2024 Edition Primary

Background

Polynesians from Tahiti were probably the first people to settle Rarotonga -- the largest of the Cook Islands -- around A.D. 900. Over time, Samoans and Tongans also settled in Rarotonga, and Rarotongans voyaged to the northern Cook Islands, settling Manihiki and Rakahanga. Pukapuka and Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands were settled directly from Samoa. Prior to European contact, there was considerable travel and trade between inhabitants of the different islands and atolls, but they were not united in a single political entity. Spanish navigators were the first Europeans to spot the northern Cook Islands in 1595, followed by the first landing in 1606, but no further European contact occurred until the 1760s. In 1773, British explorer James COOK spotted Manuae in the southern Cook Islands, and Russian mapmakers named the islands after COOK in the 1820s. Fearing France would militarily occupy the islands as it did in Tahiti, Rarotongans asked the UK for protectorate status in the 1840s and 1860s, a request the UK ignored. In 1888, Queen MAKEA TAKAU of Rarotonga formally petitioned for protectorate status, to which the UK reluctantly agreed. In 1901, the UK placed Rarotonga and the rest of the islands in the New Zealand Colony, and in 1915, the Cook Islands Act organized the islands into one political entity. It remained a protectorate until 1965, when New Zealand granted the Cook Islands self-governing status. The Cook Islands has a great deal of local autonomy and is an independent member of international organizations, but it is in free association with New Zealand, which is responsible for its defense and foreign affairs. In September 2023, the US recognized the Cook Islands as a sovereign and independent state.

Area

land

236 sq km

total

236 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March

Coastline

120 km

Elevation

highest point

Te Manga 652 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

21 14 S, 159 46 W

Geography - note

the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

8.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 4.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

64.6% (2018 est.)

other

27% (2018 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

tropical cyclones (November to March)

Natural resources

coconuts (copra)

Population distribution

most of the population is found on the island of Rarotonga

Terrain

low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

Age structure

0-14 years

18.2% (male 738/female 671)

15-64 years

65.9% (male 2,634/female 2,479)

65 years and over

16% (2024 est.) (male 608/female 631)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

7.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

12.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

2.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

12.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

3.2% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

42.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

17.4

potential support ratio

5.8 (2021)

total dependency ratio

53.8

youth dependency ratio

36.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Cook Island Maori 77.4%, part Cook Island Maori 8.3%, Fijian 3.6%, New Zealand Maori/European 3.4%, Filipino 2.9%, other Pacific Islands 1.8%, other 2.6% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.99 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male

19 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

English (official) 86.4%, Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan) (official) 76.2%, other 8.3% (2011 est.)

note

note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.6 years

male

74.8 years

total population

77.6 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Median age

female

41.4 years

male

40.7 years

total

41.1 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Cook Islander

noun

Cook Islander(s)

Net migration rate

-25.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

55.9% (2016)

Physician density

1.41 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

female

3,781 (2024 est.)

male

3,980

total

7,761

Population distribution

most of the population is found on the island of Rarotonga

Population growth rate

-2.24% (2024 est.)

Religions

Protestant 55% (Cook Islands Christian Church 43.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.3%, Assemblies of God 3.6%), Roman Catholic 16.7%, Church of Jesus Christ 3.9%, Jehovah's Witness 2.2%, Apostolic Church 2.1%, other 4.5%, none/unspecified 15.6% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2012)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.96 male(s)/female

at birth

1.04 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

20.3% (2020 est.)

male

27.7% (2020 est.)

total

24% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.02 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

76.2% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

etymology

translates as "two harbors" in Maori

geographic coordinates

21 12 S, 159 46 W

name

Avarua

time difference

UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

amendments

proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Parliament membership in each of several readings and assent of the chief of state’s representative; passage of amendments relating to the chief of state also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2004

history

4 August 1965 (Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Cook Islands

etymology

named after Captain James COOK, the British explorer who visited the islands in 1773 and 1777

former

Hervey Islands

Dependency status

self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense in consultation with the Cook Islands

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)

note

note: on 25 September 2023, the US officially established diplomatic relations with Cook Islands

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet chosen by the prime minister

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Sir Tom J. MARSTERS (since 9 August 2013); New Zealand High Commissioner Catherine GRAHAM (since 8 September 2024)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; UK representative appointed by the monarch; New Zealand high commissioner appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Mark BROWN (since 1 October 2020)

Flag description

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

4 August 1965 (Cook Islands became self-governing state in free association with New Zealand)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration (New Zealand normally retains responsibility for external affairs); accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IMO, IMSO, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges of the High Court); High Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and land divisions); note - appeals beyond the Cook Islands Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office

High Court chief justice appointed by the Queen's Representative on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the Queen's Representative, on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the chief justice, High Court chief justice, and the minister of justice; chief justice and judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms

subordinate courts

justices of the peace

Legal system

common law similar to New Zealand common law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament, formerly the Legislative Assembly (24 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - CIP 44%, Demo 26.9%, Cook Islands United Party 26.9%, OCI 2.7%, other 0.2% independent 7.3%; seats by party - CIP 12, Demo 5, Cook Islands United Party 3, OCI 1, independent 3; composition - men 18, women 6, percentage women 25%

elections

last held on 1 August 2022 (next to be held by 2026)

note

note: the House of Ariki, a 24-member parliamentary body of traditional leaders appointed by the King's representative, serves as a consultative body to the Parliament

National anthem

lyrics/music

Tepaeru Te RITO/Thomas DAVIS

name

"Te Atua Mou E" (To God Almighty)

note

note: adopted 1982; as prime minister, Sir Thomas DAVIS composed the anthem; his wife, a tribal chief, wrote the lyrics

National holiday

Constitution Day, the first Monday in August (1965)

National symbol(s)

a circle of 15, five-pointed, white stars on a blue field, Tiare maori (Gardenia taitensis) flower; national colors: green, white

Political parties

Cook Islands Party or CIPCook Islands United Party Democratic Party or DemoOne Cook Islands Movement or OCI

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, vegetables, papayas, pork, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, fruits, mangoes/guavas, watermelons, eggs (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$129.088 million (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$113.674 million (2022 est.)

Economic overview

high-income self-governing New Zealand territorial economy; tourism-based activity but diversifying; severely curtailed by COVID-19 pandemic; copra and tropical fruit exporter; Asian Development Bank aid recipient

Exchange rates

Currency

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1.518 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.542 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.414 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.577 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.628 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$31.4 million (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

fish, ships, surveying equipment, sports equipment, garments (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Japan 42%, France 27%, Thailand 12%, US 4%, Italy 3% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$336 million (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2021

$215 million (2021 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, cars, plastic products, other foods (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

NZ 51%, Italy 18%, Fiji 11%, China 7%, Australia 3% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries

fishing, fruit processing, tourism, clothing, handicrafts

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2015 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$287 million (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$257 million (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$266 million (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-5.2% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-24.5% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

10.5% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2015 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2020

$16,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$15,100 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$15,600 (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

87,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

87,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports

1.3 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

37.5 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

17,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.2 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

60.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

39.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

600 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

15 (2018 est.)

total

2,700 (2018 est.)

Broadcast media

1 privately owned TV station broadcasts from Rarotonga providing a mix of local news and overseas-sourced programs (2019)

Internet country code

.ck

Internet users

percent of population

64.8% (2021 est.)

total

11,382 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable; nearly 41 per 100 fixed-line and about 100 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021)

general assessment

demand for mobile broadband is increasing due to mobile services being the primary and most wide-spread source for Internet access across the region; Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, and fax; individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone (2020)

international

country code - 682; the Manatua submarine cable to surrounding islands of Niue, Samoa, French Polynesia and other Cook Islands, the topography of the South Pacific region has made Internet connectivity a serious issue for many of the remote islands; submarine fiber-optic networks are expensive to build and maintain; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

41 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

7,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

100 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

17,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

10 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

E5

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 19, general cargo 44, oil tanker 58, other 69

total

190 (2023)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

6

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports

key ports

Avatiu

ports with oil terminals

1

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

1

Roadways

paved

207 km

total

295 km

unpaved

88 km (2018)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its requestthe Cook Islands have 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 its 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)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Cook Islands Police Service

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions

7.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March

Environment - current issues

limited land presents solid and liquid waste disposal problems; soil destruction and deforestation; environmental degradation due to indiscriminate use of pesticides; improper disposal of pollutants; overfishing and destructive fishing practices; over dredging of lagoons and coral rubble beds; unregulated building

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

8.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 4.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 4.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

64.6% (2018 est.)

other

27% (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

76.2% of total population (2023)