Form of Government: Constitutional monarchy
Area: 25.6 sq km
Population: 11 792 inhab. (estimate 2020)
Density: 460.63 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 3° - 12° S; long. 168° E - 175° W
Capital: Funafuti (capital) 1 340 inhab. (2017);
Currency: Tuvaluan dollar, pegged at par to the Australian dollar
Head of State: The British Sovereign
Prime Minister: Kausea Natano (independent), since 19 September 2019
Internet: //tuvalu.prism.spc.int (Central Statistics Division)
Member of Commonwealth, SPC, UN
Tuvalu

International license plate code TUV
International dialling code 00688
Travel vaccinations requirement none
Electricity (Voltage) 240
Driving side left
Internet code .tv
GMT +12
DST not applied
Geography.
An archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, located slightly south of the Equator between the Gilbert Islands and Samoa, Tuvalu includes the atolls of Nanumea, Nanumanga, Niutao, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, Nukulaelae and Niulakita.
Government
A former British colony, united with the Gilbert Islands and known as the Ellice Islands until 1975, Tuvalu became independent within the Commonwealth on 1 October 1978. The British Sovereign is represented by a Governor General. Executive powers reside in the Council of Ministers, presided over by a Prime Minister elected by the members of Parliament (16 deputies, elected for 4 years). There are no political parties.
Administrative division
Atoll | AREA | INHABITANTS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Funafuti | 2.8 sq km | 1 340 inhab. | 2017 |
Nanumaga | 2.8 sq km | 1 229 inhab. | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Fongafale | 4 019 | inhab. | 2002 |
Funafuti | 1 340 | inhab. | 2017 |
Population
Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | |||||
| |||||
MALE | AGE | FEMALE |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 23.7 | ‰ | 2015 |
Death rate | 8.7 | ‰ | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tuvaluan | 99.4 | % | 2017 |
other | 0.6 | % | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Protestant | 87.4 | % | 2017 |
other Christian | 5.2 | % | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION |
---|
English (official) |
Tuvaluan (official) |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
0-14 years | 29.2 | % | 2020 |
15-29 years | 27.2 | % | 2020 |
Economy
Apart from fishing, subsistence level farming and copra (coconut shell) exports, other significant forms of income are the concession of fishing licences and since 2000, the use of the “.tv” Internet suffix. Tuvalu depends on remittances from emigrants, international aid and income from an investment fund set up by aid-giving countries.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 110.7 | index | 2016 |
Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 102.8 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Active population | 4 000 | units | 2006 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate | 39.6 | % | 2012 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenses | 64.8 | M LCU | 2016 |
Revenues | 85.9 | M LCU | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 25$ | % | 2014 |
industry and services | 75$ | % | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 21.411 | % | 2019 |
industry | 13.404 | % | 2019 |
Agriculture
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
arable land | 60$ | % | 2018 |
forests | 33.333 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
roots and tubers, total | 0.144 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 1.587 | 1000 t | 2019 |
copra | 0.15 | 1000 t | 2005 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
fruits, total | 0.891 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
bananas | 0.286 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 1.645 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pigs | 14.503 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
birds | 56$ | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
honey | 0.004 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
eggs | 0.019 | 1000 t | 2019 |
meat | 0.186 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
marine fishes | 8 346 | t | 2019 |
total catch | 8 348.5 | t | 2019 |
Industry
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconut oil | 0.019 | 1000 t | 2018 |
vegetable oils | 0.019 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
manufacturing production | 0.4 | M US$ | 2012 |
Tourism
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures | 7.6 | M US$ | 2013 |
Number of arrivals | 2 700 | units | 2018 |
Social and welfare
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expected years of schooling | 10.8 | years | 2001 |
Gross enrolment ratio, primary - Female | 104.101 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Students, primary level | 1 688 | units | 2019 |
Students, secondary level | 682 | units | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Hospital beds | 5.6 | per 1000 pop. | 2001 |
Physicians | 0.92 | per 1000 pop. | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tuberculosis | 296 | per 100 000 pop. | 2019 |
Tuberculosis (prevalence) | 238 | per 100 000 pop. | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking | 68.9 | % | 2019 |
Access to electricity | 100 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
clothing, footwear | 2$ | % | 2004-05 |
food, non-alcoholic beverages, tobacco | 51$ | % | 2004-05 |