Tonga

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 2,519 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2018 est.)

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station and 3 privately owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services are available; 1 state-owned and 5 privately owned radio stations; Radio Australia broadcasts available via satellite (2019)

Internet country code

.to

Internet users

total: 43,889 | percent of population: 41.25% (July 2018 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: high speed Internet provided by 3 MNOs, has subsequently allowed for better health care services, faster connections for education and growing e-commerce services; in 2018 new 4G LTE network; fixed-line teledensity has dropped given mobile subscriptions; mobile technology dominates given the island's geography; satellite technology is widespread and is important especially in areas away from the city; the launch in 2019 of the Kacific-1 broadband satellite has made broadband more widely available for around 89 remote communities (2020) | domestic: fixed-line 6 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity 59 telephones per 100; fully automatic switched network (2019) | international: country code - 676; landing point for the Tonga Cable and the TDCE connecting to Fiji and 3 separate Tonga islands; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2020) | note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 6,748 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6.35 (2019 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 63,156 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59.43 (2019 est.)

Agriculture - products

squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, sweet potatoes, cassava, taro, and kava

Budget

revenues: 181.2 million (2017 est.) | expenditures: 181.2 million (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

-$53 million (2017 est.) | -$30 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$189.9 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $198.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Ease of Doing Business Index scores

72.6 (2020)

Economic overview

Tonga has a small, open island economy and is the last constitutional monarchy among the Pacific Island countries. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, make up two-thirds of total exports. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. Tonga had 53,800 visitors in 2015. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from overseas Tongans to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, encouraging investment, and is committing increased funds for health care and education. Tonga's English-speaking and educated workforce offers a viable labor market, and the tropical climate provides fertile soil. Renewable energy and deep-sea mining also offer opportunities for investment. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well developed social services. But the government faces high unemployment among the young, moderate inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures.

Exchange rates

pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - | 2.27015 (2020 est.) | 2.29095 (2019 est.) | 2.22717 (2018 est.) | 2.106 (2014 est.) | 1.847 (2013 est.)

Exports

$18.4 million (2017 est.) | $19.4 million (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops, kava

Exports - partners

Hong Kong 25.1%, NZ 22.6%, US 14.3%, Japan 12.8%, Australia 10.5% (2017)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate)

$455 million (2017 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity) - real

$591 million (2017 est.) | $576.6 million (2016 est.) | $553.6 million (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 99.4% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 21.9% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 24.1% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 22.8% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -68.5% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 19.9% (2017 est.) | industry: 20.3% (2017 est.) | services: 59.8% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,900 (2017 est.) | $5,700 (2016 est.) | $5,400 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP real growth rate

2.5% (2017 est.) | 4.2% (2016 est.) | 3.5% (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

Imports

$250.2 million (2017 est.) | $269.8 million (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners

NZ 33.3%, Fiji 11.7%, US 9.8%, Singapore 9%, Australia 8.9%, China 7.9%, Japan 5.9% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, construction, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.4% (2017 est.) | 2.6% (2016 est.)

Labor force

33,800 (2011 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2,006% (2006 est.) | industry: 27.5% (2006 est.) | services: 2,006% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

22.5% (2010 est.)

Public debt

48% of GDP (FY2017 est.) | 51.8% of GDP (FY2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$198.5 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $176.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

39.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

1.1% (2011 est.) | 1.1% (2006)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

139,700 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

48.36 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

74% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

26% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

20,300 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

52 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 98.9% (2018) | electrification - urban areas: 98.9% (2018) | electrification - rural areas: 98.9% (2018)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

900 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

910 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Area

total: 747 sq km | land: 717 sq km | water: 30 sq km

Area - comparative

four times the size of Washington, DC | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Australia - Oceania :: Tonga Print Image Description four times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

419 km

Elevation

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: Kao Volcano on Kao Island 1,046 m

Environment - current 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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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 (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 43.1% (2011 est.) | arable land: 22.2% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 15.3% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 5.6% (2011 est.) | forest: 12.5% (2011 est.) | other: 44.4% (2011 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

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural hazards

cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou volcanism: moderate volcanic activity; Fonualei (180 m) has shown frequent activity in recent years, while Niuafo'ou (260 m), which last erupted in 1985, 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

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

name: Nuku'alofa | geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W | 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 | etymology: composed of the words "nuku," meaning "residence or abode," and "alofa," meaning "love," to signify "abode of love"

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 | amendments: 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; revised 1988; amended many times, last in 2016

Country name

conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga | conventional short form: Tonga | local long form: Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga | local short form: Tonga | former: Friendly Islands | etymology: "tonga" means "south" in the Tongan language and refers to the country's geographic position in relation to central Polynesia

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mahe'uli'uli Sandhurst TUPOUNIUA (since 17 September 2013) | chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 | telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 | FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 | consulate(s) general: San Francisco

Executive branch

chief of state: King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012); Heir Apparent Crown Prince Siaosi Manumataogo 'Alaivahamama'o 'Ahoeitu Konstantin Tuku'aho, son of the king (born 17 September 1985); note - on 18 March 2012, King George TUPOU V died and his brother, Crown Prince TUPOUTO'A Lavaka, assumed the throne as TUPOU VI | head of government: Prime Minister Pohiva TU'I'ONETOA (since 27 September 2019) | cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch; election last held on 27 September 2019 (next to be held in November 2020) | election results: Pohiva TU'I'ONETOA (Peoples Party) elected prime minister by parliament receiving 15of 23 votes cast | note: a Privy Council advises the monarch

Flag description

red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross reflects the deep-rooted Christianity in Tonga, red represents the blood of Christ and his sacrifice, and white signifies 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 courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch); 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 | 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

description: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (up to 30 seats; - 26 for the 2017-19 term); 17 people's representatives directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, and 9 indirectly elected by hereditary leaders; members serve 3-year terms) | elections: last held on 16 November 2017 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 14, nobles' representatives 9, independent 3; composition - men 24, women 2, percent of women 7.7%

National anthem

name: "Ko e fasi `o e tu"i `o e `Otu Tonga" (Song of the King of the Tonga Islands) | lyrics/music: Uelingatoni Ngu TUPOUMALOHI/Karl Gustavus SCHMITT | note: in use since 1875; more commonly known as "Fasi Fakafonua" (National Song)

National holiday

Official Birthday of King TUPOU VI, 4 July (1959); note - actual birthday of the monarch is 12 July 1959, 4 July (2015) is the day the king was crowned; Constitution Day (National Day), 4 November (1875)

National symbol(s)

red cross on white field, arms equal length; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands [Samuela 'Akilisi POHIVA] People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tesina FUKO] Sustainable Nation-Building Party [Sione FONUA] Tonga Democratic Labor Party Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement or THRDM

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Background

Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific; in 2008, King George TUPOU V announced he was relinquishing most of his powers leading up to parliamentary elections in 2010. TUPOU died in 2012 and was succeeded by his brother 'Aho'eitu TUPOU VI. Tropical Cyclone Gita, the strongest-ever recorded storm to impact Tonga, hit the islands in February 2018 causing extensive damage.

Military and security forces

Tonga Defense Services: Joint Force headquarters, Territorial Forces, Land Force, Tonga Navy, Training Wing, Air Wing, and Support Unit (2020)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Tonga Defense Services have approximately 500 personnel (2020)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Tonga military's inventory includes mostly light weapons and equipment from European (primarily the UK) countries and the US, as well as naval patrol vessels from Australia; Australia is the only supplier of military systems since 2010 (2019)

Military service age and obligation

Volunteers, 18-25; no conscription (2014)

Age structure

0-14 years: 32% (male 17,250/female 16,698) | 15-24 years: 19.66% (male 10,679/female 10,175) | 25-54 years: 35.35% (male 18,701/female 18,802) | 55-64 years: 6.17% (male 3,345/female 3,202) | 65 years and over: 6.83% (male 3,249/female 3,994) (2020 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Australia - Oceania :: Tonga Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Tonga. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

21 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.9% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

34.1% (2012)

Current Health Expenditure

5.3% (2017)

Death rate

4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 68.6 | youth dependency ratio: 58.6 | elderly dependency ratio: 10 | potential support ratio: 10 (2020 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | unimproved: urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Tongan 97%, part-Tongan 0.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Hospital bed density

2.6 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 10.7 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)

Languages

Tongan and English 76.8%, Tongan, English, and other language 10.6%, Tongan only (official) 8.7%, English only (official) 0.7%, other 1.7%, none 2.2% (2016 est.) | note: data represent persons aged 5 and older who can read and write a simple sentence in Tongan, English, or another language

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77 years | male: 75.4 years | female: 78.8 years (2020 est.)

Literacy

definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English | total population: 99.4% | male: 99.4% | female: 99.5% (2015)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high (2020) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea | vectorborne diseases: malaria

Major urban areas - population

23,000 NUKU'ALOFA (2018)

Maternal mortality rate

52 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

total: 24.1 years | male: 23.6 years | female: 24.5 years (2020 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

24.9 years (2012 est.) | note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

noun: Tongan(s) | adjective: Tongan

Net migration rate

-17.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

48.2% (2016)

Physicians density

0.54 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

106,095 (July 2020 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

Population growth rate

-0.16% (2020 est.)

Religions

Protestant 64.1% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 35%, Free Church of Tonga 11.9%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Assembly of God 2.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 1.6%, other 4.3%), Mormon 18.6%, Roman Catholic 14.2%, other 2.4%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.1% (2016 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 96.6% of population | rural: 93.6% of population | total: 94.5% of population | unimproved: urban: 3.4% of population | rural: 6.4% of population | total: 5.5% of population (2017 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female | total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.87 children born/woman (2020 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 23.1% of total population (2020) | rate of urbanization: 0.71% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030: PDF

Disputes - international

maritime boundary dispute with Fiji

Airports

6 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 (2019) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 5 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2013) | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

A3 (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 36 | by type: bulk carrier 4, general cargo 14, oil tanker 1, other 17 (2019)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Nuku'alofa, Neiafu, Pangai

Roadways

total: 680 km (2011) | paved: 184 km (2011) | unpaved: 496 km (2011)