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Physical geography
Sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center.
Local timeYaren ·
Oceania / Micronesia · Card 013
Nauru
Nauru is a small island republic in Micronesia. It has no official capital; government institutions are concentrated in Yaren district.
Find Nauru
● Government district · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Government district
- YarenNauru has no official capital. Parliament and government offices are in Yaren district.
- Languages
- Nauruan & English
- Currency
- Australian dollar (AUD)
- Population
- 12,0252025 · World Bank
- Area
- 21 km²8.11 square miles
- Independence
- 1968
Nauru in context
Oceania and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Yaren; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
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Languages
Languages used in public life include Nauruan, English.
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Location
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands. Nauru has no official capital. Parliament and government offices are in Yaren district.
Flag
Blue with a narrow horizontal gold stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the left side
History & independence
Germany annexed Nauru in 1888. After the First World War, Australia administered the island under international mandates and later a UN trusteeship. Japanese occupation during the Second World War brought severe hardship and deportation. Nauru became independent in 1968 and gained control of its phosphate industry in 1970. Extensive mining transformed much of the island’s interior.
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Germany annexes Nauru
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Japanese occupation begins
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Nauru becomes independent
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Nauru gains control of the phosphate industry
Economy
Main activities
Phosphate mining generated substantial wealth but left environmental damage and a difficult economic legacy. Fishing licence revenue, public services, international assistance and activities connected with Australia’s regional processing arrangements support the economy. The small domestic market and dependence on imports constrain diversification.
Industry and production
Phosphate extraction, public services and activities linked to fisheries and regional processing arrangements.
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people12.02025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,710 | 6.710 |
| 1980 | 7,649 | 7.649 |
| 1990 | 9,622 | 9.622 |
| 2000 | 10,168 | 10.168 |
| 2010 | 10,043 | 10.043 |
| 2020 | 11,643 | 11.643 |
| 2025 | 12,025 | 12.025 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars0.102025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 199,239,203 | 0.199 |
| 1991 | 161,396,099 | 0.161 |
| 1992 | 135,152,666 | 0.135 |
| 1993 | 113,369,618 | 0.113 |
| 1994 | 108,986,615 | 0.109 |
| 1995 | 100,351,115 | 0.100 |
| 1996 | 88,449,903 | 0.088 |
| 1997 | 80,530,467 | 0.081 |
| 1998 | 71,037,539 | 0.071 |
| 1999 | 66,371,652 | 0.066 |
| 2000 | 61,821,105 | 0.062 |
| 2001 | 57,641,293 | 0.058 |
| 2002 | 51,893,687 | 0.052 |
| 2003 | 52,041,366 | 0.052 |
| 2004 | 49,795,903 | 0.050 |
| 2005 | 49,795,903 | 0.050 |
| 2006 | 54,004,008 | 0.054 |
| 2007 | 42,081,045 | 0.042 |
| 2008 | 50,497,254 | 0.050 |
| 2009 | 47,691,851 | 0.048 |
| 2010 | 47,691,851 | 0.048 |
| 2011 | 54,705,358 | 0.055 |
| 2012 | 68,031,023 | 0.068 |
| 2013 | 70,836,426 | 0.071 |
| 2014 | 82,058,038 | 0.082 |
| 2015 | 84,863,441 | 0.085 |
| 2016 | 88,370,194 | 0.088 |
| 2017 | 82,759,388 | 0.083 |
| 2018 | 82,058,038 | 0.082 |
| 2019 | 89,071,545 | 0.089 |
| 2020 | 90,474,247 | 0.090 |
| 2021 | 97,487,754 | 0.097 |
| 2022 | 97,487,754 | 0.097 |
| 2023 | 96,786,403 | 0.097 |
| 2024 | 98,189,105 | 0.098 |
| 2025 | 100,293,157 | 0.100 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.703High human developmentRank 124 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20100.616
20200.684
20230.703
62.1 yearsLife expectancy at birth
9.4 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A parliamentary republic. The elected single-chamber Parliament chooses a President from among its members. The President serves as both head of state and head of government.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Nauru.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in Nauru: Japanese occupation begins?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.