Urban population growth (annual %) in Tuvalu
Tuvalu: Urban population growth (annual %) was -0.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Tuvalu, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population growth in Tuvalu is -0.5%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.1% on the previous year and down 158.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Tuvalu peaked at 21.3% in 1976 and was at its lowest, -0.9%, in 2021.
Tuvalu ranks 208th of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth (annual %) in Tuvalu, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.6% | — |
| 1962 | 1.6% | -1.6% |
| 1963 | 1.7% | +7.3% |
| 1964 | 1.5% | -9.8% |
| 1965 | 1.9% | +25.1% |
| 1966 | 2.5% | +32.8% |
| 1967 | 2.1% | -17.7% |
| 1968 | 1.6% | -20.2% |
| 1969 | 1.2% | -24.2% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 0.9% | -30.7% |
| 1972 | 0.6% | -29.1% |
| 1973 | 0.6% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 5.9% | +887.1% |
| 1975 | 17.8% | +200.9% |
| 1976 | 21.3% | +19.7% |
| 1977 | 20.0% | -6.1% |
| 1978 | 16.0% | -19.9% |
| 1979 | 10.3% | -35.9% |
| 1980 | 6.3% | -38.6% |
| 1981 | 5.1% | -18.8% |
| 1982 | 4.3% | -16.0% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | -10.5% |
| 1984 | 3.8% | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 4.4% | +17.8% |
| 1986 | 5.0% | +13.8% |
| 1987 | 5.0% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 4.8% | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 4.6% | -4.6% |
| 1990 | 4.2% | -8.8% |
| 1991 | 3.7% | -11.9% |
| 1992 | 3.0% | -18.0% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | -17.5% |
| 1994 | 2.2% | -10.6% |
| 1995 | 2.0% | -10.0% |
| 1996 | 1.8% | -11.7% |
| 1997 | 1.7% | -4.5% |
| 1998 | 1.6% | -5.9% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +5.7% |
| 2001 | 1.7% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | +31.0% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | +32.8% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 3.4% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 3.5% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 3.6% | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | -11.9% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -35.5% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | -47.0% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | -14.9% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | -24.2% |
| 2017 | 0.2% | -64.4% |
| 2018 | -0.1% | -133.3% |
| 2019 | -0.5% | +521.7% |
| 2020 | -0.6% | +33.0% |
| 2021 | -0.9% | +40.1% |
| 2022 | -0.9% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | -0.7% | -22.6% |
| 2024 | -0.6% | -6.4% |
| 2025 | -0.5% | -22.1% |
Tuvalu compared with similar countries
- Tuvalu's -0.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%. (59 countries reporting)
- Tuvalu's -0.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.9%. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in Tuvalu changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | +887.1% | 0.6% | 5.9% |
| 2019 | -521.7% | -0.1% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | +200.9% | 5.9% | 17.8% |
| 2018 | -133.3% | 0.2% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.7% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 9.5% | 0.6% | 21.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.7% | 3.8% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.6% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 1.7% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | -0.5% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.7% | -0.9% | -0.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tuvalu
- 205 Estonia -0.4% compare
- 206 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -0.4% compare
- 207 Puerto Rico -0.5% compare
- 209 United States Virgin Islands -0.5% compare
- 210 Albania -0.6% compare
- 211 Kuwait -0.7% compare
More climate change data for Tuvalu
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 1,224 kg (2023)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 14.94 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2.52 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 12.42 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.0095 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.4437 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 0 kt (2023)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0 kt (2023)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0 kt (2023)
- Synthetic Fertilizers — Emissions (CO2eq) 0 kt (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Tuvalu?
- Urban population growth in Tuvalu was -0.5% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Tuvalu?
- The highest recorded value was 21.3% in 1976.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Tuvalu?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.9% in 2021.
- How does Tuvalu rank for urban population growth?
- Tuvalu ranks 208th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Tuvalu?
- Over the last ten years it is down 158.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tuvalu data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.