🇹🇻 Tuvalu

Australia and Oceania

Page last updated: April 24, 2024

Introduction

Background

The islands were first populated by voyagers from either Samoa or Tonga in the first millennium A.D., and Tuvalu provided a steppingstone for various Polynesian communities that subsequently settled in Melanesia and Micronesia. Tuvalu eventually came under Samoan and Tongan spheres of influence although proximity to Micronesia allowed some Micronesian communities to flourish in Tuvalu, in particular on Nui Atoll. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Tuvalu was visited by a series of American, British, Dutch, and Russian ships. The islands were named the Ellice Islands in 1819. The first Christian missionaries arrived in 1861, eventually converting most of the population, and around the same time, several hundred Tuvaluans were kidnapped by people purporting to be missionaries and sent to work on plantations in Peru and Hawaii.

The UK declared a protectorate over the Ellice Islands in 1892 and merged it with the Micronesian Gilbert Islands. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate became a colony in 1916. During World War II, the US set up military bases on a few islands, and in 1943, after Japan captured many of the northern Gilbert Islands, the UK transferred administration of the colony southward to Funafuti. After the war, Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands was once again made the colony’s capital and the center of power was firmly in the Gilbert Islands, including the colony’s only secondary school. Amid growing tensions with the Gilbertese, Tuvaluans voted to secede from the colony in 1974, were granted self-rule in 1975, and gained independence in 1978 as Tuvalu. In 1979, the US relinquished its claims to Tuvaluan islands in a treaty of friendship.

The Tuvalu Trust Fund was established in 1987 to provide a longterm economic future for the country. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period. The contract was renewed in 2011 for a ten-year period. Tuvalu’s isolation means it sees few tourists; in 2020, Funafuti International Airport had four weekly flights - three to Suva, Fiji, and one to Tarawa. Tuvalu is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change; in 2018, sea levels in Funafuti were rising twice as fast as global averages.

Geography

Location

Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map references

Oceania

Area

Total: 26 km²

Land: 26 km²

Water: 0 km²

Area - comparative

0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Area comparison map:

Land boundaries

Total: 0 km

Coastline

24 km

Maritime claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Contiguous zone: 24 nm

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

Tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain

Low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation

Highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Mean elevation: 2 m

Natural resources

Fish, coconut (copra)

Land use

Agricultural land: 60% (2018 est.)

Arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

Permanent crops: 60% (2018 est.)

Permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

Forest: 33.3% (2018 est.)

Other: 6.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

0 km² (2022)

Population distribution

Over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Natural hazards

Severe tropical storms are usually rare, but in 1997 there were three cyclones; low levels of islands make them sensitive to changes in sea level

Geography - note

One of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the nine coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

People and Society

Population

11,639 (2023 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Tuvaluan(s)

Adjective: Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups

Tuvaluan 97%, Tuvaluan/I-Kiribati 1.6%, Tuvaluan/other 0.8%, other 0.6% (2017 est.)

Languages

Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Religions

Protestant 92.7% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.9%, Brethren 2.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assemblies of God 1.5%), Baha'i 1.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.5%, other 3.9%, none or refused 0.4% (2017 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.27% (male 1,745/female 1,662)

15-64 years: 63.3% (male 3,703/female 3,664)

65 years and over: 7.43% (2023 est.) (male 318/female 547)

2023 population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

Total dependency ratio: 60.9

Youth dependency ratio: 50.9

Elderly dependency ratio: 10

Potential support ratio: 10 (2021)

Median age

Total: 27.5 years (2023 est.)

Male: 26.5 years

Female: 28.6 years

Population growth rate

0.81% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

22.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

-6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Urbanization

Urban population: 66.2% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization: 2.08% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Major urban areas - population

7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Total: 28.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Male: 31.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 24.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 68.7 years (2023 est.)

Male: 66.3 years

Female: 71.3 years

Total fertility rate

2.81 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.37 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

23.7% (2019/20)

Drinking water source

Improved: urban: 100% of population

Rural: 100% of population

Total: 100% of population

Unimproved: urban: 0% of population

Rural: 0% of population

Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

21.5% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

1.19 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Sanitation facility access

Improved: urban: 91.8% of population

Rural: 91% of population

Total: 91.5% of population

Unimproved: urban: 9.2% of population

Rural: 9% of population

Total: 8.5% of population (2017 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

51.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

Total: 0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Beer: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Wine: 0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Spirits: 0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

Total: 35.6% (2020 est.)

Male: 49.8% (2020 est.)

Female: 21.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.1% (2019/20) NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

66.1% (2023 est.)

Child marriage

Women married by age 18: 1.8%

Men married by age 18: 1.7% (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Literacy

Total population: NA

Male: NA

Female: NA

Environment

Environment - current issues

Water needs met by catchment systems; the use of sand as a building material has led to beachhead erosion; deforestation; damage to coral reefs from increasing ocean temperatures and acidification; rising sea levels threaten water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

Signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Climate

Tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Land use

Agricultural land: 60% (2018 est.)

Arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

Permanent crops: 60% (2018 est.)

Permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

Forest: 33.3% (2018 est.)

Other: 6.7% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 66.2% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization: 2.08% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Air pollutants

Particulate matter emissions: 6.81 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.01 megatons (2016 est.)

Methane emissions: 0.01 megatons (2020 est.)

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 3,989 tons (2011 est.)

Municipal solid waste recycled annually: 598 tons (2013 est.)

Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15% (2013 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Government

Country name

Conventional long form: none

Conventional short form: Tuvalu

Local long form: none

Local short form: Tuvalu

Former: Ellice Islands

Etymology: "tuvalu" means "group of eight" or "eight standing together" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands

Government type

Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital

Name: Funafuti; note - the capital is an atoll of some 29 islets; administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet

Geographic coordinates: 8 31 S, 179 13 E

Time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Etymology: the atoll is named after a founding ancestor chief, Funa, from the island of Samoa

Administrative divisions

7 island councils and 1 town council*; Funafuti*, Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu

Independence

1 October 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution

History: previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986

Amendments: proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the final reading; amended 2007, 2010, 2013, 2023

Legal system

Mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law

International law organization participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: yes

Citizenship by descent only: yes; for a child born abroad, at least one parent must be a citizen of Tuvalu

Dual citizenship recognized: yes

Residency requirement for naturalization: na

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Tofiga Vaevalu FALANI (since 29 August 2021)

Head of government: Prime Minister Feleti Penitala TEO (since 27 February 2024)

Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister

Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of House of Assembly following parliamentary elections

Election results: 2019: Kausea NATANO elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote - 10 to 6

Legislative branch

Description: unicameral House of Assembly or Fale I Fono (16 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)

Elections: last held on 26 January 2024 (next to be held in January 2028)

Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16; composition as of February 2024 - 16 men, 0 women, percentage women 0%

Judicial branch

Highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and not less than 3 appeals judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; High Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; chief justice serves for life; other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet after consultation with chief justice; judge tenure set by terms of appointment

Subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; island courts; land courts

Political parties and leaders

There are no political parties, but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Flag description

Light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow, five-pointed stars on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean

National symbol(s)

Maneapa (native meeting house); national colors: light blue, yellow

National anthem

Name: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty)

Lyrics/music: Afaese MANOA

Note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto

Economy

Economic overview

Upper middle-income Pacific island economy; extremely environmentally fragile; currency pegged to Australian dollar; large international aid recipient; subsistence agrarian sector; Te Kakeega sustainable development; domain name licensing incomes

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$51.937 million (2022 est.)

$51.588 million (2021 est.)

$50.674 million (2020 est.)

Note: data in 2017 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

0.68% (2022 est.)

1.8% (2021 est.)

-4.27% (2020 est.)

Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$4,600 (2022 est.)

$4,600 (2021 est.)

$4,600 (2020 est.)

Note: data in 2017 dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$59.066 million (2022 est.)

Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.1% (2017 est.)

3.5% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture: 24.5% (2012 est.)

Industry: 5.6% (2012 est.)

Services: 70% (2012 est.)

Comparison rankings: services 71; industry 220; agriculture 29

GDP - composition, by end use

Government consumption: 87% (2016 est.)

Investment in fixed capital: 24.3% (2016 est.)

Exports of goods and services: 43.7% (2016 est.)

Imports of goods and services: -66.1% (2016 est.)

Agricultural products

Coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruit, bananas, roots/tubers, pork, poultry, eggs, pig fat, pig offals

Industries

Fishing

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.)

Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force

3,615

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Total: 20.6% (2016)

Male: 9.8%

Female: 45.9%

Population below poverty line

26.3% (2010 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

39.1 (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Lowest 10%: NA

Highest 10%: NA

Remittances

4.23% of GDP (2022 est.)

4.15% of GDP (2021 est.)

4.25% of GDP (2020 est.)

Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Budget

Revenues: $87 million (2019 est.)

Expenditures: $88 million (2019 est.)

Note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

25.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Public debt

37% of GDP (2017 est.)

47.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

106.7% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

Fiscal year

Calendar year

Current account balance

$2.713 million (2022 est.)

$14.533 million (2021 est.)

$8.46 million (2020 est.)

Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports

$2.232 million (2022 est.)

$2.745 million (2021 est.)

$3.089 million (2020 est.)

Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - partners

Thailand 91%, Nigeria 5%, Philippines 3%, South Korea 1% (2021)

Exports - commodities

Tugboats, tuna, nitrile compounds, integrated circuits, electrical power accessories (2021)

Imports

$57.388 million (2022 est.)

$63.962 million (2021 est.)

$56.947 million (2020 est.)

Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - partners

China 36%, Japan 33%, Fiji 13%, South Korea 9%, New Zealand 4% (2021)

Imports - commodities

Cargo ships, fishing ships, refined petroleum, tankers, tugboats, construction vehicles (2021)

Debt - external

NA

Exchange rates

Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:

1.442 (2022 est.)

1.331 (2021 est.)

1.453 (2020 est.)

1.439 (2019 est.)

1.338 (2018 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

Electrification - total population: 99.6% (2021)

Electrification - urban areas: 100% (2021)

Electrification - rural areas: 99% (2021)

Coal

Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day

Natural gas

Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

0 Btu/person (2019 est.)

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

Total subscriptions: 2,000 (2021 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Total subscriptions: 9,000 (2021 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

General assessment: provides fixed-line telephone communications to subscribers on each of the islands of Tuvalu; each island relies on the use of a satellite dish for inter-island telephone communication, internet access, and mobile phone services (2023)

Domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 80 per 100 (2021)

International: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite

Broadcast media

No TV stations; many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2019)

Internet country code

.tv

Internet users

Total: 7,920 (2021 est.)

Percent of population: 49% (2021 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Total: 450 (2017 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2017 est.)

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T2

Airports

1 (2024)

Roadways

Total: 16 km (2022)

Merchant marine

Total: 270 (2023)

By type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 3, general cargo 29, oil tanker 19, other 198

Ports and terminals

Major seaport(s): Funafuti

Military and Security

Military and security forces

No regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (Ministry of Justice, Communications, and Foreign Affairs) (2023)

Military - note

Tuvalu has a security pact with Australia; Australia also provides support to the Tuvalu Police Force, including donations of patrol boats

Tuvalu has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Tuvalu's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2024)