 coverage, where the reviews are presented.
This summary is drawn from Kiribati’s own 2026 main messages; figures are as the government reported them and were not independently verified. Edition is noted only where the country states its own.