Here's a breakdown:
* Native speakers: Around 1,500 people in Niue, a small island nation in the South Pacific.
* Worldwide speakers: Estimated to be around 2,000, including those living in New Zealand and other countries.
Comparison:
* English: Over 1.35 billion speakers worldwide.
* Mandarin Chinese: Over 1 billion speakers worldwide.
* Spanish: Over 500 million speakers worldwide.
Therefore, Niuean is considered an endangered language, with a limited number of speakers and facing challenges in maintaining its vitality.