Tuvalu - TV - TUV - TUV - Australia and Oceania

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

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)

8 00 S, 178 00 E

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

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

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

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

0.1 times the size of Washington, D.C.

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.

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

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

fish (2023)

note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

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

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

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

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

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2025)

revenues: $87 million (2019 est.)

expenditures: $88 million (2019 est.)

note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

name: Funafuti

geographic coordinates: 8 31 S, 179 13 E

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

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

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

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

24 km

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

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

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

Exchange rates:
1.505 (2023 est.)
1.442 (2022 est.)
1.331 (2021 est.)
1.453 (2020 est.)
1.439 (2019 est.)

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: 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

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

1 October 1978 (from the UK)

fishing

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

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 60% (2022 est.)

arable land: 0% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 60% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

forest: 33.3% (2022 est.)

other: 6.7% (2022 est.)

mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law

legislature name: Parliament (Palamene)

legislative structure: unicameral

chamber name: Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu)

number of seats: 16 (all directly elected)

electoral system: plurality/majority

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 4 years

most recent election date: 1/26/2024

percentage of women in chamber: 0%

expected date of next election: January 2028

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

noun: Tuvaluan(s)

adjective: Tuvaluan

fish, coconut (copra)

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

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

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

18 years of age; universal

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

low-lying and narrow coral atolls

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Tuvalu

local long form: none

local short form: Tuvalu

former: Ellice Islands

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

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

Oceania

0 sq km (2022)

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

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

telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534

FAX: [1] (212) 808-4975

email address and website:
tuvalumission.un@gmail.com

tuvalu.unmission@gov.tv

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

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

percent of population: 81% (2022 est.)

.tv

$62.28 million (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

urban population: 66.2% of total population (2023)

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

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)

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.)

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

7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)

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

1.35 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

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

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

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas: 100%

electrification - rural areas: 99.1%

T2

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.)

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

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.)

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

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

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

highest point: unnamed location 5 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 2 m

23.7% (2019/20)

20% of GDP (2021)

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)

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

total dependency ratio: 58.3 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 46.2 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 12.1 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 8.3 (2024 est.)

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

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.)

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.)

1.36 (2024 est.)

66.1% (2023 est.)

3.21% of GDP (2023 est.)
4.18% of GDP (2022 est.)
4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

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

women married by age 18: 1.8%

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

total ports: 1 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 0

small: 0

very small: 1

ports with oil terminals: 1

key ports: Funafuti Atoll

3,615

total: 20.6% (2016)

male: 9.8%

female: 45.9%

-6.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 27.8 years (2024 est.)

male: 26.8 years

female: 28.8 years

37% of GDP (2017 est.)

2.78 children born/woman (2024 est.)

total: 11,733 (2024 est.)

male: 5,816

female: 5,917

total : 26 sq km

land: 26 sq km

water: 0 sq km

$57.054 million (2023 est.)
$54.938 million (2022 est.)
$54.568 million (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

1 (2025)

total: 27.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 24 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 9,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)

4.1% (2017 est.)
3.5% (2016 est.)

$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

$5,800 (2023 est.)
$5,500 (2022 est.)
$5,400 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 0 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)

total: 35.6% (2020 est.)

male: 49.8% (2020 est.)

female: 21.3% (2020 est.)

51.6% (2016)

(2019)

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

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

total: 270 (2023)

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

3.1% (2019/20) NA

$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

$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

total subscriptions: 2,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2022 est.)

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.)

total population: 69 years (2024 est.)

male: 66.5 years

female: 71.6 years

3.85% (2023 est.)
0.68% (2022 est.)
1.8% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

4.3% (2014 est.)

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

agriculture: 15.9% (2015 est.)

industry: 7% (2015 est.)

services: 70% (2012 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

NA

0.78% (2024 est.)