Government and power in Tuvalu
Who leads Tuvalu, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Who leads Tuvalu?
- Head of state: King Charles III (King)
- Representative of the head of state: Temukisa Auina Penehuro Hauma (Governor-General of Tuvalu)
- Head of government: Feleti Penitala Teo (Prime Minister of Tuvalu)
- Foreign minister: Paulson Panapa (Minister for Foreign Affairs, Labour, and Trade of Tuvalu)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does Tuvalu score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 80.8 out of 100 in 2025, 20th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 69.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Tuvalu score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 90.5 out of 100 in 2025, 7th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 81.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 88.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Tuvalu score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 40 out of 100 in 2025, 140th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 32.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Tuvalu score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 47.9 out of 100 in 2025, 118th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 45.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Tuvalu score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 80.9 out of 100 in 2025, 23rd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 74.7.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does Tuvalu score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 59.8 out of 100 in 2025, 54th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 47.3.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in Tuvalu's parliament?
Women held 0.0% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 183rd highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of Tuvalu's ministers are women?
Women held 0.0% of ministerial posts in 2025, 188th highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are Tuvalu's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 43 out of 100 in 2024, 173rd highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many births are registered in Tuvalu?
87.2% of births of children under 5 were registered with a civil authority (2020).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in Tuvalu use the internet?
35.2% of people used the internet in 2017.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in Tuvalu
Public audit
- Office of the Auditor-GeneralAudit reports on government accounts and public enterprises.
Laws and the official gazette
- Tuvalu Legislation Database (Office of the Attorney-General)Consolidated and annual legislation of Tuvalu, including acts and subsidiary legislation.
Government below the national level
- Islands (8 with a kaupule; Niulakita is administered by Niutao): Kaupule (island council) elected by universal suffrage; falekaupule made up of elders under each island's custom
How local power works in Tuvalu
Places in Tuvalu
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.