## Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati

_Selected Issues Papers, July 7, 2026_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2026/07/07/enhancing-social-protection-in-kiribati-577559)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2026/07/07/enhancing-social-protection-in-kiribati-577559/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2026/07/07/enhancing-social-protection-in-kiribati-577559/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2026/07/07/enhancing-social-protection-in-kiribati-577559/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Ni Wang
- Published: July 7, 2026
- Series: Selected Issues Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798229053006.018

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### Key findings
- Kiribati expanded social protection spending in response to COVID, drastically reducing poverty.
- Concurrently, an increase in untargeted social protection receipts supported spending on goods that do not enhance human development and may have negative externalities.
- Causal evidence for program effects is established based on discontinuity in age-eligibility using a control function approach.

### Analysis and methods
- Empirical identification: discontinuity in age-eligibility with a control function approach.
- Outcome focus: household-level impacts on poverty and consumption composition following expanded social protection receipts.
- Qualitative constraints considered: logistical and capacity constraints relevant for policy implementation in Kiribati.

### Policy options discussed
- Enhance targeting of social protection to preserve poverty reduction gains while reducing untargeted transfers that finance potentially harmful consumption.
- Rebalance social protection design to incentivize spending that enhances human development.
- Design feasible implementation paths that account for logistical and capacity constraints in Kiribati (administrative feasibility, delivery mechanisms, and institutional capacity).

### Subjects and keywords
- Subjects: Expenditure, Income, Labor, National accounts, Social protection spending, Unemployment, Unemployment benefits
- Keywords: Asia Pacific department; control function approach; copra subsidy; Global; household income and consumption survey; IMF country; IMF staff; Income; issues paper; Pacific Islands; Social protection; Social protection spending; targeting and efficiency; Unemployment; unemployment benefits

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## Content in this bundle

- **Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati; IMF Selected Issues Paper No. 2026/057; April 24, 2026**
  - [Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati; IMF Selected Issues Paper No. 2026/057; April 24, 2026 (Markdown version)](/-/media/files/publications/selected-issues-papers/2026/english/sipea2026057.pdf.md){rel="alternate" type="text/markdown"}
  - [Enhancing Social Protection in Kiribati; IMF Selected Issues Paper No. 2026/057; April 24, 2026 (PDF)](/-/media/files/publications/selected-issues-papers/2026/english/sipea2026057.pdf){rel="external" type="application/pdf"}

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2026/07/07/enhancing-social-protection-in-kiribati-577559_