East Asia & Pacific · Upper middle income
Tonga: the economy in numbers
Per person: $6,547, or $8,675 at purchasing power parity. Population: 103,742 (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #198 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +1.8%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $195 million in 1975, $679 million in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $2,092 per person in 1975, $6,547 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 1.6% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1980: 11 of 46.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 3.65 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 22.4% in 1980.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1999: 60.7% of GDP in 2002. IMF forecast for 2031: 65.0%.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Population
1960: 66,170 · 2025: 103,742.
Unemployment rate
1991: 1.3% · 2025: 2.0%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 58.3 years · 2024: 73.1 years.
Exports of goods and services
1975: 41.3% · 2024: 16.9%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 1.5%f | 3.0%f | 65.0%f | |||||||
| 2030 | 1.5%f | 3.0%f | 54.0%f | |||||||
| 2029 | 1.6%f | 3.4%f | 44.2%f | |||||||
| 2028 | 1.7%f | 5.3%f | 35.3%f | |||||||
| 2027 | 1.9%f | 7.5%f | 28.4%f | |||||||
| 2026 | 1.8%f | 3.8%f | 24.0%f | |||||||
| 2025 | $679M | $6,547 | $8,675 | 2.8% | 5.6% | 26.9% | 104K | 2.0% | ||
| 2024 | $647M | $6,215 | $8,174 | 1.7% | 3.2% | 31.7% | 104K | 2.0% | 73.1 | 16.9% |
| 2023 | $591M | $5,652 | $7,810 | 2.8% | 6.4% | 36.9% | 105K | 1.7% | 72.9 | 14.7% |
| 2022 | $557M | $5,298 | $7,296 | −2.1% | 11.0% | 40.1% | 105K | 2.0% | 72.6 | 10.8% |
| 2021 | $519M | $4,923 | $6,930 | −0.9% | 5.6% | 42.8% | 105K | 2.1% | 72.1 | 11.1% |
| 2020 | $507M | $4,792 | $6,677 | 1.8% | −0.3% | 41.6% | 106K | 2.7% | 72.4 | 19.7% |
| 2019 | $506M | $4,789 | $6,473 | −0.3% | 1.2% | 41.6% | 106K | 2.2% | 72.3 | 22.2% |
| 2018 | $494M | $4,675 | $6,393 | 0.5% | 5.0% | 45.5% | 106K | 2.2% | 72.2 | 21.2% |
| 2017 | $460M | $4,366 | $6,229 | 3.2% | 7.5% | 44.7% | 105K | 2.1% | 72.1 | 22.2% |
| 2016 | $421M | $3,988 | $5,920 | 6.6% | 2.6% | 49.4% | 106K | 2.0% | 72.0 | 24.5% |
| 2015 | $438M | $4,124 | $5,472 | 1.1% | −1.1% | 51.1% | 106K | 2.0% | 71.9 | 17.0% |
| 2014 | $441M | $4,137 | $5,336 | 2.0% | 2.5% | 47.4% | 107K | 1.9% | 71.7 | 16.9% |
| 2013 | $452M | $4,219 | $5,120 | 0.4% | 0.8% | 48.9% | 107K | 1.8% | 71.7 | 20.3% |
| 2012 | $471M | $4,384 | $4,996 | 0.9% | 1.1% | 60.0% | 107K | 1.6% | 71.5 | 17.1% |
| 2011 | $414M | $3,850 | $4,855 | 6.7% | 6.3% | 51.9% | 108K | 1.6% | 71.4 | 16.3% |
| 2010 | $367M | $3,416 | $4,465 | 0.8% | 3.5% | 44.7% | 107K | 1.5% | 71.3 | 12.5% |
| 2009 | $312M | $2,914 | $4,384 | −5.1% | 1.4% | 39.7% | 107K | 1.4% | 70.9 | 13.6% |
| 2008 | $344M | $3,218 | $4,600 | 4.9% | 10.4% | 34.0% | 107K | 1.3% | 71.0 | 16.0% |
| 2007 | $299M | $2,797 | $4,316 | −2.5% | 5.8% | 37.8% | 107K | 1.2% | 70.9 | 12.2% |
| 2006 | $292M | $2,750 | $4,327 | −2.2% | 6.1% | 39.6% | 106K | 1.1% | 70.7 | 14.6% |
| 2005 | $262M | $2,478 | $4,315 | −0.7% | 8.7% | 43.3% | 106K | 2.5% | 70.6 | 17.8% |
| 2004 | $231M | $2,195 | $4,235 | −2.0% | 11.0% | 52.2% | 105K | 3.9% | 70.4 | 19.6% |
| 2003 | $202M | $1,936 | $4,231 | 0.1% | 11.6% | 56.2% | 104K | 5.2% | 70.2 | 19.4% |
| 2002 | $183M | $1,759 | $4,171 | 4.4% | 10.4% | 60.7% | 104K | 4.7% | 70.0 | 18.3% |
| 2001 | $181M | $1,754 | $3,955 | 1.5% | 8.3% | 53.4% | 103K | 4.4% | 69.8 | 13.4% |
| 2000 | $205M | $1,995 | $3,834 | 3.8% | 6.3% | 43.6% | 103K | 4.0% | 69.6 | 15.2% |
| 1999 | $199M | $1,952 | $3,636 | 2.3% | 4.5% | 38.4% | 102K | 3.7% | 69.4 | 15.8% |
| 1998 | $192M | $1,889 | $3,527 | 2.3% | 3.3% | 101K | 3.3% | 69.2 | 19.6% | |
| 1997 | $215M | $2,136 | $3,434 | −0.6% | 2.1% | 101K | 2.9% | 69.0 | 20.9% | |
| 1996 | $222M | $2,215 | $3,410 | 0.1% | 3.0% | 100K | 2.4% | 68.8 | 20.1% | |
| 1995 | $209M | $2,084 | $3,347 | 6.2% | 1.5% | 100K | 2.0% | 68.6 | 17.0% | |
| 1994 | $196M | $1,957 | $3,088 | 5.0% | 1.0% | 100K | 1.7% | 68.4 | 17.2% | |
| 1993 | $138M | $1,383 | $2,882 | 3.7% | 1.0% | 100K | 1.3% | 68.2 | 19.9% | |
| 1992 | $137M | $1,370 | $2,716 | 0.3% | 7.9% | 100K | 1.3% | 67.9 | 23.6% | |
| 1991 | $132M | $1,323 | $2,652 | 6.4% | 10.6% | 99.9K | 1.3% | 67.7 | 22.9% | |
| 1990 | $114M | $1,139 | $2,416 | −2.0% | 9.7% | 99.7K | 67.5 | 33.9% | ||
| 1989 | $106M | $1,070 | 0.4% | 4.1% | 99.4K | 67.4 | 25.1% | |||
| 1988 | $107M | $1,078 | −1.9% | 9.9% | 99K | 67.3 | 22.7% | |||
| 1987 | $81.7M | $830 | 3.0% | 4.7% | 98.4K | 67.2 | 30.9% | |||
| 1986 | $68.2M | $696 | 2.1% | 21.7% | 98K | 67.1 | 25.7% | |||
| 1985 | $60.1M | $613 | 6.6% | 16.8% | 98K | 66.9 | 30.1% | |||
| 1984 | $64.2M | $656 | 1.7% | 0.1% | 98K | 66.8 | 26.6% | |||
| 1983 | $60.9M | $621 | 2.0% | 9.8% | 98K | 66.7 | 18.7% | |||
| 1982 | $62.1M | $633 | 4.7% | 10.8% | 98K | 66.3 | 27.6% | |||
| 1981 | $62.2M | $636 | 14.0% | 14.9% | 97.9K | 66.4 | 25.4% | |||
| 1980 | $53.3M | $545 | 15.8% | 22.4% | 97.8K | 66.2 | 30.1% | |||
| 1979 | $44.7M | $458 | 5.5% | 97.5K | 66.0 | 26.1% | ||||
| 1978 | $41.6M | $428 | 9.6% | 97.2K | 65.9 | 28.8% | ||||
| 1977 | $34.1M | $353 | 17.5% | 96.7K | 65.6 | 33.9% | ||||
| 1976 | $30M | $315 | 7.1% | 95.3K | 65.4 | 26.9% | ||||
| 1975 | $32.5M | $349 | 93K | 65.1 | 41.3% | |||||
| 1974 | 90.7K | 64.8 | ||||||||
| 1973 | 88.8K | 64.4 | ||||||||
| 1972 | 87.4K | 64.1 | ||||||||
| 1971 | 85.9K | 63.6 | ||||||||
| 1970 | 84.4K | 63.2 | ||||||||
| 1969 | 82.9K | 62.7 | ||||||||
| 1968 | 81.4K | 62.2 | ||||||||
| 1967 | 79.8K | 61.7 | ||||||||
| 1966 | 78K | 61.2 | ||||||||
| 1965 | 75.9K | 60.7 | ||||||||
| 1964 | 73.9K | 60.3 | ||||||||
| 1963 | 71.9K | 59.8 | ||||||||
| 1962 | 69.9K | 59.3 | ||||||||
| 1961 | 68K | 58.8 | ||||||||
| 1960 | 66.2K | 58.3 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Real growth: IMF data for 1980–1981, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in East Asia & Pacific
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
American Samoa · Australia · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Fiji · French Polynesia · Guam · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Japan · Kiribati · Laos · Macao · Malaysia · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · North Korea · Northern Mariana Islands · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Korea · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Vietnam
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
- Fiscal year: the IMF reports this economy by fiscal year (latest actual: FY2024/25), so IMF numbers can differ from calendar-year World Bank figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)