2020 Edition

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.

Area

land

717 sq km

total

747 sq km

water

30 sq km

Area - comparative

four times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December)

Coastline

419 km

Elevation

highest point

Kao Volcano on Kao Island 1,046 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

20 00 S, 175 00 W

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

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

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.)

forest

12.1% (2023 est.)

other

39.3% (2023 est.)

Location

Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 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

Natural resources

arable land, fish

Population distribution

over two thirds of the population lives on the island of Tongatapu; only 45 of the nation's 171 islands are occupied

Terrain

mostly flat islands with limestone bedrock formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic rock

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

19.43 births/1,000 population (2025 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)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.8% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

50.7% (2021 est.)

Death rate

4.98 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

11.9 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

8.4 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.2 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

45.2 (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.)

Ethnic groups

Tongan 96.5%, other (European, Fijian, Samoan, Indian, Chinese, other Pacific Islander, other Asian, other) 3.5% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.28 (2025 est.)

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.)

Infant mortality rate

female

10.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

12.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

11.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Tongan only 85%, Tongan and other language 13.9%, Tongan not used at home 1.1% (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

79.7 years

male

76.4 years

total population

78 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

97.6% (2019 est.)

male

83.8% (2019 est.)

total population

91.1% (2019 est.)

Major urban areas - population

23,000 NUKU'ALOFA (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

67 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

26.4 years

male

25.4 years

total

26.4 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

24.9 years (2012 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Tongan

noun

Tongan(s)

Net migration rate

-18.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

48.2% (2016)

Physician density

1.01 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

Population

female

52,098

male

52,421

total

104,519 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.37% (2025 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.)

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

19 years (2020 est.)

male

16 years (2020 est.)

total

18 years (2020 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.83 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

15.8% (2025 est.)

male

46.1% (2025 est.)

total

30.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

23.2% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

5 island divisions; 'Eua, Ha'apai, Ongo Niua, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January

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

geographic coordinates

21 08 S, 175 12 W

name

Nuku'alofa

time difference

UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

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

history

adopted 4 November 1875, revised 1988, 2016

Country name

conventional long form

Kingdom of Tonga

conventional short form

Tonga

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

former

Friendly Islands

local long form

Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga

local short form

Tonga

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022

chief of mission

Ambassador Viliana Va’inga TONE (since 20 April 2021)

consulate(s) general

San Francisco

email address and website

tongaconsnot@gmail.com

FAX

[1] (917) 369-1024

telephone

[1] (917) 369-1025

Executive branch

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

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch

head of government

Prime Minister Fatafehi FAKAFANUA (since 18 December 2025)

most recent election date

15 December 2025

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

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate status)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch)

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

subordinate courts

Supreme Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land Courts

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

November 2025

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea)

most recent election date

11/20/2025

number of seats

30 (17 directly elected; 9 indirectly elected)

percentage of women in chamber

3.8%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

in use since 1874; more commonly known as "Fasi Fakafonua" (National Song)

lyrics/music

Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT

title

"Ko e fasi 'o e tu'i 'o e 'Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands)

National color(s)

red, white

National holiday

Official birthday of King TUPOU VI, 4 July (1959)

National symbol(s)

red cross on white field

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

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, pumpkins/squash, cassava, sweet potatoes, vegetables, yams, taro, root vegetables, plantains, lemons/limes (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$244.97 million (2023 est.)

revenues

$276.025 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance

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.)

Debt - external

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

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.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$59.926 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$95.345 million (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$119.511 million (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, gold, processed fruits and nuts, cassava, fish (2023)

Exports - partners

Guyana 17%, USA 17%, NZ 15%, Australia 15%, UAE 12% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

18.8% (2023 est.)

government consumption

29.1% (2023 est.)

household consumption

107.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-75.4% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

27.3% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.3% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

17.5% (2023 est.)

industry

13.5% (2023 est.)

services

50.2% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$508.735 million (2023 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

27.1 (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

22% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

4% (2021 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$330.306 million (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$383.475 million (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$392.888 million (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, plastic products, poultry, cars, sheep and goat meat (2023)

Imports - partners

Fiji 27%, NZ 24%, China 21%, Australia 8%, USA 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-11.1% (2023 est.)

Industries

tourism, construction, fishing

Inflation rate (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.)

Labor force

34,800 (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

20.6% (2021 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2020

43.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

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.)

Real GDP growth rate

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.)

Real GDP per capita

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.)

Remittances

Remittances 2021

42% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

41.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

50% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

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.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

2.4% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

2.3% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

2.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

10% (2024 est.)

male

3.9% (2024 est.)

total

6.3% (2024 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.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

89% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

9.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

23.272 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

1,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2022 est.)

total

9,000 (2022 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

Internet users

percent of population

59% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

11,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

62 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

64,800 (2022 est.)

Airports

6 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

A3

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 1, general cargo 13, oil tanker 1, other 14

total

29 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Neiafu, Nuku Alofa, Pangai

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

0

small

0

total ports

3 (2024)

very small

3

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 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 and security service personnel strengths

approximately 600 active Armed Forces (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 expenditures

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 service age and obligation

16-25 years of age for men and women to apply for trainee soldier; no conscription (2025)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

174,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

174,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 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

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

Particulate matter emissions

7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

17,200 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

12.2% (2022 est.)