Nauru has moved within one point of Antigua and Barbuda in the 2026 CBI Index, highlighting competition from newer citizenship-by-investment programmes seeking to build credibility in a market long led by Caribbean countries.

Antigua and Barbuda retained fifth place with 65 points out of a possible 90, while Nauru increased its score by two points to 64, remaining sixth and the highest-ranked programme outside the Caribbean.

The report said Nauru’s Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program was beginning to establish the operating record it lacked when it entered the index in 2025.

Now completing its first full cycle of operation, the programme links citizenship revenue to climate resilience and economic diversification. The report presented its development as an early test of whether a new entrant can establish credibility through a model explicitly tied to national development.

Nauru’s government also demonstrated a willingness to adapt its offering, reducing the required contribution around the programme’s first anniversary, according to the report.

Those adjustments matter in an industry where governments must respond to changing applicant expectations while demonstrating that their programmes can withstand regulatory scrutiny.

The index assesses that capacity partly through its Certainty of Product category, which measures longevity, popularity and renown, stability, reputation and adaptability.

Nauru’s score in that category rose to three out of 10 as it began building a track record and adjusting its offering during its first operating cycle. Antigua and Barbuda retained seven points.

The difference shows that Nauru’s close overall position does not mean it has matched Antigua and Barbuda’s standing across every measure. The overall index combines nine equally weighted categories, allowing programmes with different strengths to finish on similar totals.

Programme longevity is one consideration in assessing certainty, recognising the record established through sustained operation. The index also examines application and naturalisation levels, industry prominence, threats to programme continuity and adverse publicity.

Adaptability includes the ability to communicate effectively with applicants and other stakeholders and adjust requirements as market and regulatory conditions change.

Nauru is one of two programmes that entered the index in 2025, alongside São Tomé and Príncipe. Their latest results show that newer entrants are not advancing uniformly.

São Tomé and Príncipe fell one point to 54 in its second year in the assessment, remaining in 10th place. It received two points for certainty of product.

The report said both established and newer programmes faced growing pressure to demonstrate institutional credibility and respond to changing conditions.

For newer entrants, that means turning an announced offering into a reliable operation with a credible approval process. For established programmes, it means maintaining their appeal as applicants weigh administrative performance, regulatory safeguards and the practical value of citizenship.

The report also cautioned that legislation and launch announcements do not guarantee a functioning programme. Building one requires institutions capable of processing applications, a credible approval system and sufficient applicant demand.

Antigua and Barbuda remains among the five Caribbean countries leading the index. Nauru’s position immediately behind it, however, illustrates how a newer programme can become competitive in the overall assessment while still developing its longer-term record.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda’s citizenship programme faces competition from new entrants.