Relationship dossier
Kiribati
New Zealand
Relationship assessment
Cooperation focused on development assistance and Pacific regional priorities
Kiribati toward New Zealand
+35Kiribati engages with New Zealand through bilateral and Pacific regional channels, including cooperation on development and climate-related priorities. The scope of specific Kiribati-led bilateral initiatives is unclear.
New Zealand toward Kiribati
+45New Zealand provides development assistance to Kiribati and engages with it on Pacific regional priorities, including climate change and development. The scope and implementation of particular programs may vary over time.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship is cooperative, with development assistance and shared Pacific regional concerns providing durable foundations. Cooperation is meaningful but its breadth and implementation across specific bilateral programs are not sufficiently clear to characterize it as a close partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Kiribati and New Zealand have a cooperative relationship shaped by development assistance, climate change, and regional engagement. New Zealand has provided bilateral aid and supported Kiribati’s development priorities, while Kiribati participates in Pacific regional cooperation with New Zealand. The relationship also reflects New Zealand’s broader engagement with Pacific island states; the scope and recent implementation of specific bilateral programs are uncertain.
Key developments
New Zealand began providing development assistance to Kiribati, supporting the bilateral relationship and development priorities.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and current implementation of bilateral development programs are unclear.
- The extent of direct bilateral cooperation on climate adaptation and migration is uncertain.