Niue Languages

Niue is a bilingual nation with English and Niuean as the country's official languages. Niuean descended from the Austronesian family of languages and is now considered a Polynesian language, specifically from the Malay-Polynesian family. The Niuean language is closely related to Tongan, another Polynesian dialect, and is also related (albeit less closely) to Hawaiian, Maori, and Samoan.

46% of the population of Niue speaks the language and an additional 32% of the population combine English with Niuean on a daily basis. The language is also spoken in the Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Tonga. Niuean is one of the few languages that have more speakers outside the country of origin that in the nation in which it originated. For example, in the early 1990s, approximately 70% of Niuean speakers lived in New Zealand. Today, there are around 8,000 speakers of the language and almost 6,000 live outside of Niue.

Niuean is pronounced and written similarly to many of the languages in Polynesia. Hello is pronounced as "fak-aa-lo-fa a-tu", with the double a coming across as an "ah" like sound. Thank-you is Niuean is pronounced "fa-kau-e la-he" and good evening is said as "mo-nui-na-e a-fi-a-fi". Colloquial phrases that are common in New Zealand and Australia can also be understood by the majority of locals due to the influence these neighbouring countries have on the media and popular culture of Niue.

Minority languages in the country include other Polynesian dialects such as Samoan and Tongan, both of which have heavily influenced Niuean. English, although an official language, is spoken by around 11% of the population as most inhabitants will combine Niuean with local English in order to communicate. Niueans and part-Niueans make up 80% of the population and although the number of speakers is relatively small, the Niuean language is still considered a living one.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Alofi
Languages	Niuean (official) 46% (a Polynesian language closely related to Tongan and Samoan), Niuean and English 32%, English (official) 11%, Niuean and others 5%, other 6% (2011 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Niuen 66.5%, part-Niuen 13.4%, non-Niuen 20.1% (includes 12% European and Asian and 8% Pacific Islanders) (2011 est.)
Religion	Ekalesia Niue (Congregational Christian Church of Niue - a Protestant church founded by missionaries from the London Missionary Society) 67%, other Protestant 3% (includes Seventh Day Adventist 1%, Presbyterian 1%, and Methodist 1%), Mormon 10%, Roman Catholic 10%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 6%, none 2% (2011 est.)
Government	Self-governing parliamentary democracy (Fouo Ekepule) in free association with New Zealand
Independance	19 October 1974 (Niue became a self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand)
Area	260.00 km²
Land Area	260.00 km²
Population	1,190.00
Location	Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Tonga
GDP(PPP)	$10,010,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$5,800.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Germany, Belgum, and the United Kingdom.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are canned coconut cream, copra, honey, vanilla, and passion fruit products.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Germany, Belgium, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include food, live animals, and manufactured goods.
Climate	Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain	Steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau

Niue Languages

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