Tuvalu
Updated
Population
9,492
2025 · World Bank
GDP
$57.35M
2025 · World Bank
GDP per capita
$6,041
2025 · World Bank
Area
26 km²
mledoze/countries reference dataset
Capital
Funafuti
Median age
24.2 yrs
2025 · UN WPP
Location
- Capital
- Funafuti
- Region
- Australia and Oceania
- Subregion
- Polynesia
- Area
- 26 km²
- Languages
- English, Tuvaluan
Leadership
- Head of state
- Charles III
- In office since September 8, 2022
- Head of government
- Ben Do
- In office since February 26, 2024
Wikidata (CC0), checked August 11, 2026. Frozen Factbook mirrors still list the officeholders of January 2026.
Then and now
The CIA World Factbook stopped updating in January 2026. This is what has changed since its final edition.
| Indicator | Factbook, final edition | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,8242025 | 9,4922025 | -19.7% |
| GDP (nominal) | $62.28M2023 | $57.35M2025 | -7.9% |
Trends since 2000
World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0).
7 facts about Tuvalu
- 01 Tuvalu ranks 223 of 238 in population, with 9,492 people as of 2025.
- 02 Its economy produced $57.35M in 2025, or $6,041 per person.
- 03 Tuvalu has no land borders.
- 04 Population has declined 1% since 2000, from 9,544 to 9,492.
- 05 Prices sit at about 89% of United States levels (World Bank PPP data, 2025).
- 06 35% of the population uses the internet (2017).
- 07 It lists 2 official or major languages: English, Tuvaluan.
Reference
- Languages
- English, Tuvaluan
- Currency
- Australian dollar (AUD), Tuvaluan dollar (TVD)
- Calling code
- +688
- Internet TLD
- .tv
- Demonym
- Tuvaluan
- ISO codes
- TV · TUV · 798
The Factbook archive 113 fields · 10 categories
The complete World Factbook entry for Tuvalu: 113 fields and 186 sub-entries across 10 categories, kept whole as historical reference. A United States Government work in the public domain, reflecting data as of the final January 2026 edition; the live figures above supersede the fast-moving numbers in it. Last CIA update: January 18, 2026.
Introduction 1 field
- 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 17 fields
- 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 kmland: 26 sq kmwater: 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 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive 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 mlowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 mmean elevation: 2 m
- Natural resources
- fish, coconut (copra)
- 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.)
- 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 33 fields
- Population
- total: 11,824 (2025 est.)male: 5,865female: 5,959
- Nationality
- noun: Tuvaluan(s)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)15-64 years: 63.2% (male 3,736/female 3,675)65 years and over: 7.6% (2024 est.) (male 326/female 570)
- Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: 59 (2025 est.)youth dependency ratio: 46.4 (2025 est.)elderly dependency ratio: 12.6 (2025 est.)potential support ratio: 7.9 (2025 est.)
- Median age
- total: 28.1 years (2025 est.)male: 26.8 yearsfemale: 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)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)/female0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/femaletotal 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.)male: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 24 deaths/1,000 live births
- Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 69 years (2024 est.)male: 66.5 yearsfemale: 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.)improved: rural: rural: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)improved: total: total: 99.3% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: urban: urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: rural: rural: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: total: total: 0.7% of population (2022 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.)
- Physician density
- 1.35 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
- Sanitation facility access
- improved: urban: urban: 96.7% of population (2022 est.)improved: rural: rural: 93.9% of population (2022 est.)improved: total: total: 95.8% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: urban: urban: 3.3% of population (2022 est.)unimproved: rural: rural: 6.1% of population (2022 est.)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.)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.)
- Tobacco use
- total: 32.4% (2025 est.)male: 46.2% (2025 est.)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)women married by age 18: 1.8% (2020)men married by age 18: 1.7% (2020)
- Education expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP): 12.8% of GDP (2023 est.)Education expenditure (% national budget): 16.8% national budget (2025 est.)
- Literacy
- total population: 100% (2022 est.)male: 100% (2022 est.)female: 100% (2022 est.)
Environment 7 fields
- 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, Whalingsigned, 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.)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.)
- Urbanization
- urban population: 66.2% of total population (2023)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 22 fields
- Country name
- conventional long form: noneconventional short form: Tuvalulocal long form: nonelocal short form: Tuvaluformer: Ellice Islandsetymology: 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: Funafutigeographic coordinates: 8 31 S, 179 13 Etime 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
- 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 1986amendment 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: yescitizenship by descent only: yes; for a child born abroad, at least one parent must be a citizen of Tuvaludual citizenship recognized: yesresidency 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)head of government: Prime Minister Feleti Penitala TEO (since 27 February 2024)cabinet: Cabinet members selected by the prime ministerelection/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 electionselection 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 structure: unicameralchamber name: Parliament of Tuvalu (Palamene o Tuvalu)number of seats: 16 (all directly elected)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 1/26/2024percentage of women in chamber: 0%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)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 appointmentsubordinate 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 UNchancery: 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1104, New York, NY 10017telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534FAX: [1] (212) 808-4975email address and website:
[email protected]
[email protected]
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: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty)lyrics/music: Afaese MANOAhistory: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's mottotitle: "God Save the King"lyrics/music: unknownhistory: used since 1745
Economy 20 fields
- 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) 2022: $54.938 million (2022 est.)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 2022: 0.7% (2022 est.)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 2022: $5,500 (2022 est.)Real GDP per capita 2021: $5,400 (2021 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $62.28 million (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate - Inflation rate (consumer prices)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 11.5% (2022 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021: 6.2% (2021 est.)Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020: 1.9% (2020 est.)
- GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture: 15.9% (2015 est.)industry: 7% (2015 est.)services: 70% (2012 est.)
- Agricultural products
- coconuts, vegetables, tropical fruits, bananas, root vegetables, pork, chicken, eggs, pork fat, pork offal (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage - Industries
- fishing
- Remittances
- Remittances 2023: 4.2% of GDP (2023 est.)Remittances 2022: 4.2% of GDP (2022 est.)Remittances 2021: 4.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Budget
- revenues: $87 million (2019 est.)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 2021: $14.533 million (2021 est.)Current account balance 2020: $8.46 million (2020 est.)
- Exports
- Exports 2022: $2.232 million (2022 est.)Exports 2021: $2.745 million (2021 est.)Exports 2020: $3.089 million (2020 est.)
- Exports - partners
- Thailand 88%, Japan 6%, Philippines 3%, Ireland 1%, USA 1% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports - Exports - commodities
- fish (2023)
note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000 - Imports
- Imports 2022: $57.388 million (2022 est.)Imports 2021: $63.962 million (2021 est.)Imports 2020: $56.947 million (2020 est.)
- Imports - partners
- China 42%, Fiji 24%, Japan 11%, Australia 11%, NZ 4% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports - Imports - commodities
- ships, refined petroleum, iron structures, fish, hand tools (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars - Exchange rates
- Currency: Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar -Exchange rates 2024: 1.515 (2024 est.)Exchange rates 2023: 1.505 (2023 est.)Exchange rates 2022: 1.442 (2022 est.)Exchange rates 2021: 1.331 (2021 est.)Exchange rates 2020: 1.453 (2020 est.)
Energy 1 field
- Electricity access
- electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)electrification - urban areas: 100%electrification - rural areas: 99.1%
Communications 6 fields
- Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions: 2,000 (2021 est.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2022 est.)
- Telephones - mobile cellular
- total subscriptions: 9,880 (2022 est.)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.)subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)
Transportation 4 fields
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- T2
- Airports
- 1 (2025)
- Merchant marine
- total: 270 (2023)by type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 3, general cargo 29, oil tanker 19, other 198
- Ports
- total ports: 1 (2024)large: 0medium: 0small: 0very small: 1ports with oil terminals: 1key ports: Funafuti Atoll
Military and Security 2 fields
- 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)
Frequently asked
- What is the population of Tuvalu in 2025?
- Tuvalu has a population of 9,492 (9,492) according to World Bank, World Development Indicators data for 2025.
- What is the capital of Tuvalu?
- The capital of Tuvalu is Funafuti.
- How large is the economy of Tuvalu?
- Tuvalu's GDP is $57.35M (2025, World Bank, World Development Indicators), which is $6,041 per capita.
- Who leads Tuvalu?
- Head of state: Charles III (since September 8, 2022). Head of government: Ben Do (since February 26, 2024). Source: Wikidata, checked August 11, 2026.
Tuvalu