Geography
Size snapshot: 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Niue
OceaniaLand of Contrasts
Niue ranks high and low in ways you wouldn't predict. Can you guess what else is surprising?
Niue ranks high and low in ways you wouldn't predict. It ranks #6 in obesity rate, yet surprisingly lags in life expectancy. Can you guess what else is surprising?
-19.0, -169.9 - Oceania
Area
260 km²
Pop.
1.8K
Stats
29
Reality brief
Niue is a country in Oceania with a population of 1.8K and an area of 260 km².
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
CO2 Per Capita
4.1 t/person/yr#82globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Internet Users (%)
80%#122globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Life Expectancy
70.0 years#171globally
Average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality patterns stayed the same, from Our World in Data.
Obesity Rate
66.46%#6globally
Share of adults with obesity, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Beer Consumption
4.1 L/person/yr#16globally
Liters of beer consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Niue
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Niuean 46% (official, a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, and more.
CIA 2026
Economy
Key industries include handicrafts, food processing.
CIA 2026
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Spirits Consumption
2.2 L/person/yr#44globally
Liters of spirits consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Alcohol Consumption
8.5 L/adult/yr#45globally
Liters of pure alcohol the average adult aged 15+ consumes per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Median Age
36.6 years#87globally
The age that splits the population in half: half are younger, half are older. UN WPP estimate as of 1 July 2023.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #209 in electric generating capacity
#2093.0K kWElectric Generating Capacity
Installed electricity generating capacity in kilowatts from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Only ranks #240 in highest elevation
#2401.4 mHighest Elevation
Highest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #233 in airports
#2331.0Airports
Large, medium, and small airport records by country from the open OurAirports dataset.
Only ranks #201 in irrigated land
#2010 km²Irrigated Land
Irrigated land area from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #214 in land border length
#2140 kmLand Border Length
Total length of land borders with neighboring countries from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Compared with the region
How Niue Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Niue
Oceania avg
World avg
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 80%
- Region avg
- 61.65%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Niue80%
Oceania61.65%
World70.29%
+14% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Niue
Country briefing
Voyagers from Samoa first settled on Niue around A.D.
Read the full Factbook note
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 & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
- Climate
- tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
- Terrain
- steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
- Natural Resources
- arable land, fish
- Natural Hazards
- tropical cyclones
- Size Comparison
- 1.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.
People & Culture4 facts
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Niuean 65.4%, part-Niuean 14%, non-Niuean 20.6% (2017 est.)
- Major Cities
- 1,000 ALOFI (capital) (2018)
Government & History8 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy
- Capital
- Alofi
- Capital Coordinates
- 19 01 S, 169 55 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- 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
- Independence
- 19 October 1974 (Niue became a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand)
- National Symbols
- yellow five-pointed star
- National Anthem
- "God Save the King"
Economy & Trade7 facts
- 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
- Industries
- handicrafts, food processing
- Agricultural Products
- coconuts, taro, fruits, sweet potatoes, tropical fruits, yams, vegetables, lemons/limes, bananas, pork (2023)
- Export Partners
- USA 54%, Germany 8%, Canada 5%, UK 5%, Guatemala 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- abrasive powder, coin (2023)
- Import Partners
- NZ 87%, Fiji 6%, UAE 2%, Slovakia 1%, Australia 1% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, plastic products, machine parts, construction vehicles, cars (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense3 facts
- Military Forces
- no regular indigenous military forces; Niue Police Department
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2023 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)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Lifestyle3 statsBest: #16
Environment2 statsBest: #82
CO2 Per Capita
Irrigated Land
0 km²#201
Demographics3 statsBest: #87
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #109
Merchant Fleet Size
70#109
Airports
Technology1 statsBest: #122
Internet Users (%)
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #152
Lowest Elevation
0 m#152
Coastline Length
64 km#172
Land Border Length
0 km#214
Highest Elevation
1.4 m#240
Energy1 statsBest: #209
Electric Generating Capacity
3.0K kW#209
Keep exploring
Related Countries
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Where Niue leads
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Neighboring Countries
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Niue
#82 in CO2 Per Capita
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Top third globally
4.1 t/person/yr
Frequently Asked Questions about Niue
What is the population of Niue?
Niue has a population of 1.8K, ranking #229 globally by population.
What continent is Niue in?
Niue is located in Oceania. It has an area of 260 km².
What is Niue known for in global statistics?
Niue ranks particularly high in CO2 Per Capita (#82), Internet Users (%) (#122), Life Expectancy (#171).