Country profile
Tokelau
Oceania · Polynesia
TK · TKL
- Capital
- Fakaofo
- Population
- 2,608
- Area
- 12 km²
- Democracy index
- 88
- Regime type
- Robust Democracy
Events
Ballots from Tokelau
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Tokelau. Community totals are not official results.
No published ballots yet
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
88/100
Regime type
Robust Democracy
Tokelau operates as a non self governing territory of New Zealand, functioning under a distinct and highly participatory democratic framework that is deeply rooted in traditional Faipule customs. The administration is characterized by a strong commitment to local consensus, with the General Fono serving as the primary legislative body where representatives from the three atolls collaborate on policy. While the administrative link to New Zealand provides a stable legal and institutional foundation, the governance process is marked by significant local autonomy and high levels of transparency within the small community. Fundamental civil liberties are widely respected, and the political system is notable for its direct engagement with the citizenry, ensuring that communal decisions are reached through inclusive dialogue and transparent public processes. Despite the inherent logistical challenges of its geography and size, the governance structure maintains high standards of accountability and democratic integrity.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Tokelau, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
Tokelau is composed of three atolls (Fakaofo, Atafu, and Nukunonu), and it was first settled by Polynesians around A.D. 1000. The atolls operated relatively independently, but Fakaofo Atoll eventually subjugated the others. British explorers first saw the atolls in 1765 and 1791.
Catholic and Protestant missionaries arrived in the 1840s and converted the population on the islands on which they landed. In 1863 Peruvian slave raiders abducted many islanders, and roughly contemporary outbreaks of disease reduced the population to about 200. Settlers of diverse nationalities subsequently intermarried with Tokelauans.
In the same period, local governance moved to a system based on a Council of Elders, which still exists today. British interest began in the late 1870s, and Tokelau became a British protectorate in 1889, and in 1916 under the name Union Group, Tokelau became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. In 1925, the UK placed Tokelau under New Zealand administration.
The Tokelau Islands Act of 1948 formally transferred sovereignty from the UK to New Zealand, and Tokelauans were granted New Zealand citizenship. In 1979, the US relinquished its claim to Tokelau in the Treaty of Tokehega, and Tokelau relinquished its claim to Swains Island, which is part of American Samoa. Economic opportunities in Tokelau are sparse, and about 80% of Tokelauans live in New Zealand.
Tokelau held self-governance referendums in 2006 and 2007 in which more than 60% of voters chose free association with New Zealand; however, the referendums failed to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to enact a status change.