A practical foreign exchange and currency guide to Kiribati
What’s in this Kiribati currency guide:
The official currency of Kiribati is the Australian dollar, with symbol A$ and currency code AUD.
The Australian dollar is the fifth most traded currency in the world and is popular with currency traders, because of the high interest rates in Australia, the freedom of the foreign exchange market from government intervention, the stability of Australia's economy and political system, and the view that the Australian dollar offers diversification benefits in a portfolio containing the major world currencies, especially because of its greater exposure to Asian economies and the commodities cycle.
The currency is commonly referred to by foreign-exchange traders as the "Aussie dollar".
Australians are more focussed on their currency exchange rate than are the citizens of most other countries, along with perhaps the British and Canadians. This is may be due to the open and trading nature of the Australian economy and also due to their love of 'overseas' travel.
Aussie Ups and Downs 2011-20
The Aussie is very volatile for a major currency, for example between 2008 and 2011, AUD rose 80 per cent against the US dollar, ultimately going up through parity at one point.
Then during 2011-12 AUD started to track the Chinese economy much more than it tracked any of the traditional domestic economic and monetary indicators.
From 2013 to 2015 it dropped against the US dollar, especially when the Chinese stock market sold off in 2015, followed by a decent cyclical 17 per cent rally in 2016-17.
Then from early 2018 it again began its steady way down before being king-hit by the Covid pandemic flight to safety in March of 2020 which took AUD/USD all the way back to its 2008 lows to $60 cents.
In mid May AUDUSD fell below the 69¢ level (it has since recovered back above 70¢), over escalating concerns over the Covid lockdown on Chinese companies.
In late January and again in May the AUD slipped below the key 0.70 USD mark, its lowest level since mid 2020.
However, AUD is widely expected to rise to US75¢ by the end of 2022 – the Aussie dollar is forecast to have a volatile year against a range of currencies.
Date | AUD/USD | Change | Period |
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05 May 2022 | 0.7119 | 1% ▼ | 2 Week |
18 Feb 2022 | 0.7174 | 1.7% ▼ | 3 Month |
19 May 2021 | 0.7720 | 8.7% ▼ | 1 Year |
20 May 2017 | 0.7458 | 5.5% ▼ | 5 Year |
21 May 2012 | 0.9868 | 28.6% ▼ | 10 Year |
24 May 2002 | 0.5552 | 27% ▲ | 20 Year |
The below comparison table makes it easy to find the best exchange rates and lowest fees when you want to make a Transfer or Spend Australian dollar.
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English is Kiribati’s official language, but most natives also speak the local Gilbertese tongue. You shouldn’t have a problem communicating wherever you go, although the farther you get from Tarawa and Christmas Island, the less English is used. Kiribati and the Islands use the Australian dollar; a major currency that can be exchanged anywhere. You can also change money at the Bank of Kiribati or ANZ bank on Tarawa or Christmas Island. Kiribati is a mostly cash-oriented country, though major cards are accepted in hotels and some shops. Traveler’s checks should be in Aussie dollars.
Transportation: the only transportation are minivans. They don’t have timetables. They are run by private people who decide randomly the start and the end of the trip. Often they are full and for this reason they won’t stop to pick you up. Sometimes the engine breaks and you have to find another one. But in spite of all these problems they are ok. There are no taxis in the Gilbert Islands. The local transportation is carried out by Air Kiribati. There are regular flights to every island in the Gilbert group except for Banaba, price around 50 AUD one way three times a week for the near islands (until Kuria and Aranuka), and price around 100 – 150 AUD one way once a week for the further ones (for instance, Nonouti, Nikunau, Beru).