Tuvalu ranked 196/197 by economy size with a GDP of $62.3M and 109/197 by GDP per capita at $6,345. Tuvalu has $2.84M in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 3.26%.
In 2025, Tuvalu made up 0.00006% of the world's economy, compared to 0.00009% in 1970.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1970 | $2,585,956 | $13,790,395 | - |
| 1971 | $2,716,990 | $13,571,996 | 5.07% |
| 1972 | $2,968,458 | $13,307,342 | 9.26% |
| 1973 | $3,411,915 | $13,050,444 | 14.9% |
| 1974 | $4,122,329 | $12,831,444 | 20.8% |
| 1975 | $4,014,748 | $12,638,139 | -2.61% |
| 1976 | $3,919,072 | $12,531,334 | -2.38% |
| 1977 | $3,669,420 | $12,062,474 | -6.37% |
| 1978 | $3,798,782 | $11,841,429 | 3.53% |
| 1979 | $4,065,659 | $11,794,442 | 7.03% |
| 1980 | $4,206,128 | $11,719,017 | 3.46% |
| 1981 | $4,773,018 | $12,023,746 | 13.5% |
| 1982 | $4,118,945 | $10,098,853 | -13.7% |
| 1983 | $4,152,550 | $11,005,084 | 0.82% |
| 1984 | $4,481,978 | $11,826,173 | 7.93% |
| 1985 | $3,862,852 | $11,609,151 | -13.8% |
| 1986 | $4,574,706 | $14,231,135 | 18.4% |
| 1987 | $5,020,513 | $15,975,432 | 9.75% |
| 1988 | $7,011,059 | $19,059,808 | 39.6% |
| 1989 | $8,454,523 | $18,688,561 | 20.6% |
| 1990 | $9,542,901 | $21,562,114 | 12.9% |
| 1991 | $10,127,314 | $22,340,331 | 6.12% |
| 1992 | $10,535,028 | $22,963,355 | 4.03% |
| 1993 | $10,414,400 | $23,907,338 | -1.15% |
| 1994 | $11,772,611 | $26,365,820 | 13% |
| 1995 | $11,922,614 | $25,046,355 | 1.27% |
| 1996 | $13,338,597 | $23,553,249 | 11.9% |
| 1997 | $13,734,210 | $25,909,352 | 2.97% |
| 1998 | $13,795,146 | $29,925,604 | 0.44% |
| 1999 | $14,800,503 | $29,457,606 | 7.29% |
| 2000 | $15,073,976 | $29,171,723 | 1.85% |
| 2001 | $13,964,732 | $29,171,723 | -7.36% |
| 2002 | $16,842,673 | $31,949,982 | 20.6% |
| 2003 | $19,456,338 | $30,560,853 | 15.5% |
| 2004 | $22,798,275 | $29,866,288 | 17.2% |
| 2005 | $22,909,980 | $28,477,158 | 0.49% |
| 2006 | $24,096,875 | $29,171,723 | 5.18% |
| 2007 | $28,450,169 | $31,255,417 | 18.1% |
| 2008 | $31,874,435 | $33,339,112 | 12% |
| 2009 | $28,076,984 | $31,255,417 | -11.9% |
| 2010 | $32,105,408 | $30,560,853 | 14.3% |
| 2011 | $39,196,957 | $32,644,547 | 22.1% |
| 2012 | $39,345,579 | $31,949,982 | 0.38% |
| 2013 | $38,615,891 | $33,339,112 | -1.85% |
| 2014 | $38,760,983 | $33,339,112 | 0.38% |
| 2015 | $36,811,936 | $36,811,936 | -5.03% |
| 2016 | $41,629,064 | $38,895,631 | 13.1% |
| 2017 | $45,276,595 | $39,847,948 | 8.76% |
| 2018 | $48,015,260 | $40,400,753 | 6.05% |
| 2019 | $54,123,199 | $45,984,984 | 12.7% |
| 2020 | $51,746,594 | $44,019,158 | -4.39% |
| 2021 | $60,196,406 | $44,813,323 | 16.3% |
| 2022 | $59,065,982 | $45,116,848 | -1.88% |
| 2023 | $62,280,312 | $46,855,114 | 5.44% |
Economic Statistics of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$62.3M
2023 |
196/197 |
| GDP growth |
5.44%
2022-2023 |
104/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$6,345
2023 |
109/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$6,151
2023 |
152/197 |
| Government debt |
$2.84M
2023 |
185/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
3.26%
2025 |
184/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$289.4
2023 |
179/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$4,174
2025 |
124/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
30.8%
2010 |
52/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.7%
2010 |
98/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
101.4%
2025 |
3/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
2%
2024-2025 |
143/195 |
| Unemployment rate |
7.32%
2022 |
61/196 |
| Population |
9493
|
196/197 |
Tuvalu's GDP per capita
Tuvalu has a GDP per capita of $6,345, ranking 109/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $6,151, ranking 152/197, and a median annual after tax income of $4,174, ranking 124/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1970 | $457 | - |
| 1971 | $478 | - |
| 1972 | $522 | - |
| 1973 | $601 | - |
| 1974 | $708 | - |
| 1975 | $656 | - |
| 1976 | $612 | - |
| 1977 | $549 | - |
| 1978 | $546 | - |
| 1979 | $566 | - |
| 1980 | $571 | - |
| 1981 | $634 | - |
| 1982 | $537 | - |
| 1983 | $533 | - |
| 1984 | $567 | - |
| 1985 | $480 | - |
| 1986 | $557 | - |
| 1987 | $600 | - |
| 1988 | $823 | - |
| 1989 | $976 | - |
| 1990 | $1,085 | $1,676 |
| 1991 | $1,134 | $1,769 |
| 1992 | $1,166 | $1,837 |
| 1993 | $1,141 | $1,939 |
| 1994 | $1,279 | $2,165 |
| 1995 | $1,285 | $2,083 |
| 1996 | $1,428 | $1,982 |
| 1997 | $1,461 | $2,204 |
| 1998 | $1,460 | $2,560 |
| 1999 | $1,559 | $2,543 |
| 2000 | $1,579 | $2,597 |
| 2001 | $1,457 | $2,596 |
| 2002 | $1,750 | $2,915 |
| 2003 | $2,007 | $2,770 |
| 2004 | $2,323 | $2,765 |
| 2005 | $2,305 | $2,728 |
| 2006 | $2,396 | $2,787 |
| 2007 | $2,794 | $3,034 |
| 2008 | $3,088 | $3,291 |
| 2009 | $2,684 | $3,082 |
| 2010 | $3,025 | $2,945 |
| 2011 | $3,636 | $3,176 |
| 2012 | $3,598 | $3,170 |
| 2013 | $3,510 | $3,277 |
| 2014 | $3,529 | $3,419 |
| 2015 | $3,358 | $3,776 |
| 2016 | $3,809 | $4,031 |
| 2017 | $4,166 | $4,227 |
| 2018 | $4,466 | $4,432 |
| 2019 | $5,115 | $5,210 |
| 2020 | $4,976 | $5,122 |
| 2021 | $5,905 | $5,353 |
| 2022 | $5,911 | $5,661 |
| 2023 | $6,345 | $6,151 |
Tuvalu's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Tuvalu's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 22 years, Tuvalu recorded a fiscal deficit in 13 years — average annual deficit equal to -1.43% of GDP. In 2023, government spending reached $69.9M (101.4% of GDP), with a deficit of -1.87%.
The national debt reached $2.84M, ranking 185th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 3.26%, ranking 184th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 2004 | 73.9% | - | -3.59% |
| 2005 | 82% | 37.3% | -12.8% |
| 2006 | 98.4% | 37.5% | -36.8% |
| 2007 | 88.5% | 32.4% | -18.6% |
| 2008 | 85.7% | 19.7% | -17.2% |
| 2009 | 99.8% | 20.5% | -13.5% |
| 2010 | 93.9% | 21% | -23.3% |
| 2011 | 77.1% | 19.1% | -8.79% |
| 2012 | 76.8% | 19.3% | 9.57% |
| 2013 | 80.2% | 17.8% | 26% |
| 2014 | 96.7% | 16.4% | 3.26% |
| 2015 | 116.8% | 14.4% | 14.7% |
| 2016 | 119.5% | 11.5% | 27.4% |
| 2017 | 106.5% | 12.1% | 2.1% |
| 2018 | 125.6% | 11.8% | 30.3% |
| 2019 | 112.8% | 11.5% | -1.06% |
| 2020 | 120% | 12.1% | 13.7% |
| 2021 | 113.7% | 11.3% | -13.5% |
| 2022 | 102.1% | 5.75% | -12.9% |
| 2023 | 112.2% | 4.56% | 12.4% |
| 2024 | 102.7% | 3.87% | -7.06% |
| 2025 | 101.4% | 3.26% | -1.87% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Tuvalu has had an average annual inflation rate of 3.35%. In 2025, inflation was 2%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1.5% |
| 2002 | 5.1% |
| 2003 | 2.9% |
| 2004 | 2.4% |
| 2005 | 3.2% |
| 2006 | 4.2% |
| 2007 | 2.3% |
| 2008 | 10.4% |
| 2009 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 0.5% |
| 2012 | 1.4% |
| 2013 | 2% |
| 2014 | 1.1% |
| 2015 | 3.1% |
| 2016 | 3.5% |
| 2017 | 4.1% |
| 2018 | 2.2% |
| 2019 | 3.5% |
| 2020 | 1.6% |
| 2021 | 6.7% |
| 2022 | 12.2% |
| 2023 | 7.2% |
| 2024 | 1.2% |
| 2025 | 2% |
Balance of trade
|
Tuvalu
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$2.71M
2022 |
73/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+4.59%
2022 |
35/189 |
| Goods imports |
$24.2M
2022 |
188/188 |
| Goods exports |
$184K
2022 |
188/188 |
| Service imports |
$33.1M
2022 |
187/188 |
| Service exports |
$2.05M
2022 |
188/188 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
8.22%
2025 |
185/193 |
Tuvalu's top 10 trading partners
Tuvalu's biggest trading partner accounting for 34.6%% of all exports and imports is Australia, with a trade balance between the two of -$3.81M — Tuvalu exports $31K worth of goods and services to Australia and imports $3.84M.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Tuvalu.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Australia
|
$3.87M | 34.6% | $31K | $3.84M | Machinery & equipment | Raw materials & minerals |
| 2 |
Fiji
|
$3.33M | 29.7% | $81K | $3.25M | Machinery & equipment | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 3 |
New Zealand
|
$1.55M | 13.8% | $16K | $1.53M | Machinery & equipment | Wood & paper products |
| 4 |
Japan
|
$1.13M | 10.1% | $8K | $1.12M | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 5 |
China
|
$523K | 4.67% | $0 | $523K | Animal & marine products | Textiles & consumer goods |
| 6 |
Singapore
|
$151K | 1.35% | $0 | $151K | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 7 |
Nauru
|
$119K | 1.06% | $0 | $119K | Animal & marine products | Miscellaneous |
| 8 |
South Korea
|
$110K | 0.98% | $0 | $110K | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 9 |
Thailand
|
$81K | 0.72% | $0 | $81K | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 10 |
United States
|
$66K | 0.59% | $2K | $64K | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
Tuvalu's top 10 exports
|
Tuvalu
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Transport & tourism services | $1.49M | 187/188 |
| Business & finance services | $398K | 187/188 |
| IT & IP services | $142K | 181/183 |
| Machinery & equipment | $102K | 188/193 |
| Government & miscellaneous services | $17K | 179/180 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $13K | 189/193 |
| Metals | $10K | 190/192 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $8K | 188/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $1K | 191/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $1K | 192/193 |
Tuvalu's top 10 imports
|
Tuvalu
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Transport & tourism services | $17.7M | 188/188 |
| Manufacturing & construction services | $6.41M | 141/163 |
| Government & miscellaneous services | $4.44M | 154/180 |
| Business & finance services | $3.23M | 186/188 |
| Machinery & equipment | $2.45M | 193/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $1.76M | 193/193 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $1.66M | 193/193 |
| IT & IP services | $1.35M | 181/182 |
| Wood & paper products | $1.11M | 193/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $911K | 192/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Tuvalu
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 60 | 97/197 |
More economic indicators
|
Tuvalu
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Industry, % of GDP |
7.02%
2015 |
192/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
15.9%
2015 |
50/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$86M
2023 |
194/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$8,320
2023 |
132/191 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
$0
2022 |
42/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$258K
2024 |
171/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
-$915K
2021 |
164/187 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
26.3%
2020 |
69/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Tuvalu topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.