Tonga People - 2024

Population

105,221 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Tongan(s)

adjective: Tongan

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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

note: data represent language use at home of persons aged 5 and older

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.)

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)

2023 population pyramid:

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: 25.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 25 years

female: 25.9 years

Population growth rate

-0.3% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

-18.1 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 (2023 est.)

male: 13.1 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 76.1 years

female: 79.5 years

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)