2023 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 (2022)

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

29.27% (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)

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

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

Child marriage

men married by age 18

1.7% (2020 est.)

women married by age 18

1.8%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.1% (2019/20) NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

23.7% (2019/20)

Current health expenditure

21.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

66.1% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

10

potential support ratio

10 (2021)

total dependency ratio

60.9

youth dependency ratio

50.9

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

1.37 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

24.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

31.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.3 years

male

66.3 years

total population

68.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

28.6 years

male

26.5 years

total

27.5 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Tuvaluan

noun

Tuvaluan(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

51.6% (2016)

Physicians density

1.19 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

11,639 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Population growth rate

0.81% (2023 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: 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

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.58 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

21.3% (2020 est.)

male

49.8% (2020 est.)

total

35.6% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.81 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

66.2% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

45.9%

male

9.8%

total

20.6% (2016)

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, 2023

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

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.comhttps://www.un.int/tuvalu/about

FAX

[1] (212) 808-4975

note

note - the Tuvalu Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the Embassy

telephone

[1] (212) 490-0534

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of 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

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 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 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 31 December 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, pork, poultry, eggs, pig fat, pig offals

Budget

expenditures

$88 million (2019 est.)

note

note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

revenues

$87 million (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

25.6% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$6.051 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$9.015 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$20.82 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external

NA

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 2016

1.3442 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1.311 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$10.266 million (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$3.087 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$2.699 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

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

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 2019

$65.24 million (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$50.792 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$51.187 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

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

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) 2019

$52.77 million (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$53.57 million (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$55.169 million (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

13.79% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

1.52% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

2.99% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$4,800 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$4,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$4,900 (2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

106.7% (of GDP) (2013 est.)

note

note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

Unemployment rate

NA

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

45.9%

male

9.8%

total

20.6% (2016)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

99% (2021)

electrification - total population

99.6% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

100% (2021)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

0 Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2017 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% (2021 est.)

total

7,920 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

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

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)

international

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

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

80 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

9,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

1 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T2

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 23, container ship 3, general cargo 39, oil tanker 24, other 171

total

260 (2022)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Funafuti

Roadways

paved

8 km (2011)

total

8 km (2011)

Military - note

Tuvalu has a security pact with Austalia; Australia also provides support to the Tuvalu Police Force, including donations of patrol boatsTuvalu 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 (2023)

Military and security forces

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

Disputes - international

none identified

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.01 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.01 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

6.81 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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

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

66.2% of total population (2023)

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.)