Niue

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Niue

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Overview

Background: 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. Samoan and Tongan customs heavily influenced Niuean culture, including the formation of an island-wide elected kingship system in the early 1700s. In 1774, British explorer James COOK landed on the island and named it Savage Island because of the Niueans' hostility. 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 and helped establish the first parliament in 1849.
Great Britain established a protectorate over Niue in 1900. The following year, 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. In September 2023, the US recognized Niue as a sovereign and independent state.

Geography

Area

Land: 260 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
Total: 260 sq km

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Land Use

Other: 9% (2023 est.)
Forest: 72.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 18.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 3.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 10.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 3.8% (2023 est.)

Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
Coastline: 64 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: unnamed elevation 1.4 km east of Hikutavake 80 m

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (2022)
Map references: Oceania

Land Boundaries

Total: 0 km

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: tropical cyclones
Geography note: 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
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Area comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates: 19 02 S, 169 52 W
Population distribution: population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 100% (2022 est.)
Female: 100% (2022 est.)
Total population: 99.5% (2022 est.)

Languages: Niuean 46% (official, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and others 5%, other 6% (2011 est.)
Religions: Ekalesia Niue 61.7%, Latter Day Saints 8.7%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, other 8.2%, not stated 5.1%, none 3.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4% (2017 est.)

Population

Male: 877 (2024 est.)
Total: 1,815 (2024 est.)
Female: 938 (2024 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Niuean(s)
Adjective: Niuean

Urbanization

Urban population: 48.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Ethnic groups: Niuean 65.4%, part-Niuean 14%, non-Niuean 20.6% (2017 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 64.6 (2024)
Youth dependency ratio: 38.2 (2024)
Potential support ratio: 3.8 (2024)
Elderly dependency ratio: 26.4 (2024)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 7.8% of GDP (2020)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 6.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: total: total: 97% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 3% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure: 5.6% national budget (2025 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.03% (2021 est.)
Population distribution: population distributed around the peripheral coastal areas of the island

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 71.8 years (2016)
Female: 75.7 years (2016 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: total: total: 97.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 2.6% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 4.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 1.89 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 8.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 2.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Major urban areas population: 1,000 ALOFI (capital) (2018)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 50% (2016)

Government

Flag: description: yellow with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant; the UK flag has five yellow five-pointed stars, with a large star on a blue disk in the center and smaller stars on each arm of the red cross

meaning: the large star represents Niue, and the smaller stars symbolize links with New Zealand; yellow stands for sunshine, as well as the warmth and friendship between Niue and New Zealand

Capital

Name: Alofi
Etymology: a traditional name for an area of the island; became the name for the newly declared capital in the 20th century
Time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Geographic coordinates: 19 01 S, 169 55 W

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Constitution

History: several previous (New Zealand colonial statutes); latest 19 October 1974 (Niue Constitution Act 1974)
Amendment process: 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

Country Name

Note: note: pronunciation falls between nyu-way and new-way, but not like new-wee
Former: Savage Island
Etymology: the origin of the name is obscure; in Niuean, the word translates as "behold the coconut;" the former name, Savage Island, was the result of an acrimonious meeting in 1774 between English explorer Captain James COOK and local people
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Niue

Independence: 19 October 1974 (Niue became a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand)
Legal system: English common law
Government type: parliamentary democracy

Judicial Branch

Note: note: the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) is the final appeal court beyond the Niue Court of Appeal
Highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and up to 3 judges)
Subordinate courts: High Court
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

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General of New Zealand Cindy KIRO (since 21 October 2021); the UK and New Zealand are represented by New Zealand High Commissioner Mark GIBBS (since 5 March 2024)
Election results: Dalton TAGELAGI reelected prime minister; Legislative Assembly vote - Dalton TAGELAGI (independent) 16, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 4
Head of government: Prime Minister Dalton TAGELAGI; also referred to as premier (since 10 June 2020)
Most recent election date: 8 May 2023
Election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly for a 3-year term
Expected date of next election: 2026

National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Dependency status: self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1974; Niue is fully responsible for internal affairs; under the Niue Constitution Act of 1974, New Zealand provides necessary economic and administrative assistance to Niue, as well as assistance with foreign affairs, defense, and security if requested
National color(s): yellow
Political parties: none

Legislative Branch

Term in office: 3 years
Number of seats: 20
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Legislature name: Niue Assembly (Fono Ekepule)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Legislative structure: unicameral
Most recent election date: 29 April 2023
Expected date of next election: April 2026
Percentage of women in chamber: 15%
Parties elected and seats per party: independents (20)

National Anthem(s)

Title: "God Save the King"
History: in use since 1745
Lyrics/music: unknown

National symbol(s): yellow five-pointed star
Administrative divisions: no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 14 villages are considered second-order
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Note: note: on 25 September 2023, the US officially established diplomatic relations with Niue
Embassy: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)

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

Economy

Industries: handicrafts, food processing

Exchange Rates

Currency: New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 1.542 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 1.414 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 1.577 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 1.628 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 1.652 (2024 est.)

Economic overview: upper-middle-income self-governing New Zealand territorial economy; environmentally fragile; massive emigration; post-pandemic tourism rebound; postage stamps, small-scale agricultural processing, and subsistence farming; most recent Asian Development Bank member
Exports partners: USA 54%, Germany 8%, Canada 5%, UK 5%, Guatemala 4% (2023)
Imports partners: NZ 87%, Fiji 6%, UAE 2%, Slovakia 1%, Australia 1% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $11,100 (2021 est.)

Note: note: data are in 2009 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2019: $12,400 (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2020: $11,800 (2020 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2021: $11,100 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products: coconuts, taro, fruits, sweet potatoes, tropical fruits, yams, vegetables, lemons/limes, bananas, pork (2023)
Exports commodities: abrasive powder, coin (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, plastic products, machine parts, construction vehicles, cars (2023)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019: $20.9 million (2019 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020: $19.9 million (2020 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021: $18.7 million (2021 est.)

Energy

Petroleum

Refined petroleum consumption: 61 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 3 million kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 3,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 400,000 kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 80% (2024 est.)

Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV station, with many of the programs supplied by Television New Zealand; 1 state-owned radio station broadcasting in AM and FM (2019)
Internet country code: .nu

Telephones Fixed Lines

Total subscriptions: 1,000 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 52 (2021 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 0
Small: 0
Medium: 0
Key ports: Alofi
Very small: 1
Total ports: 1 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 0

Airports: 1 (2025)

Merchant Marine

Total: 70 (2023)
BY type: bulk carrier 5, container ship 2, general cargo 29, oil tanker 4, other 30

Environment

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds

Land Use

Other: 9% (2023 est.)
Forest: 72.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 18.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 3.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 10.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 3.8% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 48.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 9,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 9,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 6.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

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

Military & Security

Military note: under the Niue Constitution Act of 1974, New Zealand provides assistance with foreign affairs, defense, and security if requested by the Niue government
Military and security forces: no regular indigenous military forces; Niue Police Department

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Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Niue — vintage 2026-Q1: Niue factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/niue

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Sources: CIA World Factbook