Tonga | Facts & Information

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
  • Tonga Profile
Infoplease has everything you need to know about Tonga. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about Tonga's geography, history, government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. If that's not enough, click over to our collection of world maps and flags.

Facts & Figures

  • Sovereign: Tupou VI (2012)

    Prime Minister: ʻAkilisi Pohiva (2014)

    Land area: 277 sq mi (717 sq km); total area: 289 sq mi (748 sq km)

    Population (2014 est.): 106,440 (growth rate: 0.09%); birth rate: 23.55/1000; infant mortality rate: 12.36/1000; life expectancy: 75.82; density per sq mi: 360

    Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Nuku'alofa, 25,000

    Monetary unit: Pa'anga

    Current government officials

    Languages: English and Tongan 87%, Tongan (official) 10.7%, English (official) 1.2%, other 1.1%, uspecified 0.03%

    Ethnicity/race: Tongan 96.6%, part-Tongan 1.7%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.03%

    Religion: Protestant 64.9% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 37.3%, Free Church of Tonga 11.4%, Church of Tonga 7.2%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 2.6%, Assembly of God 2.3% Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Constitutional Church of Tonga .9%, Anglican .8% and Full Gospel Church .2%), Mormon 16.8%, Roman Catholic 15.6%, other 1.1%, none 0.03%, unspecified 1.7%

    Literacy rate: 99% (2006 est.)

    Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2013 est.): $846 million; per capita $8,200. Real growth rate: 1%. Inflation: 2%. Unemployment: 13% (FY03/04 est.). Arable land: 21.33%. Agriculture: squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish. Labor force: 39,960 (2007); agriculture 31.8%, industry and services 30.6% (2003 est.). Industries: tourism, construction, fishing. Natural resources: fish, fertile soil. Exports: $9.1 million (2013 est.): squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops. Imports: $122.5 million (2013 est.): foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals. Major trading partners: Japan, China, U.S., Taiwan, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, American Samoa, Samoa, South Korea, Hong Kong, Brazil (2011).

    Member of Commonwealth of Nations

    Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 30,000 (2012); mobile cellular: 56,000 (2012). Radio broadcast stations: 2 state-owned TV stations and 2 privately-owned TV stations; satellite and cable TV services are available; 2 state-owned and 3 privately-owned radio stations; Radio Australia broadcasts available satellite (2009). Radios: 61,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 2 (2001). Televisions: 2,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5,367 (2012). Internet users: 8,400 (2009).

    Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 680 km; paved: 184 km; unpaved: 496 km (2011 est.). Ports and harbors: Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai. Airports: 6 (2013).

    International disputes: none.

    Major sources and definitions

See also: