Broadcast media [time series]

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 (2019)

Internet country code [time series]

.nu

Internet users [time series]

total: 1,286 (2021 est.) percent of population: 79.56% (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems [time series]

general assessment: sole provider service for over 1000 landlines and fixed wireless lines; cellular telephone service operates on AMPS and GSM platforms; difficult geography presents challenges for rural areas; mobile is primary source of Internet access; mobile broadband demand is growing due to mobile services (2020) domestic: single-line (fixed line) telephone system connects all villages (and virtually all households) on island (2018) international: country code - 683; landing point for the Manatua submarine cable linking Niue to several South Pacific Ocean Islands; expansion of satellite services (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 1,000 (2018) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 61.77 (2018)

Agricultural products [time series]

coconuts, taro, fruit, sweet potatoes, tropical fruit, yams, vegetables, lemons, limes, bananas

Budget [time series]

revenues: 15.07 million (FY04/05) expenditures: 16.33 million (FY04/05)

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

-12.6% (of GDP) (FY04/05)

Debt - external [time series]

$418,000 (2002 est.)

Economic overview [time series]

The economy suffers from the typical Pacific island problems of geographic isolation, few resources, and a small population. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories for processing passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. 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. Economic aid allocation from New Zealand in FY13/14 was US$10.1 million. Niue has cut government expenditures by reducing the public service by almost half. 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.

Exchange rates [time series]

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.416 (2017 est.) 1.4279 (2016 est.) 1.4279 (2015) 1.4279 (2014 est.) 1.2039 (2013 est.)

Exports [time series]

$201,400 (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

tanker ships, fruit juice, thermostats, textiles, measurement devices/appliances (2019)

Exports - partners [time series]

Indonesia 92%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$10.01 million (2003) (2003)

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

agriculture: 23.5% (2003) industry: 26.9% (2003) services: 49.5% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

Imports [time series]

$9.038 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

hydraulic engines, ships, refined petroleum, cars, plastics (2019)

Imports - partners [time series]

New Zealand 43%, United Kingdom 30%, Japan 22% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA

Industries [time series]

handicrafts, food processing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4% (2005)

Labor force [time series]

663 (2001)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

note: most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) [time series]

$10.01 million (2003 est.)

Real GDP growth rate [time series]

6.2% (2003 est.)

Real GDP per capita [time series]

$5,800 (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

12% (2001)

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption [time series]

2.79 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

87% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

13% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

2,300 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

3 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

50 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

54 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Air pollutants [time series]

particulate matter emissions: 11.47 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate [time series]

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

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

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 19.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 3.8% (2018 est.) forest: 71.2% (2018 est.) other: 9.7% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea vectorborne diseases: malaria

Total renewable water resources [time series]

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 46.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Area [time series]

total: 260 sq km land: 260 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Coastline [time series]

64 km

Elevation [time series]

highest point: unnamed elevation 1.4 km east of Hikutavake 80 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates [time series]

19 02 S, 169 52 W

Geography - note [time series]

one of world's largest coral islands; the only major break in the surrounding coral reef occurs in the central western part of the coast

Irrigated land [time series]

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 0 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 19.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 3.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 11.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 3.8% (2018 est.) forest: 71.2% (2018 est.) other: 9.7% (2018 est.)

Location [time series]

Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

tropical cyclones

Natural resources [time series]

arable land, fish

Population distribution [time series]

population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

Terrain [time series]

steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

name: Alofi geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution [time series]

history: several previous (New Zealand colonial statutes); latest 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act 1974) amendments: proposed by the Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and approval by at least two-thirds majority votes in a referendum; passage of amendments to a number of sections, including Niue s self-governing status, British nationality and New Zealand citizenship, external affairs and defense, economic and administrative assistance by New Zealand, and amendment procedures, requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and at least two thirds of votes in a referendum; amended 1992, 2007; note - in early 2021, the constitution review committee of the Assembly requested suggestions from the public about changes to the constitution

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Niue former: Savage Island etymology: the origin of the name is obscure; in Niuean, the word supposedly translates as "behold the coconut" note: pronunciation falls between nyu-way and new-way, but not like new-wee

Dependency status [time series]

self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense; however, these responsibilities confer no rights of control and are only exercised at the request of the Government of Niue

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

embassy: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Patricia Lee REDDY (since 28 September 2016); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner Kirk YATES (since May 2018) head of government: Premier Dalton TAGELAGI (since 10 June 2020) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the premier elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; premier indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly for a 3-year term; election last held on 10 June 2020 (next to be held in 2023) election results: Dalton TAGELAGI elected premier; Legislative Assembly vote - Dalton TAGELAGI (independent) 13, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 7; Toke TALAGI lost his seat in election

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

19 October 1974 (Niue became a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, AOSIS, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch [time series]

highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and up to 3 judges); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) is the final appeal court beyond the Niue Court of Appeal judge selection and term of office: Niue chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet and tendered by the premier; other judges appointed by the governor general on the advice of the Cabinet and tendered by the chief justice and the minister of justice; judges serve until age 68 subordinate courts: High Court note: Niue is a participant in the Pacific Judicial Development Program, which is designed to build governance and the rule of law in 15 Pacific island countries

Legal system [time series]

English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

description: unicameral Assembly or Fono Ekepule (20 seats; 14 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 6 directly elected from the National Register or "common roll" by majority vote; members serve 3-year terms) elections: last held on 30 May 2020 (next to be held on 2023) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 20

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

name: "Ko e Iki he Lagi" (The Lord in Heaven) lyrics/music: unknown/unknown, prepared by Sioeli FUSIKATA note: adopted 1974

National holiday [time series]

Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

National symbol(s) [time series]

yellow, five-pointed star; national color: yellow

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

Alliance of Independents or AI Niue People's Action Party or NPP [Young VIVIAN]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

Voyagers from Samoa first settled on Niue around A.D. 900 and a second main group of settlers came from Tonga around 1500. With only one reliable source of fresh water, conflict was high on the island. There was continued contact with both Samoa and Tonga, and customs from those islands heavily influenced Niuean culture, including the formation of an island-wide kingship system in the early 1700s. These kings, or patu-iki, were elected by Niueans. In 1774, British explorer James COOK abandoned attempts to land on the island after several unsuccessful tries, and he named it Savage Island because of the warlike appearance of the Niueans. Missionaries arrived in 1830 but were also largely unsuccessful at staying on the island until 1846, when a Niuean trained as a Samoan missionary returned to the island and provided a space from which the missionaries could work. In addition to converting the population, the missionaries worked to stop the violent conflicts between Niueans and helped establish the first parliament in 1849. In 1889, King FATAAIKI and other chiefs asked the UK for protectorate status, a request that was repeated in 1895. The UK finally agreed in 1900 and King TOGIA-PULU-TOAKI formally ceded Niue that year. In 1901, Niue was annexed to New Zealand and included as part of the Cook Islands. Niue s remoteness and cultural and linguistic differences with the Cook Islands led New Zealand to separate Niue into its own administration in 1904. The island became internally self-governing in 1974; it is an independent member of international organizations, but is in free association with New Zealand, which is responsible for defense and foreign affairs. Economic opportunities in Niue are sparse. The population has trended downwards over recent decades, with substantial emigration to New Zealand. In 2004, a cyclone destroyed much of the southern part of the capital, Alofi, and left about 15% of the population homeless. Many chose not to rebuild and instead moved to New Zealand (2,400 km to the southwest), where approximately 90% of all ethnic Niueans live.

Military - note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Military and security forces [time series]

no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: NA 15-24 years: NA 25-54 years: NA 55-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Birth rate [time series]

NA

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

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

NA

Current health expenditure (Current Health Expenditure) [time series]

8.3% (2018)

Death rate [time series]

NA (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: NA youth dependency ratio: NA elderly dependency ratio: NA potential support ratio: NA

Drinking water source [time series]

improved: total: 98.2% of population unimproved: total: 1.8% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

NA

Ethnic groups [time series]

Niuean 65.4%, part-Niuean 14%, non-Niuean 20.6% (2017 est.) note: data represent the resident population

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

NA

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

NA

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: NA male: NA female: NA (2021 est.)

Languages [time series]

Niuean (official) 46% (a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and others 5%, other 6% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: NA male: NA female: NA (2021 est.)

Major infectious diseases [time series]

degree of risk: high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea vectorborne diseases: malaria

Major urban areas - population [time series]

1,000 ALOFI (capital) (2018)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Niuean(s) adjective: Niuean

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

50% (2016)

Population [time series]

2,000 (July 2021 est.) note: because of the island's limited economic and educational opportunities, Niueans have emigrated for decades - primarily to New Zealand, but also to Australia and other Pacific island states; Niue's population peaked in 1966 at 5,194, but by 2005 had fallen to 1,508; since then it has rebounded slightly; as of 2013, 23,883 people of Niuean ancestry lived in New Zealand - with more than 20% Niue-born; this means that there are about 15 times as many persons of Niuean ancestry living in New Zealand as in Niue, possibly the most eccentric population distribution in the world

Population distribution [time series]

population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.03% (2021 est.)

Religions [time series]

Ekalesia Niue (Congregational Christian Church of Niue - a Protestant church founded by missionaries from the London Missionary Society) 61.7%, Church of Jesus Christ 8.7%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Jehovah's Witness 2.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4%, other 8.2%, none 8.9% (2017 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

improved: total: 96.8% of population unimproved: total: 3.2% of population (2017 est.)

Sex ratio [time series]

NA

Total fertility rate [time series]

NA (2021 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 46.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Airports [time series]

total: 1 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2021)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 69 by type: bulk carrier 3, container ship 2, general cargo 25, oil tanker 7, other 32 (2021)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

major seaport(s): Alofi

Roadways [time series]

total: 234 km (2017) paved: 210 km (2017) unpaved: 24 km