Cook Islands population pyramid 2026
12,826 people in 2026 (projected). The Cook Islands’ pyramid has a deep hole at ages 25–34, where young adults have left for New Zealand and Australia, and a population well below its 1971 peak.
- 2026 population
- 12.8Krank 226 of 237
- Median age
- 38.1 yearsoldest rank 85
- Fertility rate
- 1.97births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Transitional15.6% age 65+
Cook Islands population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
Hover over or tap a bar to see exact values.
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Cook Islands age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 22.5% of the population, while 15.6% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 62.0% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Cook Islands’s age structure as transitional; the guide to population pyramid types explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 61.4: about 61 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (36.3 children and 25.1 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Cook Islands’s population pyramid
A population that lives in two places
Cook Islanders are New Zealand citizens and can live and work there, and in Australia, without restriction. Far more people of Cook Islands descent now live in New Zealand than in the islands themselves. The resident population peaked at about 20,900 in 1971 and is estimated at about 12,800 in 2026; the UN series records a net outflow of about 21,000 people between 1950 and 1999 alone.
The pyramid shows who leaves. Children and teenagers are numerous, and so are people in their fifties and early sixties. Between them is a gap: in 2026 the 25–29 band, born about 1997–2001, is about 38% smaller than the average of the bands either side and only about a third the size of the 15–19 band. Women outnumber men through most of the working ages, with about 70 men per 100 women at 30–34, which suggests that young men are more likely than young women to be living overseas.
Reading a very small pyramid
With bands of a few hundred people, single years of heavy departures or returns can create sharp notches and bulges, and the UN estimates for territories this small carry wide margins. The overall pattern, though, is consistent from 1975 onward. Fertility has fallen from about seven children per woman around 1960 to about 2.0, and births and deaths are now roughly equal at about 133 each a year, so migration alone determines whether the population grows or shrinks. The medium scenario assumes the outflow continues, taking the population to about 9,300 by 2050, which places the islands among the fastest-declining populations. Neighbouring Niue, with the same link to New Zealand, has an even more extreme version of this history.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25–29 | 1997–2001 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −38% |
| 15–19 | 2007–2011 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +26% |
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2027. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2030.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Cook Islands is projected to record 133 births (about 133 births a year) and 133 deaths, a natural increase of 0. Net migration adds −419 people, ranking #235 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 6,777 births, 2,967 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −6,028. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −3,305 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 79.5 years37.4 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 72.4 years38.6 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 16.9 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 5.0per 1,000 births · 130 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 6.0per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 29.3 yearssex ratio at birth 106.0
Women in Cook Islands are projected to live 7.1 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 130 to 5.0 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #168 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 29.3 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Cook Islands
The median age of 38.1 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.97 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 75.8 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,826 | #226 | Largest first |
| Median age | 38.1 years | #85 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.97 | #112 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -3.3% | #235 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 75.8 years | #120 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 15.6% | #79 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Cook Islands
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15–19 | 1,255 | 9.8% | 647 / 608 |
| 2 | 10–14 | 1,205 | 9.4% | 636 / 569 |
| 3 | 5–9 | 978 | 7.6% | 507 / 471 |
| 4 | 55–59 | 939 | 7.3% | 466 / 473 |
| 5 | 60–64 | 930 | 7.2% | 460 / 470 |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Cook Islands has 6,255 males and 6,571 females. That is 95.2 males per 100 females, ranking #176 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 48.8% of the population and females for 51.2%. There are 316 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 87.0 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 106.0 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Cook Islands has changed since 1950
The population has decreased from 14,693 in 1950 to 12,826 in 2026, a change of 13%. Over the same span, median age moved from 15.7 to 38.1 years.
The under-15 share changed from 46.1% to 22.5%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 2.9% to 15.6%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Cook Islands’s population is projected to decline by about 27%, reaching 9,337 in 2050. The median age changes from 38.1 to 38.3 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 12.1 percentage points to 27.7%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 19.4%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 20,869 in 1971. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 14,693 | 15.7 | 6.79 | 37.9 | 659 | 357 | +110 | +2.8% |
| 1960 | 17,662 | 15.1 | 7.27 | 52.7 | 819 | 240 | −183 | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 20,488 | 13.3 | 6.30 | 63.6 | 771 | 147 | −216 | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 17,696 | 15.8 | 4.35 | 65.9 | 494 | 122 | −458 | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 17,120 | 19.8 | 3.97 | 66.5 | 531 | 130 | −217 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 15,854 | 23.5 | 3.11 | 69.8 | 371 | 113 | −900 | -4.0% |
| 2010 | 16,976 | 28.7 | 2.45 | 72.8 | 302 | 122 | +320 | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 15,643 | 32.7 | 2.11 | 74.5 | 229 | 136 | −583 | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 14,222 | 35.1 | 2.04 | 75.3 | 178 | 132 | −558 | -3.6% |
| 2024* | 13,729 | 36.1 | 2.02 | 75.5 | 159 | 133 | −505 | -3.5% |
| 2026* | 12,826 | 38.1 | 1.97 | 75.8 | 133 | 133 | −419 | -3.3% |
| 2030* | 11,496 | 41.5 | 1.91 | 76.6 | 108 | 136 | −222 | -2.2% |
| 2040* | 9,947 | 38.7 | 1.82 | 78.4 | 136 | 142 | −90 | -1.1% |
| 2050* | 9,337 | 38.3 | 1.78 | 80.1 | 110 | 144 | −26 | -0.6% |
| 2060* | 8,645 | 42.4 | 1.74 | 81.7 | 71 | 130 | −7 | -0.8% |
| 2070* | 8,191 | 44.3 | 1.72 | 83.1 | 91 | 105 | −5 | -0.3% |
| 2080* | 8,161 | 42.5 | 1.71 | 84.4 | 85 | 82 | 0 | +0.0% |
| 2090* | 8,139 | 46.2 | 1.69 | 85.5 | 63 | 76 | +2 | -0.1% |
| 2100* | 7,904 | 49.7 | 1.68 | 86.7 | 69 | 108 | +3 | -0.4% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 364 | 339 | 703 | 5.5% |
| 5–9 | 507 | 471 | 978 | 7.6% |
| 10–14 | 636 | 569 | 1,205 | 9.4% |
| 15–19 | 647 | 608 | 1,255 | 9.8% |
| 20–24 | 407 | 387 | 794 | 6.2% |
| 25–29 | 185 | 222 | 407 | 3.2% |
| 30–34 | 214 | 304 | 518 | 4.0% |
| 35–39 | 326 | 365 | 691 | 5.4% |
| 40–44 | 355 | 404 | 759 | 5.9% |
| 45–49 | 357 | 423 | 780 | 6.1% |
| 50–54 | 407 | 473 | 880 | 6.9% |
| 55–59 | 466 | 473 | 939 | 7.3% |
| 60–64 | 460 | 470 | 930 | 7.2% |
| 65–69 | 348 | 370 | 718 | 5.6% |
| 70–74 | 241 | 268 | 509 | 4.0% |
| 75–79 | 187 | 196 | 383 | 3.0% |
| 80–84 | 102 | 135 | 237 | 1.8% |
| 85–89 | 38 | 74 | 112 | 0.9% |
| 90–94 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 0.3% |
| 95–99 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0.0% |
| 100+ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Cook Islands’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Réunion93% overlap · median age 38.4
- Wallis and Futuna Islands93% overlap · median age 38.6
- Northern Mariana Islands92% overlap · median age 38.8
- Saint Martin (French part)92% overlap · median age 43.9
- Niue91% overlap · median age 35.1
- Saint Barthélemy91% overlap · median age 39.1
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Cook Islands.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Cook Islands Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/cook-islands/
MLA
“Cook Islands Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/cook-islands/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Cook Islands Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/cook-islands/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Cook Islands in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Cook Islands's population in 2026 is projected at 12,826.
What is the median age in Cook Islands?
The projected median age in Cook Islands in 2026 is 38.1 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Cook Islands?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.97 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Cook Islands's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 27%, from 12.8K to 9.3K.
What share of Cook Islands is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 15.6% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 27.7%.
How many babies are born in Cook Islands each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 133 births and 133 deaths in 2026, about 133 births a year. Births exceed deaths by 0.
What is life expectancy in Cook Islands for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 79.5 years for women and 72.4 years for men, a gap of 7.1 years in favour of women.
Does Cook Islands have more immigrants or emigrants?
Cook Islands is projected to lose about 419 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −6,028.
What is the sex ratio in Cook Islands?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 95.2 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.