Who runs local government in Tuvalu?

Each of Tuvalu's eight inhabited islands has two linked local bodies: the falekaupule, a traditional assembly of elders, and the kaupule, an elected island council that acts as its executive. The Falekaupule Act 1997 joined the two, and the 2023 Constitution recognises the falekaupule as the traditional governing authority of the islands.

Tuvalu · Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy · Oceania

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
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	Island roads, meeting halls, land records, local transport; budgets approved by the falekaupule.

Three questions about local power in Tuvalu

Are local leaders elected?

Kaupule members and MPs are elected; there are no political parties. Falekaupule members are elders by custom.

Which laws set up local government?

Both bodies are set up by the Falekaupule Act 1997, and the falekaupule is recognised in the 2023 Constitution.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

The kaupule answers to the falekaupule and to voters. The Ministry of Home Affairs oversees local government.

Traditional and customary authority

The falekaupule (also called 'te sina o fenua', 'grey hairs of the land') is the traditional assembly of each island, made up of elders according to local custom, and it holds final authority on island matters. The 2023 Constitution recognises the falekaupule and says government should be guided by consensus in line with tradition. Churches, especially the Church of Tuvalu, are central to community life.

Community and neighbourhood power

Each kaupule holds a quarterly assembly where people examine the budget and plans. Island communities living on Funafuti and overseas keep strong ties to their home island's falekaupule.

Points to know

Local government spending was only about 0.2% of government spending in 2016.
There are no political parties at national or local level.
The 2023 Constitution also deals with Tuvalu's statehood in the face of sea-level rise.

Local terms

Falekaupule: The traditional assembly of elders on each island.
Kaupule: The elected island council, the executive of the falekaupule.

Sources

Constitution of Tuvalu 1986 (rev. 2023) (English text), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
The Local Government System in Tuvalu: Country Profile 2017–18, Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), checked 14 October 2026