Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Tonga
Tonga: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 76.8% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
76.8%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
12th
of 214 countries
All-time high
79.8%
in 1970
All-time low
76.6%
in 2011
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Tonga, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Tonga is 76.8%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Tonga peaked at 79.8% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 76.6%, in 2011.
That places Tonga 12th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 79.8% | — |
| 1971 | 79.8% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 79.8% | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 79.6% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 79.5% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 79.3% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 79.1% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 78.8% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 78.6% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 78.4% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 78.2% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 78.0% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 77.7% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 77.5% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 77.4% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 77.4% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 77.3% | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 77.3% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 77.3% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 77.2% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 77.2% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 77.2% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 77.1% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 77.1% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 77.1% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 77.0% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 77.0% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 77.0% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 77.0% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 76.8% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 76.8% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 76.8% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 76.7% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 76.7% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 76.6% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 76.6% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 76.6% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 76.6% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 76.7% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 76.7% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 76.8% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 76.8% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 76.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 76.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 76.9% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 76.8% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 76.8% | -0.1% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 76.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 34.5%, 2.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 76.8% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 34.5%, 2.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 79.6% | 79.1% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.9% | 77.3% | 78.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 77.2% | 77.0% | 77.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.8% | 76.7% | 77.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.7% | 76.6% | 76.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.9% | 76.8% | 76.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 9 Sri Lanka 80.6% compare
- 10 South Sudan 78.4% compare
- 11 Nepal 77.6% compare
- 13 Micronesia (country) 76.4% compare
- 14 Ethiopia 76.3% compare
- 15 Antigua and Barbuda 75.7% compare
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)
- Population growth rate -0.013 (2100)
- Population density 163.72 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 6,812 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Tonga?
- Rural population in Tonga was 76.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 79.8% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.6% in 2011.
- How does Tonga rank for rural population?
- Tonga ranks 12th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release