Map of Niue | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: Niue's remoteness as well as cultural and linguistic differences between its Polynesian inhabitants and those of the rest of the Cook Islands have caused it to be separately administered. The population of the island continues to drop (from a peak of 5,200 in 1966 to an estimated 1311 in 2011) with substantial emigration to New Zealand 2,400 km to the southwest.


top of page


Location: Oceania island in the South Pacific Ocean east of Tonga

Geographic coordinates: 19 02 S 169 52 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 213
Comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 64 km

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast central plateau

Elevation

Natural resources: fish arable land

Land use

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons

Geography
Note: one of world's largest coral islands


top of page


Population: 1269 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 236
Growth rate: -0.032% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 195
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Niuen 78.2% Pacific islander 10.2% European 4.5% mixed 3.9% Asian 0.2% unspecified 3% (2001 census)

Languages: English (official) Niuean (a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan)

Religions: Ekalesia Niue (Niuean Church - a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society) 61.1% Latter-Day Saints 8.8% Roman Catholic 7.2% Jehovah's Witnesses 2.4% Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4% other 8.4% unspecified 8.7% none 1.9% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: -0.032% (2012 est.)
Rank: 195

Birth rate: -9 births/1000 population NA
Rank: 225

Death rate: -9 deaths/1000 population NA
Rank: 227

Net migration rate: NA

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: increasing attention to conservationist practices to counter loss of soil fertility from traditional slash and burn agriculture

Air pollutants

Sex ratio: NA

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 4 physicians/1000 population (2006)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name

Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy

Capital

Administrative divisions: none; note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government but there are 14 villages at the second order

Dependent areas

Independence: 19 October 1974 (Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand)

National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand) 6 February (1840)

Constitution: 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act)

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; six elected from a common roll and 14 are village representatives)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of New Zealand; High Court of Niue

Political parties and leaders: Alliance of Independents or AI; Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS FAO IFAD OPCW PIF Sparteca SPC UNESCO UPU WHO WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
From the us: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Flag description: yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars - a large star on a blue disk in the center and a smaller star on each arm of the bold red cross; the larger star stands for Niue the smaller stars recall the Southern Cross constellation on the New Zealand flag and symbolize links with that country; yellow represents the bright sunshine of Niue and the warmth and friendship between Niue and New Zealand

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation few resources and a small population. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues and the shortfall is made up by critically needed grants from New Zealand that are used to pay wages to public employees. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit lime oil honey and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of emigration to New Zealand. Efforts to increase GDP include the promotion of tourism and financial services although the International Banking Repeal Act of 2002 resulted in the termination of all offshore banking licenses. Economic aid from New Zealand in FY08/09 was US$5.7 million. Niue suffered a devastating typhoon in January 2004 which decimated nascent economic programs. While in the process of rebuilding Niue has been dependent on foreign aid.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $10.01 million (2003 est.)
Rank: 228

Real gdp growth rate: 6.2% (2003 est.)
Rank: 37

Real gdp per capita: $5,800 (2003 est.)
Rank: 147

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coconuts passion fruit honey limes taro yams cassava (tapioca) sweet potatoes; pigs poultry beef cattle

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 663 (2001)
Rank: 230

Unemployment rate: 12% (2001)
Rank: 127

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -12.6% of GDP (FY04/05)
Surplus or deficit rank: 209

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4% (2005)
Rank: 117

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $201,400 (2004)
Rank: 220
Commodities: canned coconut cream copra honey vanilla passion fruit products pawpaws root crops limes footballs stamps handicrafts

Imports: $9.038 million (2004)
Rank: 222
Commodities: food live animals manufactured goods machinery fuels lubricants chemicals drugs

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $418,000 (2002 est.)
Rank: 201

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 3 million kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 216
Consumption: 2.79 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 216
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 108
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 113
Installed generating capacity: 1000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 209
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 28
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 148
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 187
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 165

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 172
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 160
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 104
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 171

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 182
Products consumption: NA bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 206
Products imports: 22.57 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 208

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 172
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 178
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 123
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 105
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 175

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 6,220 Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 210

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 1 government-owned TV station with many of the programs supplied by Television New Zealand; 1 government-owned radio station broadcasting in AM and FM (2009)

Internet
Country code: .nu
Hosts: 79,508 (2012)
Hosts rank: 83
Users: 1100 (2009)
Users rank: 214

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2012)
Rank: 213

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 213

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Alofi


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs