Share of population living in urbanized areas in Tonga
Tonga: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 28.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
28.0%
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
186th
of 202 countries
All-time high
28.0%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Tonga, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tonga recorded 28.0% for share of population living in urbanized areas in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in Tonga peaked at 28.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Tonga 186th out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.1% | -39.2% |
| 1720 | 0.1% | +25.0% |
| 1730 | 0.1% | +25.0% |
| 1740 | 0.1% | +25.0% |
| 1750 | 0.1% | +25.0% |
| 1760 | 0.2% | +25.0% |
| 1770 | 0.2% | +25.0% |
| 1780 | 0.3% | +25.0% |
| 1790 | 0.4% | +25.0% |
| 1800 | 0.5% | +25.0% |
| 1810 | 0.6% | +25.0% |
| 1820 | 0.7% | +25.0% |
| 1830 | 0.9% | +25.0% |
| 1840 | 1.1% | +25.0% |
| 1850 | 1.4% | +25.0% |
| 1860 | 1.7% | +25.0% |
| 1870 | 2.2% | +25.0% |
| 1880 | 2.7% | +25.0% |
| 1890 | 3.4% | +25.0% |
| 1900 | 4.2% | +25.0% |
| 1910 | 5.3% | +25.0% |
| 1920 | 6.6% | +25.0% |
| 1930 | 8.2% | +25.0% |
| 1940 | 10.3% | +25.0% |
| 1950 | 12.9% | +25.0% |
| 1951 | 13.4% | +4.3% |
| 1952 | 14.0% | +3.9% |
| 1953 | 14.5% | +3.9% |
| 1954 | 15.1% | +4.3% |
| 1955 | 15.9% | +4.8% |
| 1956 | 16.7% | +5.3% |
| 1957 | 17.5% | +4.5% |
| 1958 | 18.2% | +4.1% |
| 1959 | 18.9% | +3.8% |
| 1960 | 19.5% | +3.2% |
| 1961 | 20.0% | +2.5% |
| 1962 | 20.4% | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 20.7% | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 21.2% | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 21.7% | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 22.4% | +3.2% |
| 1967 | 22.9% | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 23.3% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 23.5% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 23.5% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 23.4% | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 23.0% | -1.8% |
| 1973 | 22.4% | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 21.9% | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 21.5% | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 21.4% | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 21.5% | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 21.7% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 22.0% | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 22.0% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 22.1% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 22.1% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 22.0% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 21.9% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 22.1% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 22.2% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 22.3% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 22.4% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 22.6% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 22.7% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 22.9% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 23.0% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 23.1% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 23.2% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 23.2% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 23.2% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 23.2% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 23.2% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 23.3% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 23.3% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 23.3% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 23.4% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 23.4% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 23.4% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 23.4% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 23.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 23.4% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 23.4% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 23.6% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 23.9% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 24.1% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 24.3% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 24.5% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 24.7% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 25.0% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 25.2% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 25.4% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 25.6% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 26.1% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 26.6% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 27.0% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 27.5% | +1.8% |
| 2025 | 28.0% | +1.7% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 28.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 69.2%, 40% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 28.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 59.0%, 47% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas in Tonga changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1810s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1820s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1830s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1840s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1850s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 1860s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| 1870s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1880s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1890s | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1 |
| 1900s | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1 |
| 1910s | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1 |
| 1920s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 1 |
| 1940s | 10.3% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 1 |
| 1950s | 15.7% | 12.9% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 21.5% | 19.5% | 23.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.2% | 21.4% | 23.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.1% | 21.9% | 22.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.0% | 22.6% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.4% | 23.3% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.4% | 23.4% | 25.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.8% | 25.6% | 28.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
More population data for Tonga
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0093 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.4068 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0093 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5565 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 131.22 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8047 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3365 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 163.72 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 6,812 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Tonga?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Tonga was 28.0% in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 28.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Tonga rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Tonga ranks 186th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urbanized areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.