Tonga People - 2023

Population

105,221 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Tongan(s)

adjective: Tongan

Ethnic groups

Tongan 97%, part-Tongan 0.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified <0.1% (2016 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

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%), Church of Jesus Christ 18.6%, Roman Catholic 14.2%, other 2.4%, none 0.5%, unspecified 0.1% (2016 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.92% (male 15,989/female 15,491)

15-64 years: 62.79% (male 33,330/female 32,741)

65 years and over: 7.29% (2023 est.) (male 3,453/female 4,217)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 68.6

youth dependency ratio: 58.5

elderly dependency ratio: 10.5

potential support ratio: 9.5 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 24.1 years

male: 23.6 years

female: 24.5 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.3% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

20.02 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

4.95 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

-18.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 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

Urbanization

urban population: 23.2% of total population (2023)

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

Major urban areas - population

23,000 NUKU'ALOFA (2018)

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

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

24.9 years (2012 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio

126 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 13.09 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 11.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.78 years

male: 76.14 years

female: 79.47 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.33 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

29.3% (2019)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.8% of population

rural: 99.6% of population

total: 99.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 0.4% of population

total: 0.4% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

5.3% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

0.95 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 99.4% of population

rural: 98.8% of population

total: 98.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 0.6% of population

rural: 1.2% of population

total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

48.2% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 0.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 31% (2020 est.)

male: 46.7% (2020 est.)

female: 15.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.8% (2019)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54.9% (2023 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 0.4%

women married by age 18: 10.1%

men married by age 18: 2.8% (2019 est.)

Education expenditures

6.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy

definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English

total population: 99.4%

male: 99.4%

female: 99.5% (2021)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years

male: 15 years

female: 17 years (2020)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 11.1%

male: 7.5%

female: 16.3% (2021 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Tonga on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Tonga 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Tonga 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.