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.

Area
Total: 26 km²
Land: 26 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 24 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
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
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 2 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 60% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent crops: 60% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 34.3% (2023 est.)
Other: 5.7% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

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

Population
Total: 11,733 (2024 est.)
Male: 5,816
Female: 5,917
Distribution: over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti
Growth rate: 0.78% (2024 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: 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.)

Median age
Total: 27.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 26.8 years
Female: 28.8 years

Population growth rate: 0.78% (2024 est.)

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

Death rate: 7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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)/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.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 170 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
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

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69 years (2024 est.)
Male: 66.5 years
Female: 71.6 years

Total fertility rate: 2.78 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 3.3% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 6.1% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 4.2% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.9% (2019 est.)

Capital
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

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

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 minister
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
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: 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 2,028

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

National anthem
Title: 'God Save the King'
Lyrics/music: unknown
History: used since 1745

Real gdp growth rate: 3.9% (2023 est.); 0.7% (2022 est.); 1.8% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 3.9% (2023 est.); 0.7% (2022 est.); 1.8% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by sector of origin
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

Industries: fishing

Budget
Revenues: $87 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $88 million (2019 est.)
Note: revenue data include Official Development Assistance from Australia

Exports: $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
Commodities: fish (2023)
Commodities note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

Imports: $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
Commodities: ships, refined petroleum, iron structures, fish, hand tools (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 100%
Access electrification - rural areas: 99.1%

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 9,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2021 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 74% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 0 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2022 est.)

Airports: 1 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 270 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 3, general cargo 29, oil tanker 19, other 198