Factbook dossier
Background
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 amon…
Location
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands
Area
total : 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km
Natural resources
phosphates, fish
Natural hazards
periodic droughts
Population
total: 9,930 (2025 est.) male: 4,874 female: 5,056
Ethnic groups
Nauruan 94.6%, I-Kiribati 2.2%, Fijian 1.3%, other 1.9% (2021 est.)
Languages
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%
Religions
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.)
Environmental issues
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
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: no official capital; government offices in the Yaren District time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Executive branch
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 election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by Parliament for 3-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 14 October 2025 election results: 2025: David ADEAGN elected president (unopposed) 2023: David ADEAGN elected president over Delvin THOMA, 10-8 expected date of next election: 2028 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 19 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: Full renewal term in office: 3 years most recent election date: 10/11/2025 percentage of women in chamber: 10.5% expected date of next election: October 2028
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$150.581 million (2024 est.) $147.976 million (2023 est.) $147.026 million (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$12,600 (2024 est.) $12,500 (2023 est.) $12,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.6% (2022 est.) 2.4% (2021 est.) 1.8% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Thailand 78%, Philippines 11%, NZ 5%, Japan 1%, Canada 1% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Australia 50%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%, Senegal 9%, China 9% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force