Tuvalu Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Funafuti

Population

11,824 (2025 est.)

Area

26 sq km

Location

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

🧭 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.

🗺️ Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map references

Oceania

Area — total

26 sq km

Area — land

26 sq km

Area — water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

About the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries — total

0 km

Coastline

24 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — contiguous zone

24 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Climate

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

Terrain

Low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation — highest point

Unnamed location 5 m

Elevation — lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Elevation — mean elevation

2 m

Natural resources

Fish, coconut (copra)

Land use — agricultural land

60% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 0% (2022 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 60% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

Land use — forest

34.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

5.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Population distribution

Over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

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

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

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

11,824 (2025 est.)

Population — male

5,865

Population — female

5,959

Nationality — noun

Tuvaluan(s)

Nationality — adjective

Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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

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.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

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

Age structure — 15-64 years

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

Age structure — 65 years and over

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

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

59 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

46.4 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

12.6 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

7.9 (2025 est.)

Median age — total

28.1 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

26.8 years

Median age — female

28.8 years

Population growth rate

0.75% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

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

Population distribution

Over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Urbanization — urban population

66.2% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Major urban areas - population

7,000 FUNAFUTI (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.57 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Infant mortality rate — total

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

Infant mortality rate — male

31.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

24 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

69 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

66.5 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

71.6 years

Total fertility rate

2.76 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.34 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 99% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 99.3% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 0.7% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

20% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

11.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

1.35 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 96.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 93.9% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 95.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 3.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 6.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 4.2% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

51.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

32.4% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

46.2% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

18.1% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.9% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

64.2% (2020 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

0% (2020)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

1.8% (2020)

Child marriage — men married by age 18

1.7% (2020)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

12.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

16.8% national budget (2025 est.)

Literacy — total population

100% (2022 est.)

Literacy — male

100% (2022 est.)

Literacy — female

100% (2022 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

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

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Climate

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

Land use — agricultural land

60% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 0% (2022 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 60% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

Land use — forest

34.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

5.7% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

66.2% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Particulate matter emissions

6.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

4,000 tons (2024 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

None

Country name — conventional short form

Tuvalu

Country name — local long form

None

Country name — local short form

Tuvalu

Country name — former

Ellice Islands

Country name — 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

Government type

Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Capital — name

Funafuti

Capital — geographic coordinates

8 31 S, 179 13 E

Capital — time difference

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

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

Administrative divisions

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

Legal system

Mixed system of English common law and local customary law

Constitution — history

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

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

International law organization participation

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

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

Yes

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

Yes; for a child born abroad, at least one parent must be a citizen of Tuvalu

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

Yes

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

Na

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

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

Executive branch — head of government

Prime Minister Feleti Penitala TEO (since 27 February 2024)

Executive branch — cabinet

Cabinet members selected by the prime minister

Executive branch — 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

Executive branch — 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

Legislative branch — legislature name

Parliament (Palamene)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Unicameral

Legislative branch — chamber name

Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu)

Legislative branch — number of seats

16 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch — electoral system

Plurality/majority

Legislative branch — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch — term in office

4 years

Legislative branch — most recent election date

1/26/2024

Legislative branch — percentage of women in chamber

0%

Legislative branch — expected date of next election

January 2028

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)

Judicial branch — 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

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Magistrates' courts; island courts; land courts

Political parties

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

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

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

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

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

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (212) 490-0534

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (212) 808-4975

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

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

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

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

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

Independence

1 October 1978 (from the UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

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

National symbol(s)

Maneapa (native meeting house)

National color(s)

Light blue, yellow

National anthem(s) — title

"God Save the King"

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Unknown

National anthem(s) — history

Used since 1745

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$57.055 million (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$54.938 million (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$54.568 million (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.9% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

0.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.8% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$5,800 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$5,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2021

$5,400 (2021 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$62.28 million (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

11.5% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

6.2% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.9% (2020 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

15.9% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

7% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

70% (2012 est.)

Agricultural products

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

Industries

Fishing

Remittances — Remittances 2023

4.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

4.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2021

4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Budget — revenues

$87 million (2019 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$88 million (2019 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

47.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

$2.713 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2021

$14.533 million (2021 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2020

$8.46 million (2020 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$2.232 million (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2021

$2.745 million (2021 est.)

Exports — Exports 2020

$3.089 million (2020 est.)

Exports - partners

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

Exports - commodities

Fish (2023)

Imports — Imports 2022

$57.388 million (2022 est.)

Imports — Imports 2021

$63.962 million (2021 est.)

Imports — Imports 2020

$56.947 million (2020 est.)

Imports - partners

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

Imports - commodities

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

Exchange rates — Currency

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

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

1.515 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

1.505 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

1.442 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

1.331 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

1.453 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

99.1%

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

2,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

21 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

9,880 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

99 (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.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

0 (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

5 (2022 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

T2

Airports

1 (2025)

Merchant marine — total

270 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

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

Ports — total ports

1 (2024)

Ports — large

0

Ports — medium

0

Ports — small

0

Ports — very small

1

Ports — ports with oil terminals

1

Ports — key ports

Funafuti Atoll

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

No regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force

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)