Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]

total: 2,700 (2018 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2018 est.)

Broadcast media [time series]

1 privately owned TV station broadcasts from Rarotonga providing a mix of local news and overseas-sourced programs (2019)

Internet country code [time series]

.ck

Internet users [time series]

total: 11,382 (2021 est.) percent of population: 64.8% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems [time series]

general assessment: demand for mobile broadband is increasing due to mobile services being the primary and most wide-spread source for Internet access across the region; Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, and fax; individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone (2020) domestic: service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable; nearly 41 per 100 fixed-line and about 100 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021) international: country code - 682; the Manatua submarine cable to surrounding islands of Niue, Samoa, French Polynesia and other Cook Islands, the topography of the South Pacific region has made Internet connectivity a serious issue for many of the remote islands; submarine fiber-optic networks are expensive to build and maintain; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 7,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 41 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total subscriptions: 17,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 100 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products [time series]

coconuts, vegetables, papayas, pork, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, fruits, mangoes/guavas, watermelons, eggs (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget [time series]

revenues: $113.674 million (2022 est.) expenditures: $129.088 million (2022 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Economic overview [time series]

high-income self-governing New Zealand territorial economy; tourism-based activity but diversifying; severely curtailed by COVID-19 pandemic; copra and tropical fruit exporter; Asian Development Bank aid recipient

Exchange rates [time series]

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.628 (2023 est.) 1.577 (2022 est.) 1.414 (2021 est.) 1.542 (2020 est.) 1.518 (2019 est.)

Exports [time series]

$31.4 million (2021 est.) note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities [time series]

fish, ships, surveying equipment, sports equipment, garments (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners [time series]

Japan 42%, France 27%, Thailand 12%, US 4%, Italy 3% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$336 million (2022 est.)

Imports [time series]

$215 million (2021 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

refined petroleum, ships, cars, plastic products, other foods (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners [time series]

NZ 51%, Italy 18%, Fiji 11%, China 7%, Australia 3% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries [time series]

fishing, fruit processing, tourism, clothing, handicrafts

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) [time series]

$266 million (2022 est.) $257 million (2021 est.) $287 million (2020 est.) note: data are in 2015 dollars

Real GDP growth rate [time series]

10.5% (2022 est.) -24.5% (2021 est.) -5.2% (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita [time series]

$15,600 (2022 est.) $15,100 (2021 est.) $16,800 (2020 est.) note: data are in 2015 dollars

Carbon dioxide emissions [time series]

87,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 87,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal [time series]

imports: 1.3 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity [time series]

installed generating capacity: 17,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 37.5 million kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 3.2 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources [time series]

fossil fuels: 60.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 39.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum [time series]

refined petroleum consumption: 600 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Air pollutants [time series]

particulate matter emissions: 7.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate [time series]

tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March

Environment - current issues [time series]

limited land presents solid and liquid waste disposal problems; soil destruction and deforestation; environmental degradation due to indiscriminate use of pesticides; improper disposal of pollutants; overfishing and destructive fishing practices; over dredging of lagoons and coral rubble beds; unregulated building

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

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

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 8.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 4.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 64.6% (2018 est.) other: 27% (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources [time series]

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 76.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Area [time series]

total : 236 sq km land: 236 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March

Coastline [time series]

120 km

Elevation [time series]

highest point: Te Manga 652 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates [time series]

21 14 S, 159 46 W

Geography - note [time series]

the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km

Irrigated land [time series]

NA

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 0 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 8.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 4.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 4.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 64.6% (2018 est.) other: 27% (2018 est.)

Location [time series]

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards [time series]

tropical cyclones (November to March)

Natural resources [time series]

coconuts (copra)

Population distribution [time series]

most of the population is found on the island of Rarotonga

Terrain [time series]

low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

Administrative divisions [time series]

none

Capital [time series]

name: Avarua geographic coordinates: 21 12 S, 159 46 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: translates as "two harbors" in Maori

Constitution [time series]

history: 4 August 1965 (Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964) amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Parliament membership in each of several readings and assent of the chief of state s representative; passage of amendments relating to the chief of state also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2004

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Cook Islands former: Hervey Islands etymology: named after Captain James COOK, the British explorer who visited the islands in 1773 and 1777

Dependency status [time series]

self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense in consultation with the Cook Islands

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

embassy: none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) note: on 25 September 2023, the US officially established diplomatic relations with Cook Islands

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Sir Tom J. MARSTERS (since 9 August 2013); New Zealand High Commissioner Catherine GRAHAM (since 8 September 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Mark BROWN (since 1 October 2020) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; UK representative appointed by the monarch; New Zealand high commissioner appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes prime minister

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag

Government type [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

4 August 1965 (Cook Islands became self-governing state in free association with New Zealand)

International law organization participation [time series]

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration (New Zealand normally retains responsibility for external affairs); accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IMO, IMSO, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch [time series]

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges of the High Court); High Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and land divisions); note - appeals beyond the Cook Islands Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: High Court chief justice appointed by the Queen's Representative on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the Queen's Representative, on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the chief justice, High Court chief justice, and the minister of justice; chief justice and judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms subordinate courts: justices of the peace

Legal system [time series]

common law similar to New Zealand common law

Legislative branch [time series]

description: unicameral Parliament, formerly the Legislative Assembly (24 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 1 August 2022 (next to be held by 2026) election results: percent of vote by party - CIP 44%, Demo 26.9%, Cook Islands United Party 26.9%, OCI 2.7%, other 0.2% independent 7.3%; seats by party - CIP 12, Demo 5, Cook Islands United Party 3, OCI 1, independent 3; composition - men 18, women 6, percentage women 25% note: the House of Ariki, a 24-member parliamentary body of traditional leaders appointed by the King's representative, serves as a consultative body to the Parliament

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

name: "Te Atua Mou E" (To God Almighty) lyrics/music: Tepaeru Te RITO/Thomas DAVIS note: adopted 1982; as prime minister, Sir Thomas DAVIS composed the anthem; his wife, a tribal chief, wrote the lyrics

National holiday [time series]

Constitution Day, the first Monday in August (1965)

National symbol(s) [time series]

a circle of 15, five-pointed, white stars on a blue field, Tiare maori (Gardenia taitensis) flower; national colors: green, white

Political parties [time series]

Cook Islands Party or CIP Cook Islands United Party Democratic Party or Demo One Cook Islands Movement or OCI

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

Polynesians from Tahiti were probably the first people to settle Rarotonga -- the largest of the Cook Islands -- around A.D. 900. Over time, Samoans and Tongans also settled in Rarotonga, and Rarotongans voyaged to the northern Cook Islands, settling Manihiki and Rakahanga. Pukapuka and Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands were settled directly from Samoa. Prior to European contact, there was considerable travel and trade between inhabitants of the different islands and atolls, but they were not united in a single political entity. Spanish navigators were the first Europeans to spot the northern Cook Islands in 1595, followed by the first landing in 1606, but no further European contact occurred until the 1760s. In 1773, British explorer James COOK spotted Manuae in the southern Cook Islands, and Russian mapmakers named the islands after COOK in the 1820s. Fearing France would militarily occupy the islands as it did in Tahiti, Rarotongans asked the UK for protectorate status in the 1840s and 1860s, a request the UK ignored. In 1888, Queen MAKEA TAKAU of Rarotonga formally petitioned for protectorate status, to which the UK reluctantly agreed. In 1901, the UK placed Rarotonga and the rest of the islands in the New Zealand Colony, and in 1915, the Cook Islands Act organized the islands into one political entity. It remained a protectorate until 1965, when New Zealand granted the Cook Islands self-governing status. The Cook Islands has a great deal of local autonomy and is an independent member of international organizations, but it is in free association with New Zealand, which is responsible for its defense and foreign affairs. In September 2023, the US recognized the Cook Islands as a sovereign and independent state.

Military - note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request the Cook Islands have a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within its designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2024)

Military and security forces [time series]

no regular military forces; Cook Islands Police Service

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 18.2% (male 738/female 671) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 2,634/female 2,479) 65 years and over: 16% (2024 est.) (male 608/female 631)

Alcohol consumption per capita [time series]

total: 12.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 3.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 2.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 7.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

12.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

NA

Current health expenditure [time series]

3.2% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49) [time series]

42.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 53.8 youth dependency ratio: 36.4 elderly dependency ratio: 17.4 potential support ratio: 5.8 (2021)

Drinking water source [time series]

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

4.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Cook Island Maori 77.4%, part Cook Island Maori 8.3%, Fijian 3.6%, New Zealand Maori/European 3.4%, Filipino 2.9%, other Pacific Islands 1.8%, other 2.6% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate [time series]

0.99 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

English (official) 86.4%, Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan) (official) 76.2%, other 8.3% (2011 est.) note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 77.6 years (2024 est.) male: 74.8 years female: 80.6 years

Literacy [time series]

total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Median age [time series]

total: 41.1 years (2024 est.) male: 40.7 years female: 41.4 years

Nationality [time series]

noun: Cook Islander(s) adjective: Cook Islander

Net migration rate [time series]

-25.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]

55.9% (2016)

Physician density [time series]

1.41 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population [time series]

total: 7,761 male: 3,980 female: 3,781 (2024 est.)

Population distribution [time series]

most of the population is found on the island of Rarotonga

Population growth rate [time series]

-2.24% (2024 est.)

Religions [time series]

Protestant 55% (Cook Islands Christian Church 43.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.3%, Assemblies of God 3.6%), Roman Catholic 16.7%, Church of Jesus Christ 3.9%, Jehovah's Witness 2.2%, Apostolic Church 2.1%, other 4.5%, none/unspecified 15.6% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access [time series]

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 99.1% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0.9% of population (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 14 years (2012)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use [time series]

total: 24% (2020 est.) male: 27.7% (2020 est.) female: 20.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.02 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 76.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Airports [time series]

10 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]

E5

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 190 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 19, general cargo 44, oil tanker 58, other 69

National air transport system [time series]

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6

Ports [time series]

total ports: 1 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Avatiu

Roadways [time series]

total: 295 km paved: 207 km unpaved: 88 km (2018)