Tokelau

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy

time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note : there is no designated, official capital for Tokelau; the location of the capital rotates among the three atolls along with the head of government or Ulu o Tokelau

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Cindy KIRO (since 21 September 2021); New Zealand is represented by Administrator Don HIGGINS (since June 2022) head of government: (Ulu o Tokelau) Esera Fofō Filipo Tuisano TUISANO (since 17 March 2025) cabinet: Council for the Ongoing Government of Tokelau (or Tokelau Council) functions as a cabinet; consists of 3 village leaders (Faipule) and 3 village mayors (Pulenuku) election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; administrator appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; head of government chosen from the Council of Faipule to serve a 1-year term note: the meeting place of the Tokelau Council and the head of government position rotates annually among the three atolls; this tradition has given rise to the somewhat misleading description that the capital rotates yearly between the three atolls, but Tokelau has no capital

legislature name: General Fono (Fono Fakamua) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 20 electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 3 years most recent election date: 26 January 2023 parties elected and seats per party: independents (20) percentage of women in chamber: 15% expected date of next election: January 2026

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (in New Zealand) (consists of the court president and 8 judges sitting in 3- or 5-judge panels, depending on the case) judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the Judicial Selection Committee and approved by three-quarters majority of the Parliament; judges serve for life subordinate courts: High Court (in New Zealand); Council of Elders or Taupulega

history: many previous; latest effective 1 January 1949 (Tokelau Act 1948 of New Zealand) amendment process: proposed as a resolution by the General Fono; passage requires support by each village and approval by the General Fono note: Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory and has been administered by New Zealand since 1926; Tokelau is considered "part of New Zealand under the Tokelau Act 1948, and Tokelauans are New Zealand citizens; in the mid-2000s Tokelau held two referenda on becoming self-governing in free association with New Zealand; the first vote was held in February 2006 but narrowly missed the two-thirds majority required for a change of status, as did a second vote held in 2007; since the self-government referenda, Tokelau has put questions about its constitutional status on hold; it remains a territory of New Zealand but exercises a substantial degree of self-government

PIF (associate member), SPC, UNESCO (associate), UPU

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

$7,711,583 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars.

$6,004 (2017 est.) $4,855 (2016 est.) $4,292 (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars

4% (2020 est.) 2.5% (2019 est.) 11% (2017 est.) note: Tokelau notes that its wide inflation swings are due almost entirely to cigarette prices, a chief import.

revenues: $24,324,473 (2017 est.) expenditures: $11,666,542 (2017 est.)

small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

coconuts, root vegetables, tropical fruits, pork, bananas, eggs, chicken (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 2,453 (2024 est.) male: 1,201 (2024 est.) female: 1,252 (2024 est.)

-0.01% (2019 est.)

-3.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

urban population: 0% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Tokelauan 64.5%, part Tokelauan/Samoan 9.7%, part Tokelauan/Tuvaluan 2.8%, Tuvaluan 7.5%, Samoan 5.8%, other Pacific Islander 3.4%, other 5.6%, unspecified 0.8% (2016 est.)

Tokelauan 88.1% (a Polynesian language), English 48.6%, Samoan 26.7%, Tuvaluan 11.2%, Kiribati 1.5%, other 2.8%, none 2.8%, unspecified 0.8% (2016 ests.) note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Congregational Christian Church 50.4%, Roman Catholic 38.7%, Presbyterian 5.9%, other Christian 4.2%, unspecified 0.8% (2016 est.)

total population: 100% (2022 est.) male: 100% (2022 est.) female: 100% (2022 est.)

fish

percent of population: 58.3% (2021 est.)