Browse a full set of economic indicators

Tonga

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Tonga economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. 

Basic Information

Government Type: Constitutional monarchy

Capital City: Nuku’alofa

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank National Reserve Bank of Tonga
Currency pa’anga (TOP)
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)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2014 2.9%
2015 3.5%
2016 4.2%
2017 2.5%
2018* 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
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 -1.1%
2015 2.6%
2016 7.4%
2017* 2.9%
2018* 3.8%

*Estimate

Inflation & Debt

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

*Estimate
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: N/A

Moody’s: N/A

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017)
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 -1.5%
2015 0.9%
2016 1.8%
2017* -0.8%
2018* -2.6%

*Estimate

Market value of publicly traded shares N/A
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

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)
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)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD 0.0 billion (2018 estimate)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP -7.7% (2018 estimate)
FDI inflows 2016 USD 8.8 8.8 million
2019 USD 13.8 million
2020 USD 8.2 million
FDI Outflows 2016 USD 1.2 million
2017 USD 1.5 million
2018 USD 0.5 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
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)

Population & Geographic Data

Total Area 747 sq km
Total Population 1990 0.1 0.1 0.1 Million
2000 0.1 Million
2010 0.1 Million
2015 0.1 Million
2020* 0.1 Million

*Estimate
Urban population as % of total population 1960 17.6%
1980 21.2%
2000 23.0%
2018 23.1%
Population median age 23.3 years (2018 estimate)
Population growth rate -0.1% (2018 estimate)
Life expectancy 76.6 years (2018 estimate)


CIA World Factbook / Life expectancy
% 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)
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)

Language & Religon

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

(can read and write Tongan and/or English)
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%

World Rankings

Population 0.1 million
Mercer Cost of living index N/A
C02 Emissions per capita 1.2 metric tons per capita (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Tonga

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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