CapitalAlofi
Population1,815
Area260 km²
GDP per capita$11,100
LanguagesNiuean , Niuean and English, English, Niuean and other languages, other languages
CurrencyNew Zealand dollars
Governmentparliamentary democracy
Introduction
Background
Settlers hailing from Samoa first arrived on Niue around A.D. 900, followed by a significant influx from Tonga approximately in 1500. The island, possessing only a single dependable source of fresh water, experienced considerable conflict among its inhabitants. The cultural practices of both Samoans and Tongans had a substantial impact on Niuean society, notably leading to the establishment of an elected kingship system across the island in the early 1700s. In 1774, British explorer James COOK made landfall on the island, dubbing it Savage Island due to the perceived hostility of the Niueans. Although missionaries reached the island in 1830, they struggled to maintain a presence until 1846, when a Niuean trained as a Samoan missionary returned and created a base for their operations. Their efforts not only aimed at converting the local populace but also sought to mitigate violent conflicts and played a crucial role in the formation of the first parliament in 1849.
In 1900, Great Britain established a protectorate over Niue. The subsequent year, Niue was annexed by New Zealand and incorporated into the Cook Islands. Due to Niue's isolation and its distinct cultural and linguistic characteristics differing from those of the Cook Islands, New Zealand opted to create a separate administrative structure for Niue in 1904. The island achieved internal self-governance in 1974; while it is a member of international organizations as an independent entity, it maintains a free association with New Zealand, which oversees defense and foreign affairs. In September 2023, the United States acknowledged Niue as a sovereign and independent nation.
Geography
Area
land
260 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
260 sq km
Climate
tropical; influenced by southeast trade winds
Terrain
rugged limestone cliffs bordering the coastline, 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, an island situated in the South Pacific Ocean, to the 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 storms
Geography - note
among the largest coral islands globally; the sole significant gap in the encircling coral reef is located in the central western section of the coastline
Natural resources
cultivable land, seafood
Area - comparative
1.5 times larger than Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
19 02 S, 169 52 W
Population distribution
inhabitants concentrated in the coastal regions surrounding the island
People & Society
Literacy
male
100% (2022 est.)
female
100% (2022 est.)
total population
99.5% (2022 est.)
Languages
Niuean 46% (official language, a Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and other languages 5%, other languages 6% (2011 estimate)
Religions
Ekalesia Niue 61.7%, Latter Day Saints 8.7%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, other denominations 8.2%, not specified 5.1%, none 3.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.4% (2017 estimate)
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 estimate)
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 primarily located around the coastal periphery 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)
Environment
Climate
tropical; influenced 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
growing focus on conservation strategies to mitigate soil fertility decline resulting from conventional slash-and-burn farming
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
Government
Flag
description: the flag is yellow with the United Kingdom's emblem positioned in the upper-left corner; the UK flag features five yellow five-pointed stars, including a prominent star on a blue circle at its center and smaller stars placed on each arm of the red cross
meaning: the prominent star signifies Niue, while the smaller stars represent the connections with New Zealand; yellow symbolizes sunshine, in addition to the warmth and camaraderie between Niue and New Zealand
Capital
name
Alofi
etymology
a historical designation for a region of the island; adopted as the name for the newly established 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
multiple prior statutes from New Zealand’s colonial era; most recent is the Niue Constitution Act 1974, enacted on 19 October 1974
amendment process
initiated by the Assembly; to pass, it requires a two-thirds majority vote of Assembly members across three readings and ratification by at least two-thirds of votes in a referendum; amendments pertaining to several sections, including Niue's self-governing status, British nationality and New Zealand citizenship, external affairs and defense, economic and administrative support from New Zealand, and procedures for amendments, must secure a two-thirds majority vote from the Assembly and at least two-thirds approval in a referendum
Country name
former
Savage Island
etymology
the etymology of the name remains unclear; in Niuean, it translates to "behold the coconut;" the previous name, Savage Island, was derived from a contentious encounter in 1774 involving English explorer Captain James COOK and local inhabitants
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
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
the chief justice of Niue is appointed by the governor-general based on the Cabinet's recommendation and presented by the premier; additional judges are appointed by the governor-general following the Cabinet's advice and proposed by the chief justice and the minister of justice; judges remain in position until they reach the age of 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 the New Zealand High Commissioner Mark GIBBS (since 5 March 2024)
election results
Dalton TAGELAGI was reelected as prime minister; results from the Legislative Assembly vote - Dalton TAGELAGI (independent) 16, O'Love JACOBSEN (independent) 4
head of government
Dalton TAGELAGI serves as Prime Minister; also known as premier (since 10 June 2020)
most recent election date
8 May 2023
election/appointment process
the monarchy operates on a hereditary basis; the prime minister is indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of three years
expected date of next election
2026
National holiday
Waitangi Day (the Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)
Dependency status
since 1974, Niue has been self-governing in free association with New Zealand; it holds complete responsibility for its internal affairs; according to the Niue Constitution Act of 1974, New Zealand offers necessary economic and administrative support to Niue, along with assistance in foreign affairs, defense, and security upon request
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
there are no first-order administrative divisions as recognized by the US government, but there are 14 villages identified as second-order divisions
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
International organization participation
ACP, AOSIS, FAO, IFAD, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Economy
Industries
crafts, food production
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
self-governing New Zealand economy classified as upper-middle-income; environmentally vulnerable; significant emigration; resurgence in tourism post-pandemic; includes postage stamps, small-scale agricultural processing, and subsistence farming; most recent member of the Asian Development Bank
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
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 components, construction vehicles, automobiles (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
One state-operated television station, which receives a majority of its programming from Television New Zealand; one state-operated radio station transmitting on both AM and FM (2019)
Internet country code
.nu
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions
1,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
52 (2021 est.)
Transportation
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
5 bulk carriers, 2 container ships, 29 general cargo vessels, 4 oil tankers, 30 others
Military & Security
Military - note
According to the Niue Constitution Act of 1974, New Zealand offers support in matters of foreign relations, defense, and security when solicited by the government of Niue.
Military and security forces
lacks a standing indigenous military; has a Niue Police Department.
