Broadcast media [time series]

no TV stations; many households use satellite dishes to watch foreign TV stations; 1 government-owned radio station, Radio Tuvalu, includes relays of programming from international broadcasters (2009)

Internet country code [time series]

.tv

Internet users [time series]

total: 5,042 | percent of population: 46.0% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 206

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications | domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands | international: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 2,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total: 7,600 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 69 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 217

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

coconuts; fish

Budget [time series]

revenues: $42.68 million | expenditures: $32.46 million (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

30.1% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 1

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

10.6% (31 December 2013 est.) | 10.6% (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Current account balance [time series]

$-12 million (2016 est.) | $2 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Debt - external [time series]

$NA

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. Only eight of the atolls are inhabited. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, with its highest point at 4.6 meters above sea level. The country is isolated, almost entirely dependent on imports, particularly of food and fuel, and vulnerable to climate change and rising sea levels, which pose significant challenges to development. | The public sector dominates economic activity. Tuvalu has few natural resources, except for its fisheries. Earnings from fish exports and fishing licenses for Tuvalu’s territorial waters are a significant source of government revenue. In 2013, revenue from fishing licenses doubled and totaled more than 45% of GDP. | Official aid from foreign development partners has also increased. Tuvalu has substantial assets abroad. The Tuvalu Trust Fund, an international trust fund established in 1987 by development partners, has grown to $104 million (A$141 million) in 2014 and is an important cushion for meeting shortfalls in the government's budget. While remittances are another substantial source of income, the value of remittances has declined since the 2008-09 global financial crisis, but has stabilized at nearly $4 million per year. The financial impact of climate change and the cost of climate related adaptation projects is one of many concerns for the nation.

Exchange rates [time series]

Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars (AUD) per US dollar - | 1.3442 (2013) | 1.67 (2014 est.) | 1.352 (2013 est.) | 0.97 (2012 est.)

Exports [time series]

$600,000 (2010 est.) | $1 million (2004 est.) | country comparison to the world: 221

Exports - commodities [time series]

copra, fish

Exports - partners [time series]

Bosnia and Herzegovina 24.8%, Singapore 18.8%, Nigeria 17.3%, Fiji 14.5%, US 6% (2016)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$37 million (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$40 million (2016 est.) | $38 million (2015 est.) | $34 million (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 226

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 24.5% | industry: 5.6% | services: 70% (2012 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$3,600 (2016 est.) | $3,500 (2015 est.) | $3,200 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 185

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

3% (2016 est.) | 9.1% (2015 est.) | 1.3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 59

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$136.5 million (2013 est.) | $238.6 million (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 212

Imports - commodities [time series]

food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods

Imports - partners [time series]

Singapore 51.3%, NZ 9.4%, Australia 8.6%, US 6.8%, Japan 6.1%, Fiji 5.9% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-26.1% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 201

Industries [time series]

fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.5% (2016 est.) | 3.2% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Labor force [time series]

3,615 (2004 est.) | country comparison to the world: 224

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

note: people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and through overseas remittances (mostly from workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$0 (2014) | country comparison to the world: 123

Population below poverty line [time series]

26.3% (2010 est.)

Public debt [time series]

53.7% of GDP (2016 est.) | 58.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

125.5% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 1

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2014) | country comparison to the world: 201

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2014) | country comparison to the world: 200

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2014) | country comparison to the world: 203

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 207

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

96% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2014) | country comparison to the world: 209

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2014) | country comparison to the world: 196

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2014) | country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

5,100 kW (2011) | country comparison to the world: 212

Electricity - production [time series]

11.8 million kWh (2011) | country comparison to the world: 215

Electricity access [time series]

population without electricity: 6,137 | electrification - total population: 45% | electrification - urban areas: 57% | electrification - rural areas: 32% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 140

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 197

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 198

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 204

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day | country comparison to the world: 206

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 205

Area [time series]

total: 26 sq km | land: 26 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 239

Area - comparative [time series]

0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Coastline [time series]

24 km

Elevation [time series]

mean elevation: 2 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

water needs met by catchment systems; the use of sand as a building material has led to beachhead erosion; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from increasing ocean temperatures and acidification; rising sea levels threaten water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

8 00 S, 178 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 60% | arable land 0%; permanent crops 60%; permanent pasture 0% | forest: 33.3% | other: 6.7% (2011 est.)

Location [time series]

Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way from Hawaii to Australia

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

fish, coconut (copra)

Population distribution (Population - distribution) [time series]

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Terrain [time series]

low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Administrative divisions [time series]

7 island councils and 1 town council*; Funafuti*, Nanumaga, Nanumea, Niutao, Nui, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu

Capital [time series]

name: Funafuti; note - the capital is an atoll of some 29 islets; administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet | geographic coordinates: 8 31 S, 179 13 E | time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship [time series]

citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes; for a child born abroad, at least one parent must be a citizen of Tuvalu | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: na

Constitution [time series]

previous 1978 (at independence); latest effective 1 October 1986; amended 2007, 2010, 2013 (2016)

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Tuvalu | local long form: none | local short form: Tuvalu | former: Ellice Islands | etymology: "tuvalu" means "group of eight" or "eight standing together" referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Samuelu LALONIU (since 21 July 2017) | chancery: note - Tuvalu does not have an embassy in Washington, D.C.; UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, NY 10017 | telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534 | FAX: [1] (212) 937-0692

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Iakoba TAEIA Italeli (since 16 April 2010) | head of government: Prime Minister Enele SOPOAGA (since 5 August 2013) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the prime minister | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from members of House of Assembly following parliamentary elections | election results: Enele SOPOAGA elected prime minister by House of Assembly; House of Assembly vote count on 4 August 2013 - 8 to 5; note - Willie TELAVI removed as prime minister by the governor general on 1 August 2013

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow, five-pointed stars on a blue field symbolizing the nine atolls in the ocean

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence [time series]

1 October 1978 (from the UK)

International law organization participation [time series]

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

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: Appeal Court judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; judges' tenure based on terms of appointment; High Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet; chief justice appointed for life; other judges appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the Cabinet after consultation with chief justice; tenure of judges set by terms of appointment | subordinate courts: magistrates' courts; island courts; land courts

Legal system [time series]

mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law

Legislative branch [time series]

description: unicameral House of Assembly or Fale I Fono (15 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 31 March 2015 (next to be held in 2019) | election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independent 15; 12 members reelected

National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]

name: "Tuvalu mo te Atua" (Tuvalu for the Almighty) | lyrics/music: Afaese MANOA | note: adopted 1978; the anthem's name is also the nation's motto

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

National symbol(s) [time series]

maneapa (native meeting house); national colors: light blue, yellow

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

there are no political parties but members of parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

none

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over a 12-year period. The agreement was subsequently renegotiated but details were not disclosed.

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

no regular military forces; Tuvalu Police Force (2012)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 29.29% (male 1,659/female 1,578) | 15-24 years: 19.26% (male 1,106/female 1,023) | 25-54 years: 36.66% (male 2,036/female 2,016) | 55-64 years: 8.77% (male 396/female 573) | 65 years and over: 6.02% (male 263/female 402) (2017 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

23.7 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

1.6% (2007) | country comparison to the world: 126

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

30.5% (2007)

Death rate [time series]

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

NA

Ethnic groups [time series]

Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

NA

Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]

16.5% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 3

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 29 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 31.5 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 26.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Languages [time series]

Tuvaluan (official), English (official), Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 66.9 years | male: 64.7 years | female: 69.2 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 173

Major urban areas - population [time series]

FUNAFUTI (capital) 6,000 (2014)

Median age [time series]

total: 25.7 years | male: 24.7 years | female: 26.9 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152

Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]

23.5 years | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2007 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Tuvaluan(s) | adjective: Tuvaluan

Net migration rate [time series]

-6.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 203

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

51.6% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 5

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population [time series]

11,052 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 222

Population distribution [time series]

over half of the population resides on the atoll of Funafuti

Population growth rate [time series]

0.85% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Religions [time series]

Protestant 98.4% (Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%), Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Sanitation facility access [time series]

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.95 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 61.5% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 1.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Airports [time series]

1 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 235

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

T2 (2016)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 58 | by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 24, chemical tanker 15, container 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1 | foreign-owned: 33 (China 4, Indonesia 1, Maldives 1, Singapore 19, South Korea 1, Turkey 1, Vietnam 6) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 68

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Funafuti

Roadways [time series]

total: 8 km | paved: 8 km (2011) | country comparison to the world: 223