2021 Edition

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.

Area

land

26 sq km

total

26 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

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 (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

60% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 60% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

33.3% (2018 est.)

other

6.7% (2018 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

29.42% (male 1,711/female 1,626)

15-24 years

17.61% (male 1,031/female 966)

25-54 years

37.17% (male 2,157/female 2,059)

55-64 years

9.12% (male 427/female 607)

65 years and over

6.68% (male 289/female 469) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

22.97 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

19.1% (2018)

Death rate

8.04 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

NA

potential support ratio

NA

total dependency ratio

NA

youth dependency ratio

NA

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.8% of population

improved: total

total: 99% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Tuvaluan 86.8%, Tuvaluan/I-Kiribati 5.6%, Tuvaluan/other 6.7%, other 0.9% (2012 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

25.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

33.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

29.52 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.59 years (2021 est.)

male

65.67 years

total population

68.07 years

Major urban areas - population

7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

27.6 years (2020 est.)

male

25.6 years

total

26.6 years

Nationality

adjective

Tuvaluan

noun

Tuvaluan(s)

Net migration rate

-6.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

51.6% (2016)

Physicians density

0.91 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

11,448 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Population growth rate

0.85% (2021 est.)

Religions

Protestant 92.4% (Congregational Christian Church of Tuvalu 85.7%, Brethren 3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.8%, Assemblies of God .9%), Baha'i 2%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, Church of Jesus Christ 1%, other 3.1%, none 0.2% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 91% of population

improved: total

total: 91.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 91.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 8.5% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 9.2% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.7 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.62 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.86 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

45.9% (2016)

male

9.8%

total

20.6%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

64.8% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

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

geographic coordinates

8 31 S, 179 13 E

name

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

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

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; note - in 2016, the United Nations Development Program and the Tuvaluan Government initiated a review of the country's constitution, which was ongoing as of early 2021

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Tuvalu

etymology

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

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

chief of mission

none; the Tuvalu Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the Embassy; it is headed by Samuelu LALONIU (since 21 July 2017); address: 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1104, New York, NY 10017; telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534; FAX: [1] (212) 808-4975; email: tuvalumission.un@gmail.com

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Acting Governor General Teniku TALESI Honolulu(since 19 August 2019)

election results

Kausea NATANO elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote count on 19 September 2019 - 10 to 6

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

head of government

Prime Minister Kausea NATANO (since 19 September 2019)

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

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 courts

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 legal system of English common law and local customary law

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)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 16 (9 members reelected)

elections

last held on 9 September 2019 (next to be held on September 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Afaese MANOA

name

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

note

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties and leaders

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

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

Budget

expenditures

32.46 million (2012 est.)

note

note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

revenues

42.68 million (2013 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

25.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$8 million (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$2 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

NA

Economic overview

Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. Only eight of the atolls are inhabited. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, with its highest point at 4.6 meters above sea level. The country is isolated, almost entirely dependent on imports, particularly of food and fuel, and vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels, which pose significant challenges to development.The public sector dominates economic activity. Tuvalu has few natural resources, except for its fisheries. Earnings from fish exports and fishing licenses for Tuvalu’s territorial waters are a significant source of government revenue. In 2013, revenue from fishing licenses doubled and totaled more than 45% of GDP.Official aid from foreign development partners has also increased. Tuvalu has substantial assets abroad. The Tuvalu Trust Fund, an international trust fund established in 1987 by development partners, has grown to $104 million (A$141 million) in 2014 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. While remittances are another substantial source of income, the value of remittances has declined since the 2008-09 global financial crisis, but has stabilized at nearly $4 million per year. The financial impact of climate change and the cost of climate related adaptation projects is one of many concerns for the nation.

Exchange rates

currency

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

Exchange rates 2016

1.3442 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1.311 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$10 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$10 million note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish, ships, coins, metal-clad products, electrical power accessories (2019)

Exports - partners

Thailand 50%, Indonesia 40% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

43.7% (2016 est.)

government consumption

87% (2016 est.)

imports of goods and services

-66.1% (2016 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.3% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

24.5% (2012 est.)

industry

5.6% (2012 est.)

services

70% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$40 million (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2010

39.1 (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2018

$60 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$70 million note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, fishing ships, tug boats, other ships, iron structures (2019)

Imports - partners

China 32%, Japan 29%, Fiji 23%, New Zealand 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-26.1% (2012 est.)

Industries

fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

3.5% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

4.1% (2017 est.)

Labor force

3,615 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

note: most people make a living through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls - and through overseas remittances (mostly from workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Population below poverty line

26.3% (2010 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

47.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

37% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$50 million note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$50 million note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$50 million note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

9.1% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3.2% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$3,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$4,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$4,400 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

106.7% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

note

note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

Unemployment rate

NA

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

45.9% (2016)

male

9.8%

total

20.6%

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (2014 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

96% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2014)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2014)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

5,100 kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

11.8 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2014)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3.96 (2019 est.)

total

450 (2017 est.)

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

percent of population

49.32% (2019 est.)

total

5,849 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

radiotelephone communications between islands; fixed-line 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular 70 per 100 (2019)

general assessment

internal communications needs met; small global scale of over 11,000 people on 9 inhabited islands; mobile subscriber penetration about 40% and broadband about 10% penetration; govt. owned and sole provider of telecommunications services; 2G widespread; the launch in 2019 of the Kacific-1 satellite will improve the telecommunication sector for the Asia Pacific region (2020)

international

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

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

17.59 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions

2,000 (2018)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

70.36 (2019 est.)

total subscriptions

8,000 (2018)

Airports

total

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T2

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 22, container ship 3, general cargo 32, oil tanker 21, other 167 (2021)

total

245

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Funafuti

Roadways

paved

8 km (2011)

total

8 km (2011)

Military - note

Australia provides support to the Tuvalu Police Force, including donations of patrol boats

Military and security forces

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

Disputes - international

none

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.01 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.01 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

11.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

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

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

Land use

agricultural land

60% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 60% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest

33.3% (2018 est.)

other

6.7% (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

64.8% of total population (2021)

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.)