Demographics of Nauru

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Demographics of Nauru
Graph of the population of Nauru, 1886–2011
Population11,680 (2021)
Density554
Life expectancy63.9
 • male60.9
 • female67.1
Fertility rate3.51 (2020-21)
Net migration rate84 (2009)
Age structure
0–14 years38% (2021)
Sex ratio
Total0.91 males/female (2014 est.)
At birth0.84 males/female (2014 est.)
Under 150.79 males/female (2014 est.)
15–64 years1.00 males/female (2014 est.)
65 and over0.78 males/female (2014 est.)
Nationality
Nationalitynoun Nauruan(s), adj. Nauruan
Major ethnicNauruan (92.1%)
Minor ethnicKiribati (2.4%), Fiji (2.2%), Australia (1.2%)
Language
OfficialNauruan, English

The demographics of Nauru, an

death rate
; the natural growth rate is positive. In terms of age structure, the population is dominated by the 15–59-year-old segment (57%). The median age of the population is 21.6, and the estimated gender ratio of the population is 101.8 males per 100 females.

Nauru is inhabited mostly by

Micronesian people about 3,000 years ago. The first European to find the island was John Fearn in 1798. Then, the country was annexed by Germany in 1888. The next major population change was when Japanese occupied the island during World War II
in 1942. During this time, the Japanese deported several thousands of Nauruans to other islands. In the 1960s, the country gained independence, where the percentage of Nauruans started to increase. The most recent demographic switch was in the 2000s, when the government repatriated several groups of non-Nauruans from the country.

The

unemployment rate was 23%. The 2011 census enumerated 1,647 total households, averaging 6.0 persons per house. Average urbanisation rate
in Nauru is 100%.

Population

Historical population of Nauru
YearPop.±% p.a.
1886 1,294—    
1921 2,066+1.35%
1933 2,641+2.07%
1947 2,855+0.56%
1954 3,473+2.84%
1961 4,613+4.14%
1966 6,057+5.60%
1977 6,966+1.28%
1983 7,674+1.63%
1992 9,919+2.89%
2002 10,065+0.15%
2006 9,233−2.13%
2011 10,084+1.78%
2013110,293+1.03%
202111,680+1.59%
1 Estimate
Source: The Centre for Independent Studies,[2] Nauru Bureau of Statistics[3]

With a population of under twelve thousand in 2021, Nauru

highest in the Oceania. The United Nations projects the population will stay around 10,000 in the 2020s,[5] and the Nauru Bureau of Statistics estimates the population will increase to 20,000 in 2038.[6]

In Nauru's history, there have been six major demographics changes. The island was first inhabited by Micronesian people roughly 3,000 years ago.

Republic of Nauru Phosphate Corporation (RONPhos) and government workers.[11] The census of 2006 stated 9,233 people were in Nauru: down 2.13% per year from the previous census of 2002.[3]

From 2002 to 2011, there has been negative net migration, with an annual 109 net emigrants from 2006 to 2011.[12] In 2009 there were 1,820 arrivals and 1,736 departures, for a positive rate of 84 immigrants. This was the first time since collecting data in 2002, there was a positive rate.[4] Data on arrivals and departures collected by the Nauruan Customs and Immigration Office is not available, so specific immigration data is unavailable.[13] As of the 2011 census, 57% of the population over 15 years old were legally or de facto married, 35% were never married, while 7% were either widowed, separated, or divorced.[14] There are 1,647 households in Nauru, making an average household size of 6.0 persons per household.[15]

Nauru is one of the most Westernized regions of the South Pacific.[16]

Structure of the population

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2016): [17]
Age Group Male Female Total %
Total 5 547 5 467 11 014 100
0–4 839 806 1 645 14.94
5–9 854 725 1 579 14.34
10–14 562 579 1 142 10.37
15–19 525 488 1 012 9.19
20–24 434 402 836 7.59
25–29 461 468 930 8.44
30–34 444 457 900 8.17
35–39 377 346 723 6.56
40–44 277 285 562 5.10
45–49 220 223 443 4.02
50–54 212 240 452 4.10
55–59 152 190 343 3.11
60–64 110 131 242 2.20
65–69 50 77 127 1.15
70–74 15 25 40 0.36
75–79 15 24 39 0.35
80+
Age group Male Female Total Percent
0–14 2 255 2 110 4 365 39.63
15–64 3 212 3 231 6 443 58.50
65+ 80 126 206 1.87

Vital statistics

For births, deaths, and fertility rates, the Nauru Bureau of Statistics was used.[18][19][20] For population, the United States Census Bureau's mid-year estimated were used.[21] If a cell is shaded light green and a dagger† stands beside a number, it indicates the estimate from The World Factbook.[22] In 2013, the number of births (366) and birth rate (38.8) was the second-highest during this period. In 2011, the total fertility rate of 4.2 was the highest since 1992 (4.5). Since 2009, there has been a natural change of at least 200 inhabitants—the first since the reparations of the population in 2006.

Vital statistics of Nauru, 1992–2013
Year Population Births Deaths Change Birth rate Death rate C. Change TFR
1992 9,826 331 64 267 33.7 6.5 27.2 4.5
1993 9,823 320 70 250 32.6 7.1 25.5 2.1†
1994 9,824 335 53 282 34.1 5.4 28.7 2.2†
1995 9,821 309 71 238 31.5 7.2 24.2 2.1†
1996 9,830 371 82 289 37.7 8.3 29.4
1997 9,868 356 97 259 36.1 9.8 25.9 4.1
1998 9,885 304 97 207 30.8 9.8 20.9 2.1†
1999 9,874 306 82 224 31.0 8.3 22.7
2000 9,861 311 70 241 31.5 7.1 24.4 3.7†
2001 9,890 325 123 202 32.9 12.4 20.4 3.6†
2002 9,916 314 92 222 31.7 9.3 22.4 3.0
2003 9,926 212 76 136 21.4 7.7 13.7 2.5
2004 9,969 253 75 178 25.4 7.5 17.9 3.1
2005 10,014 194 80 114 19.4 8.0 11.4 2.4
2006 9,565 190 88 102 19.9 9.2 10.7 2.3
2007 9,115 171 74 97 18.8 8.1 10.6 2.1
2008 9,162 206 84 122 22.5 9.2 13.3 2.5
2009 9,213 273 57 216 29.6 6.2 23.4 3.2
2010 9,267 322 69 253 34.7 7.4 27.3 3.7
2011 9,322 370 75 295 39.7 8.0 31.6 4.2
2012 9,378 319 34.0 6.0† 3.0†
2013 9,434 366 38.8


2011-2021 data from NAURU 2021 POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS - ANALYTICAL REPORT[23]

Year Population Live births Deaths Natural increase Total Fertility Rate
2011 9,945 427 4.86
2012 378 4.32
2013 353 3.94
2014 350 3.93
2015 371 4.11
2016 395 4.38
2017 380 4.19
2018 317 3.45
2019 283 3.03
2020 327 3.47
2021 11,680 332 74 258 3.41

Ethnic groups

Nauru, as of 2011, is mainly inhabited by

Solomon Islanders (1%). This shows a major change from the previous major census of 2002, when Nauruans represented 75% of the population.[24] According to the Constitution Nauru does not exclude any ethnic group to become a citizen.[25]

Ethnic group 2011 2006 2002
Number % Number % Number %
Nauruan 9,313 93.6 9,547 95.8 7,572 75.2
I-Kiribati 178 1.8 146 1.5 1,259 12.5
Chinese 145 1.5 61 0.6 463 4.6
Other 309 3.1 214 2.1 771 7.7
Total 9,945 100 9,968 100 10,065 100
Source: Nauru Bureau of Statistics[24][26]

The recent sizable immigration event of Chinese people happened in 1993.[27]

Languages

The Nauruan language is the official language of Nauru[citation needed].[28] English is widely understood and is used for most government and commercial purposes,[29] and is official.[30] According to the 2011 census, 95.3% of the population speaks Nauruan, 66.0% speak English, and 11.9% speak another language.[15] Nauruan is an Austronesian language, however, no adequate written grammar of the language has been compiled, and its relationships to other Micronesian languages are not well understood.[31]

Religions

Religion in Nauru, 2011[32]
religion percent
Nauru Congregational
35.7%
Roman Catholic
33%
Assemblies of God
13%
Nauruan indigenous religion
9.5%
Baptist
1.5%
Other or not stated
3.7%

The main religions in Nauru are Nauru Congregational (35.71%), Roman Catholic (32.96%), Assemblies of God (12.98%), and Nauruan indigenous religion (9.50%). The biggest changes from 2002 to 2011 were an increase from 0 to 1,291 (Assemblies of God) and 1,417 to 282 (Other).[32] Public holidays include New Year's Day (1 January), Independence Day (31 January), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, Constitution Day (17 May), National Youth Day (25 September), Christmas Day, and Boxer Day.[33]

The indigenous religion was the predominant religion in Nauru before the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when foreign missionaries introduced Christianity to the island. It is still practised by 9.5% of the population, according to 2011 census. There are a few active Christian missionary organisations, including representatives of Anglicanism, Methodism, and Catholicism. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion;[25] however, the Government restricted this right in some circumstances. The government has restricted the religious practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Jehovah's Witnesses, most of whom are foreign workers employed by RONPhos.[34]

Education

A Nauruan secondary school, 2010

University of South Pacific, opened in the 1970s via distance courses, and in 1987 a campus was built on the island. It offers accounting, management, primary education, and English studies as majors.[39]

The education system had a near-collapse in 2000–2005. During this time, exams were not held, teachers were not paid, and schools did not have enough funding to continue.[37] As a result, over half of the schools closed.[36] In 2009, the Australian Government partnered with the Nauruan Department of Education to help. This agreement resulted in a 5.7% increase in students, teachers with a degree increased from 30% to 93%, and over A$11 million was used to construct a new secondary school.[40]

Health

A universal healthcare system is present in Nauru, which is provided to all citizens of Nauru without charge.[41] There is only one hospital in Nauru, being the Republic of Nauru Hospital in Yaren, which offers basic surgical and medical care. However, patients who would need more advanced care would typically travel to Australian hospitals.[42] In 2012, an estimated 7.5% of its GDP was spent on healthcare.[43] In 2004, 149 physicians and 557 nurses per 100,000 people were present.[44] Nauru has the world's highest obesity rate, with an obesity rate of 71.7%.[45] Nauru's population has a life expectancy of 66 years at birth, ranking it 169th in the world.[46]

Economic indicators

Phosphate exports (in millions of tonnes) in Nauru from 1968 to 2001.

Net monthly income in 2006 averaged A$2,597 (A$3,848 in 2014[47]). In the same year, gross monthly income averaged A$9,554 (A$14,154 in 2014[47]). This was calculated during the mini-census of 2006, which featured 54.4% response rate of the population.[48] The income was calculated using the following factors: first job salary, subsistence, other business income, second job salary, services to other households, benefits, house gifts consumed and received, and other income.[49] Compared to other countries that use the Australian dollar—Kiribati, Australia, and Tuvalu—Nauru ranks number one in terms of income.[citation needed] Since 2013, Nauru does not have a minimum wage.[50]

Nauru's number of employed people has steadily risen and fallen. According to the 2011 census, there are 2,883 employed persons and 908 unemployed persons, making an unemployment rate of 23%.[4] The Nauru Bureau of Statistics predicted the unemployment rate will decrease to 22% in FY2014/15.[51] The gross domestic product of Nauru was A$69.55 million in 2009, an increase of 40% increase from 2008. The GDP is broken down into three categories: primary (18.7%—agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing, mining, and quarrying), secondary (36.5%—manufacturing, electric, gas, water, and construction), and tertiary (44.8%—trade, hotel, restaurants, and various services) industries.[52]

A majority of the population are employed in phosphate mining, public administration, education, and transportation.

detention centre was closed in 2008, which caused the unemployment rate to rise to 30%, and approximately ten percent of the population relied on working at the centre.[53] The centre reopened in 2012[54] and currently serves 1,162 prisoners, as of May 2014.[55] During the 1990s, Nauru was famous for operating offshore banks, helping with money laundering. The United States State Department's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report estimated there were 400 offshore finance centres laundering an estimated $70 billion.[56]

Phosphate mining in Nauru originally made Nauru the richest per capita nation in the world.[57] In 1968, the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust (NPRT) was created to invest profits from mining, so Nauru would have money after the mining was exhausted.[58] The owners of the trust purchased a fleet of ships and aircraft, a brewery in the Solomon Islands, hotels around the world, and real estate in Australia, the United States and Britain, which caused the trust to go bankrupt.[59] Phosphate exports peaked in 1973 with 2.3 million tonnes, but has decreased to 0.2 million tonnes in 2001.[60] In 2006, mining of a secondary layer of phosphate began.[61]

Notes

^A For Kiribati, the average annual income was reported as A$8,745, which was divided by 12 months to receive a monthly income.[62] For Australia, the minimum (A$400) and maximum (A$599) average income was taken from the 2006 census and divided by two to receive the average weekly income; this amount was multiplied by 4.33 to receive the monthly income.[63] For Tuvalu, the 2005 monthly income was used with an inflation calculator to provide the 2006 value.[64]

References

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  4. ^ a b c "Nauru Stats at a Glance". Nauru Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
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Sources