Tonga
Tonga⌘K
Overview
- Background
- The first humans arrived in Tonga around 1000 B.C. The islands’ politics were highly centralized under the Tu’i Tonga, or Tongan king, by A.D. 950, and by 1200, the Tu’i Tonga had expanded his influence throughout Polynesia and into Melanesia and Micronesia. The Tongan Empire began to decline in the 1300s, with civil wars, a military defeat to Samoa, and internal political strife. By the mid-1500s, some Tu’i Tongans were ethnic Samoan, and day-to-day administration of Tonga was transferred to a new position occupied by ethnic Tongans.
Dutch navigators explored the islands in the 1600s, followed by the British in the 1770s, who named them the Friendly Islands. Between 1799 and 1852 Tonga went through a period of war and disorder. In the 1830s, a low-ranking chief from Ha’apai began to consolidate control over the islands and was crowned King George TUPOU I in 1845, establishing the only still-extant Polynesian monarchy. During TUPOU's reign (1845–93), Tonga became a unified and independent country with a modern constitution (1875), legal code, and administrative structure. In separate treaties, Germany (1876), Great Britain (1879), and the US (1888) recognized Tonga’s independence. His son and successor, King George TUPOU II, agreed to enter a protectorate agreement with the UK in 1900 after rival Tongan chiefs tried to overthrow him. As a protectorate, Tonga never completely lost its indigenous governance, but it did become more isolated and the social hierarchy became more stratified between a group of nobles and a large class of commoners. Today, about one third of parliamentary seats are reserved for nobles.
Tonga regained full control of domestic and foreign affairs and became a fully independent nation within the Commonwealth in 1970. A pro-democracy movement gained steam in the early 2000s, led by ‘Akilisi POHIVA, and in 2006, riots broke out in Nuku’alofa to protest the lack of progress on reform. To appease the activists, in 2008, King George TUPOU V announced he was relinquishing most of his powers leading up to parliamentary elections in 2010 and henceforth most of the monarch’s governmental decisions, except those relating to the judiciary, were to be made in consultation with the prime minister. The 2010 Legislative Assembly was called Tonga’s first democratically elected Parliament. King George TUPOU V died in 2012 and was succeeded by his brother Crown Prince Tupouto‘a Lavaka who ruled as George TUPOU VI. In 2015, ‘Akalisi POHIVA became Tonga’s first non-noble prime minister.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 717 sq km
- Water
- 30 sq km
- Total
- 747 sq km
- Climate
- tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
- Terrain
- mostly flat islands with limestone bedrock formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic rock
Land Use
- Other
- 39.3% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 12.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 48.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 27.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 15.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 5.6% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
- Coastline
- 419 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- Kao Volcano on Kao Island 1,046 m
- Irrigated land
- 0 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Oceania
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou
volcanism: moderate volcanic activity; Fonualei (180 m) has had frequent activity in recent years, and Niuafo'ou (260 m) has forced evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Late and Tofua - Geography note
- the western islands (making up the Tongan Volcanic Arch) are all of volcanic origin; the eastern islands are nonvolcanic and are composed of coral limestone and sand
- Natural resources
- arable land, fish
- Area comparative
- four times the size of Washington, D.C.
- Geographic coordinates
- 20 00 S, 175 00 W
- Population distribution
- over two thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 83.8% (2019 est.)
- Female
- 97.6% (2019 est.)
- Total population
- 91.1% (2019 est.)
- Languages
- Tongan only 85%, Tongan and other language 13.9%, Tongan not used at home 1.1% (2021 est.)
- Religions
- Protestant 63.9% (Free Wesleyan Church 34.2%, Free Church of Tonga 11.3%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assembly of God 2.5%, Tokaikolo/Maamafo'ou 1.5%, Constitutional Church of Tonga 1.2%, other Protestant 4%), Church of Jesus Christ 19.7%, Roman Catholic 13.7%, other 2.1%, none 0.6%, no answer 0.1% (2021 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.83 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 19.43 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 4.98 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 25.4 years
- Total
- 26.4 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 26.4 years
Population
- Male
- 52,421
- Total
- 104,519 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 52,098
Nationality
- Noun
- Tongan(s)
- Adjective
- Tongan
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 46.1% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 30.5% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 15.8% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 23.2% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 29.3% (male 15,627/female 15,142)
- 15 64 years
- 63.2% (male 33,445/female 32,867)
- 65 years and over
- 7.4% (2024 est.) (male 3,534/female 4,274)
- Ethnic groups
- Tongan 96.5%, other (European, Fijian, Samoan, Indian, Chinese, other Pacific Islander, other Asian, other) 3.5% (2021 est.)
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 2.8% (2019)
- Women married BY age 15
- 0.4% (2019)
- Women married BY age 18
- 10.1% (2019)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 57.2 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 45.2 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 8.4 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 11.9 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 1.01 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 6.3% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 8.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -18.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 2.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 98.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 1.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 5.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 9.3% national budget (2024 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 12.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- -0.37% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.28 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- over two thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 76.4 years
- Female
- 79.7 years
- Total population
- 78 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 67 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 23,000 NUKU'ALOFA (2018)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 48.2% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 24.9 years (2012 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 50.7% (2021 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 0.8% (2019 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 16 years (2020 est.)
- Total
- 18 years (2020 est.)
- Female
- 19 years (2020 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: red with a red cross on a white rectangle in the upper-left corner
meaning: the cross stands for Christianity in Tonga, red for Christ's blood and sacrifice, and white for purity
Capital
- Name
- Nuku'alofa
- Etymology
- name is said to be composed of the local words nuku, meaning "residence or abode," and alofa, meaning "love;" it may also mean "the south," describing Tonga's position in relation to most other Polynesian islands
- Time difference
- UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January
- Geographic coordinates
- 21 08 S, 175 12 W
- Suffrage
- 21 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- the father must be a citizen of Tonga; if a child is born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen of Tonga
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 5 years
Constitution
- History
- adopted 4 November 1875, revised 1988, 2016
- Amendment process
- proposed by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires approval by the Assembly in each of three readings, the unanimous approval of the Privy Council (a high-level advisory body to the monarch), the Cabinet, and assent to by the monarch
Country Name
- Former
- Friendly Islands
- Etymology
- the name is of local origin and is said to mean "island;" the former name, the Friendly Islands, came from Captain James COOK in 1773, based on the welcome he received from the inhabitants
- Local long form
- Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga
- Local short form
- Tonga
- Conventional long form
- Kingdom of Tonga
- Conventional short form
- Tonga
- Independence
- 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate status)
- Legal system
- English common law
- Government type
- constitutional monarchy
Judicial Branch
- Note
- note: appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council, the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers
- Highest court(s)
- Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch)
- Subordinate courts
- Supreme Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land Courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- judge appointments and tenures made by the King in Privy Council and subject to consent of the Legislative Assembly
Executive Branch
- Note
- note: a Privy Council advises the monarch
- Cabinet
- Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch
- Chief of state
- King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012)
- Election results
- 2025: Fatafehi FAKAFANUA elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly; Fatafehi FAKAFANUA (Independent) 16 votes, Aisake Valu EKE (Independent) 10 votes
2024: Aisake Valu EKE elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly; Aisake Valu EKE (Independent) 16 votes, Viliami LATU (Independent) 8 - Head of government
- Prime Minister Fatafehi FAKAFANUA (since 18 December 2025)
- Most recent election date
- 15 December 2025
- Election/appointment process
- the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch
- National holiday
- Official birthday of King TUPOU VI, 4 July (1959)
- National color(s)
- red, white
- Political parties
- Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands or DPFI or PTOA
Tonga People's Party (Paati ʻa e Kakai ʻo Tonga) or PAK or TPPI
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 30 (17 directly elected; 9 indirectly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 11/20/2025
- Expected date of next election
- November 2025
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 3.8%
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Ko e fasi 'o e tu'i 'o e 'Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands)
- History
- in use since 1874; more commonly known as "Fasi Fakafonua" (National Song)
- Lyrics/music
- Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT
- National symbol(s)
- red cross on white field
- Administrative divisions
- 5 island divisions; 'Eua, Ha'apai, Ongo Niua, Tongatapu, Vava'u
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (917) 369-1024
- Chancery
- 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022
- Telephone
- [1] (917) 369-1025
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Viliana Va’inga TONE (since 20 April 2021)
- Consulate(s) general
- San Francisco
- Email address and website
tongaconsnot@gmail.com
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Embassy
- although the US opened an embassy in Tonga on 9 May 2023, the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga while the Embassy is being staffed
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Marie DAMOUR (since 6 December 2022); note - Ambassador DAMOUR is based in the US Embassy in the Republic of Fiji and is accredited to Tonga as well as Kiribati, Nauru, and Tuvalu
- International organisations
- ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislature
TONGA · LEGISLATURE
Legislative Assembly
30 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
30
Majority line
16
Largest party
independent politician
Parties
3
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Tupou VI of Tonga
- Head of State
Fatafehi Fakafānua, 8th Lord Fakafānua
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $276.025 million (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $244.97 million (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $87.2M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $59.926 million (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $95.345 million (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $119.511 million (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $383.5M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $330.306 million (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $383.475 million (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $392.888 million (2024 est.)
- Industries
- tourism, construction, fishing
- Labor force
- 34,800 (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 43.1%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2020
- 43.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 42% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 41.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 50% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 2.3 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 2.265 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 2.328 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 2.364 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 2.373 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $159.276 million (2023 est.)
- Economic overview
- upper middle-income Pacific island economy; enormous diaspora and remittance reliance; key tourism and agricultural sectors; major fish exporter; rapidly growing Chinese infrastructure investments; rising methamphetamine hub
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.0%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 2.4% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 2.3% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 2.2% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Guyana 17%, USA 17%, NZ 15%, Australia 15%, UAE 12% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Fiji 27%, NZ 24%, China 21%, Australia 8%, USA 5% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $7,803
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2021
- $7,000 (2021 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $6,900 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $7,100 (2023 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.8%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2021
- 0.4% (2021 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- -2.3% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 2.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural products
- coconuts, pumpkins/squash, cassava, sweet potatoes, vegetables, yams, taro, root vegetables, plantains, lemons/limes (2023)
- Exports commodities
- refined petroleum, gold, processed fruits and nuts, cassava, fish (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, plastic products, poultry, cars, sheep and goat meat (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$43.5M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$27.749 million (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$30.087 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- -$21.165 million (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 23.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $508.735 million (2023 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 107.6% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 29.1% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- -0.3% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 27.3% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 18.8% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -75.4% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 20.6% (2021 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.2%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 11% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 6.4% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 3.2% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -11.1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $740.082 million (2023 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
- $742.114 million (2021 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $724.972 million (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $740.082 million (2023 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 3.9% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 6.3% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 10% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $375.564 million (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $396.53 million (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $377.299 million (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 13.5% (2023 est.)
- Services
- 50.2% (2023 est.)
- Agriculture
- 17.5% (2023 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 4% (2021 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 22% (2021 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2021
- 27.1 (2021 est.)
Energy
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 1,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Consumption
- 67.01 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 34,000 kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 5.99 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 23.272 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 9.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 89% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 59% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- 1 state-owned TV station and 3 privately owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services available; 1 state-owned and 5 privately owned radio stations; Radio Australia available via satellite (2019)
- Internet country code
- .to
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 11,000 (2021 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 3 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 64,800 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 62 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 9,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 8 (2022 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 0
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Neiafu, Nuku Alofa, Pangai
- Very small
- 3
- Total ports
- 3 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 0
- Airports
- 6 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 29 (2023)
- BY type
- container ship 1, general cargo 13, oil tanker 1, other 14
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- A3
Environment
- Climate
- tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)
Land Use
- Other
- 39.3% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 12.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 48.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 27.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 15.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 5.6% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 23.2% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 17,200 tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 12.2% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- deforestation from land being cleared for agriculture and settlement; soil exhaustion; water pollution due to salinization, sewage, and toxic chemicals from farming activities; coral reefs and marine populations threatened
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 174,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 174,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- the military's primary missions are defending Tonga's sovereignty, providing maritime security, and protecting the King; it is also responsible for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, search and rescue operations, monitoring against illegal fishing, and delivering supplies to the outer islands; the military has contributed limited numbers of personnel to multinational military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Solomon Islands; Australia, New Zealand, and the US are key partners
Tonga has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Tonga's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas
Tonga participated in World War I as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but the Tonga Defense Force (TDF) was not established until 1939 at the beginning of World War II; in 1943, New Zealand helped train about 2,000 Tongan troops who saw action in the Solomon Islands; the TDF was disbanded at the end of the war, but was reactivated in 1946 as the Tonga Defense Services (TDS); in 2013, the name of the TDS was changed to His Majesty’s Armed Forces of Tonga (HMAF) (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military expenditures 2020
- 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 1.8% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- His Majesty's Armed Forces Tonga (HMAF; aka Tonga Defense Services): Tonga Royal Guard, Tonga Land Force (Royal Tongan Marines), Tonga Navy, Air Wing
Ministry of Police and Fire Services: Tonga Police Force (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 16-25 years of age for men and women to apply for trainee soldier; no conscription (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's inventory consists of light weapons, as well as some naval patrol vessels acquired from Australia (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 600 active Armed Forces (2025)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index71.0 / 100as of 2024-Q442 / 1902024-Q4
Freedom House StatusPartly Free (83/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Tonga — vintage 2026-Q1: Tonga factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/tonga
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata