2020 Edition

Background

Voyagers from either Samoa or Tonga first populated Tuvalu in the first millennium A.D., and the islands provided a stepping-stone 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, a series of American, British, Dutch, and Russian ships visited the islands, which were named the Ellice Islands in 1819.  The UK declared a protectorate over islands in 1892 and merged them 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 the Tuvaluan islands in a treaty of friendship.

Area

land

26 sq km

total

26 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

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

Coastline

24 km

Elevation

highest point

unnamed location 5 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

2 m

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 178 00 E

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

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

60% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 60% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

forest

34.3% (2023 est.)

other

5.7% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

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

Natural resources

fish, coconut (copra)

Population distribution

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Terrain

low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Age structure

0-14 years

29.2% (male 1,754/female 1,672)

15-64 years

63.2% (male 3,736/female 3,675)

65 years and over

7.6% (2024 est.) (male 326/female 570)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

21.57 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

1.7% (2020)

women married by age 15

0% (2020)

women married by age 18

1.8% (2020)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.9% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

64.2% (2020 est.)

Death rate

7.78 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

12.6 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

7.9 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

59 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

46.4 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.3% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

12.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

16.8% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

1.34 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

20% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

11.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

24 deaths/1,000 live births

male

31.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

27.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.6 years

male

66.5 years

total population

69 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

100% (2022 est.)

male

100% (2022 est.)

total population

100% (2022 est.)

Major urban areas - population

7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

170 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

28.8 years

male

26.8 years

total

28.1 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Tuvaluan

noun

Tuvaluan(s)

Net migration rate

-6.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

51.6% (2016)

Physician density

1.35 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

5,959

male

5,865

total

11,824 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.75% (2025 est.)

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 93.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 95.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 96.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 6.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 4.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.57 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

18.1% (2025 est.)

male

46.2% (2025 est.)

total

32.4% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.76 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

66.2% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

the town has the same name as the island it is located on; the name may either come from the Polynesian word futi (banana) or the name Futi, one of the wives of a local ruler, with the word funa added as a feminine prefix

geographic coordinates

8 31 S, 179 13 E

name

Funafuti

time difference

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

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

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the House of Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the final reading

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Tuvalu

etymology

the name in the local language means "group of eight" or "eight standing together," referring to eight of the country's nine islands; the remaining island, Nui, was left out of the original grouping because its inhabitants spoke a different language; the former name was given in honor of Canadian shipping company owner Alexander Ellice, who owned a ship that visited the islands in 1819

former

Ellice Islands

local long form

none

local short form

Tuvalu

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

685 Third Avenue, Suite 1104, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Tapugao FALEFOU (since 19 April 2023); note - also Permanent Representative to UN

email address and website

tuvalumission.un@gmail.com tuvalu.unmission@gov.tv https://www.un.int/tuvalu/about

FAX

[1] (212) 808-4975

telephone

[1] (212) 490-0534

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet members selected by the prime minister

chief of state

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

election results

2024: TEO was the only candidate nominated by the House of Assembly 2019: Kausea NATANO elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote - 10 to 6

election/appointment process

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

head of government

Prime Minister Feleti Penitala TEO (since 27 February 2024)

Flag

description: light blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant; the right half of the flag has nine five-pointed yellow stars  meaning: the stars represent a map of the country, with each symbolizing an atoll in the ocean

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

1 October 1978 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

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

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

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

Legal system

mixed system of English common law and local customary law

Legislative branch

chamber name

Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu)

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

January 2028

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Parliament (Palamene)

most recent election date

1/26/2024

number of seats

16 (all directly elected)

percentage of women in chamber

0%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

used since 1745

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National color(s)

light blue, yellow

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

National symbol(s)

maneapa (native meeting house)

Political parties

note: no political parties, but members of parliament usually align in informal groupings

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruits, bananas, root vegetables, pork, chicken, eggs, pork fat, pork offal (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$88 million (2019 est.)

revenues

$87 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

$8.46 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$14.533 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$2.713 million (2022 est.)

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

Exchange rates

Currency

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

Exchange rates 2020

1.453 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1.331 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1.442 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1.505 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

1.515 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2020

$3.089 million (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$2.745 million (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$2.232 million (2022 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish (2023)

Exports - partners

Thailand 88%, Japan 6%, Philippines 3%, Ireland 1%, USA 1% (2023)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

15.9% (2015 est.)

industry

7% (2015 est.)

services

70% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$62.28 million (2023 est.)

Imports

Imports 2020

$56.947 million (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$63.962 million (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$57.388 million (2022 est.)

Imports - commodities

ships, refined petroleum, iron structures, fish, hand tools (2023)

Imports - partners

China 42%, Fiji 24%, Japan 11%, Australia 11%, NZ 4% (2023)

Industries

fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.9% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

6.2% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

11.5% (2022 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

47.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$54.568 million (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$54.938 million (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$57.055 million (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.8% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

0.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.9% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2021

$5,400 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$5,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$5,800 (2023 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

4.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

4.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99.1%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2022 est.)

total

0 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.tv

Internet users

percent of population

74% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

2,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

99 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

9,880 (2022 est.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T2

Merchant marine

by type

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

total

270 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Funafuti Atoll

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

0

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

1

Military - note

as part of the Falepili Union treaty between Australia and Tuvalu, which entered into force in August 2024, Australia committed to assist Tuvalu in response to a major natural disaster, health pandemic, or military aggression; Tuvalu pledged to mutually agree with Australia any partnership, arrangement, or engagement with any other State or entity on security and defense-related matters in Tuvalu 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 (2025)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force

Environmental issues

limited freshwater resources; beach erosion; deforestation; damage to coral reefs; rising sea levels

International environmental 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

Particulate matter emissions

6.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4,000 tons (2024 est.)