Source
Central bank

National Reserve Bank of Tonga

International Reserves

USD 0.23 billion (2018, estimate)

Gross Domestic Product - GDP

USD 0.6 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Intl$ 0.6 billion (2018, estimate)

Real GDP growth
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
2.9% 3.5% 4.2% 2.5% 1.8%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current prices

USD 4,665.2.9 (2018, estimate)

GDP per capita - PPP

Intl$ 6,110.5 (2018, estimate)

GDP (PPP) - share of world total

N/A

 
 
Source
GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 19.9% 
  • industry: 20.3% 
  • services: 59.8%

(2017 estimate)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)

N/A

 

Inflation
2014 2015 2016 2017* 2018*
-1.1% 2.6% 7.4% 2.9% 3.8%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate

N/A

Household saving rates

N/A

 

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)

N/A

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2014 2015 2016* 2017* 2018*
-1.5% 0.9% 1.8% -0.8% -2.6%

*Estimate   

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: N/A

Moody's: N/A

Standard & Poor's / Moody's (Updated January 2017)

Market value of publicly traded shares

N/A

Largest companies

N/A

 
 
Source
Current account balance

USD 0.0 billion (2018 estimate)

Current account balance by percentage of GDP

-7.7% (2018 estimate)

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)

21.5% (2017)

Shares in world total merchandising export

0.0001% (2018)​

Shares in world total commercial services export

0.002% (2018)

Total exports

USD 103.2 million (2018 estimate)

Export commodities

Squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops, kava

Total imports

USD 323.6 million (2018 estimate)

 
 
Source
Import commodities

Foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

Exports - major partners

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

Imports - major partners

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

FDI inflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 8.8 million USD 13.8 million USD 8.2 million
FDI outflows
2016 2017 2018
USD 1.2 million USD 1.5 million USD 0.5 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser

N/A

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A; click here )

Best countries for doing business

Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 103 out of 190 countries (2019)

Subcategories:

Starting a Business: 62 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 69 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 95 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 166 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 48 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 153 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 102 out of 190 countries

Trading across Borders: 97 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 98 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 138 out of 190 countries

 

Global competitiveness ranking

N/A

Index of Economic Freedom

Ranking: 108 / Score: 57.7 (Mostly unfree) (2019)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

 
 
Source
Time zone

UTC+1

Total area

747 sq km

Capital

Nuku'alofa

Currency

pa'anga (TOP)

Government type

Constitutional monarchy

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.)

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%

Total population
1990 2000 2010 2015 2020*
0.1 million 0.1 million 0.1 million 0.1 million 0.1 million

*Estimate

 
 
Source
Urban population as % of total population
1960 1980 2000 2018
17.6% 21.2% 23.0% 23.1%
Population median age

23.3 years (2018 estimate)

Population growth rate

-0.1% (2018 estimate)

Life expectancy

76.6 years (2018 estimate)

Literacy

Total population: 99.4%
Male: 99.3%
Female: 99.4% (2015 est.)

(can read and write Tongan and/or English)

% of population living on less than $3.10 a day

7.5% (2015 estimate)

Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

37.6 (2015 estimate)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2 (2019)                         

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)

Source
Total telephone subscribers as % of population

Fixed 14.4%   Mobile: 105.8% (2017)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population

41.25% (2017)

Mercer Cost of living index

N/A

CO2 emissions

1.2 metric tons per capita (2014)

World's Best Subcustodian Banks