Tonga
| Capital: | Nuku'alofa |
| Area size: | 720 sq. km Slightly smaller than New York City |
| Time zone: | GMT +13 |
| Currency: | Pa'anga |
| Area code: | (+) 676 |
| Driving: | Left |
| Climate description: | Tropical, modified by trade winds. Warm season December to May, cool season May to December. |
People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
Tongan and English are both official languages.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
Future population estimates
0.1 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)
Ethnic groups
Tongans are a Polynesian people, and it is estimated that 20 percent of them now live abroad.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Free Wesleyan 44 percent, Catholic 16 percent, Mormon 12 percent, Free Church of Tonga 11 percent, Church of Tonga 7 percent
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
Year women granted right to vote
No data available
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2006)
Percentage of population under 15
Tongan and English are both official languages.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide
Population
| 2007 | 0.1 million | U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006) |
| 2006 | 0.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2005 | 0.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2004 | 0.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2003 | 0.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2002 | 0.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2001 | 0.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
| 2000 | 0.1 million | U.N. DESA (2006) |
Future population estimates
0.1 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2006)
Ethnic groups
Tongans are a Polynesian people, and it is estimated that 20 percent of them now live abroad.
Source: NI World Guide
Religion
Free Wesleyan 44 percent, Catholic 16 percent, Mormon 12 percent, Free Church of Tonga 11 percent, Church of Tonga 7 percent
Source: NI World Guide
Percentage urban population
| 2007 | 24.4 percent | U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005 |
| 2006 | 24.2 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2005 | 24.0 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2004 | 23.8 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2003 | 23.6 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2002 | 23.4 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2001 | 23.3 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
| 2000 | 23.2 percent | U.N. DESA (2005) |
Year women granted right to vote
No data available
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.
Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2006)
Percentage of population under 15
| 2005 | 37.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 36.3 percent | U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 36.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 37.1 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | No data available percent | |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Average life expectancy
Life expectancy - male
Life expectancy - female
Infant mortality
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
Births attended by skilled personnel
Maternal mortality
No data available per 100,000 live births
Human development index (HDI rank)
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
No data available percent
Percentage of undernourished population
No data available percent
Population with access to improved water
Population with access to improved sanitation
Literacy - average
Literacy - male
Literacy - female
Landlines telephones
Cellular telephone subscribers
Internet users
Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
| 2005 | 72.8 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 72.4 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 72.2 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 68.4 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | No data available years | |
| 2000 | No data available years |
Life expectancy - male
| 2005 | 71.8 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 71.1 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 71.0 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 67.9 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | No data available years | |
| 2000 | No data available years |
Life expectancy - female
| 2005 | 73.8 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 73.7 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 73.5 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 69.0 years | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | No data available years | |
| 2000 | No data available years |
Infant mortality
| 2006 | 20 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008 |
| 2005 | 20 per 1,000 live births | U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 2004 | 20 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 15 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 16 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | 17 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 2000 | No data available per 1,000 live births |
Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
| 2006 | 24 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008 |
| 2005 | 24 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007 |
| 2004 | 25 per 1,000 live births | UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006 |
| 2003 | 19 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 20 per 1,000 live births | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2000 | No data available per 1,000 live births |
Births attended by skilled personnel
| 1997-2005 | 95 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 1996-2004 | 95 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 1995-2003 | 92 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1995-2002 | 92 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1995-2001 | 92 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2003 |
| 1995-2000 | No data available percent |
Maternal mortality
No data available per 100,000 live births
Human development index (HDI rank)
| 2005 | 55 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2004 | 55 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2003 | 54 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 63 | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | No data available | |
| 2000 | No data available |
Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
No data available percent
Percentage of undernourished population
No data available percent
Population with access to improved water
| 2004 | 100 percent | UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006 |
| 2002 | 100 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2000 | 100 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
Population with access to improved sanitation
| 2004 | 96 percent | UNICEF and WHO 2006 |
| 2002 | 97 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Literacy - average
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 98.9 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 98.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | No data available percent | |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Literacy - male
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 98.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 98.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | No data available percent | |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Literacy - female
| 2004 | No data available percent | |
| 2003 | 99.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2002 | 98.9 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2001 | No data available percent | |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
Landlines telephones
| 2006 | 137 per 1,000 people | International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2007 |
| 2005 | 137 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2004 | 130 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2003 | 121 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2002 | 113 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2001 | 109 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2000 | 98 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
Cellular telephone subscribers
| 2006 | 298 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2005 | 298 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2004 | 164 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2003 | 113 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2002 | 34 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2001 | 2 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2000 | 2 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
Internet users
| 2006 | 30 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2005 | 30 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2004 | 30 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2003 | 30 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2002 | 29 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2001 | 28 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
| 2000 | 24 per 1,000 people | ITU 2007 |
Transparency International corruption ranking (1=least corrupt, 179=most corrupt)
| 2007 | 175 (joint) | Transparency International 2007 |
| 2006 | Not ranked | |
| 2002 | Not ranked | |
| 2001 | Not ranked | |
| 2000 | Not ranked |
Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report
International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb
Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
GNI per capita, Atlas method
The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.
GDP
Annual GDP growth
Annual inflation
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
| 1990-2005 | No data available percent | |
| 1990-2002 | 7.2 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
GNI per capita, Atlas method
| 2005 | No data available current US$ | |
| 2004 | 1750 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2003 | 1520 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 1440 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2001 | 1460 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2000 | 1560 current US$ | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country’s exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.
GDP
| 2005 | 0.2 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2004 | 0.2 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2003 | 0.2 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 0.1 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2001 | 0.1 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2000 | 0.1 current US$ billions | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
Annual GDP growth
| 2005 | 2.3 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2004 | 1.4 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2003 | 3.2 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 3 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2001 | 2.6 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2000 | 5.4 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
Annual inflation
| 2005 | 9.5 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2004 | 5 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2003 | 8.9 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2002 | 9.4 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2001 | 3.8 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
| 2000 | 0.2 percent | World Bank Data Profile Tables 2007 |
Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available
Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available
Physicians
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent
Malaria
No risk
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 2000-2004 | 34 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 1990-2004 | 34 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 1990-2003 | 35 per 100,000 people | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1990-2002 | No data available per 100,000 people |
Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent
Malaria
No risk
Source: WHO
TB cases
| 2006 | 25 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2005 | 25 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2004 | 26 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2003 | 26 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2002 | 27 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2001 | 27 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
| 2000 | 28 per 100,000 people | WHO 2008 |
Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
Number of refugees originating here
Number of refugees residing here
No data available
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
Landmine casualties per year
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report
Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent
Percentage of GDP spent on education
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2006 | 6 | Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
| 2005 | 4 | UNHCR |
| 2004 | 5 | UNHCR |
| 2003 | No data available | |
| 2002 | No data available | |
| 2001 | No data available | |
| 2000 | No data available |
Number of refugees residing here
No data available
Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
| No data available | |||
Landmine casualties per year
| 2004 | 0 | Landmine Monitor Report 2005 |
| 2003 | 0 | Landmine Monitor Report 2004 |
Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
No
Source: Landmine Monitor Report
Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent
Percentage of GDP spent on education
| 2002-2005 | 4.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2002-2004 | 4.8 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2000-2002 | 4.9 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 1999-2001 | 5.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 1998-2000 | No data available percent |
Percentage of GDP spent on health
| 2004 | 5.0 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008 |
| 2003-2004 | 5.5 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2006 |
| 2002 | 5.1 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2005 |
| 2001 | 3.4 percent | UNDP - Human Development Report 2004 |
| 2000 | No data available percent |
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