Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Tonga
Tonga: Number of people living in urban and rural areas was 21,948 people in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
21,948 people
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
219th
of 236 countries
All-time high
25,237 people
in 2011
All-time low
6,648 people
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Tonga, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas in Tonga is 21,948 people, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas in Tonga peaked at 25,237 people in 2011 and was at its lowest, 6,648 people, in 1950.
Tonga ranks 219th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Tonga, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6,648 people | — |
| 1951 | 7,075 people | +6.4% |
| 1952 | 7,526 people | +6.4% |
| 1953 | 8,002 people | +6.3% |
| 1954 | 8,502 people | +6.2% |
| 1955 | 9,019 people | +6.1% |
| 1956 | 9,568 people | +6.1% |
| 1957 | 10,189 people | +6.5% |
| 1958 | 10,808 people | +6.1% |
| 1959 | 11,441 people | +5.9% |
| 1960 | 12,083 people | +5.6% |
| 1961 | 12,725 people | +5.3% |
| 1962 | 13,357 people | +5.0% |
| 1963 | 13,974 people | +4.6% |
| 1964 | 14,566 people | +4.2% |
| 1965 | 15,126 people | +3.8% |
| 1966 | 15,635 people | +3.4% |
| 1967 | 16,044 people | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 16,382 people | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 16,714 people | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 17,038 people | +1.9% |
| 1971 | 17,355 people | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 17,664 people | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 17,972 people | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 18,370 people | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 18,865 people | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 19,362 people | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 19,688 people | +1.7% |
| 1978 | 19,850 people | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 20,006 people | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 20,157 people | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 20,309 people | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 20,460 people | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 20,613 people | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 20,768 people | +0.8% |
| 1985 | 20,931 people | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 21,105 people | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 21,353 people | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 21,652 people | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 21,913 people | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 22,139 people | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 22,334 people | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 22,502 people | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 22,646 people | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 22,769 people | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 22,872 people | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 22,949 people | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 23,086 people | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 23,287 people | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 23,469 people | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 23,642 people | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 23,807 people | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 23,965 people | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 24,125 people | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 24,292 people | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 24,460 people | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 24,630 people | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 24,786 people | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 24,924 people | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 25,044 people | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 25,158 people | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 25,237 people | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 25,209 people | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 25,074 people | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 24,886 people | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 24,660 people | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 24,405 people | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 24,202 people | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 23,966 people | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 23,595 people | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 23,124 people | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 22,425 people | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 22,214 people | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 22,120 people | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 22,034 people | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 21,948 people | -0.4% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 21,948 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.47 million people, 0% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 21,948 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 722,007 people, 3% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 8,878 people | 6,648 people | 11,441 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 14,661 people | 12,083 people | 16,714 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 18,617 people | 17,038 people | 20,006 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 20,926 people | 20,157 people | 21,913 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 22,805 people | 22,139 people | 23,469 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 24,367 people | 23,642 people | 25,044 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 24,639 people | 23,595 people | 25,237 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 22,311 people | 21,948 people | 23,124 people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 216 Antigua and Barbuda 22,924 people compare
- 217 British Virgin Islands 22,804 people compare
- 218 Faroe Islands 22,201 people compare
- 220 Guernsey 19,082 people compare
- 221 Saint Kitts and Nevis 14,968 people compare
- 222 Anguilla 14,728 people compare
More population data for Tonga
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5565 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0093 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 6,812 people (2100)
- Population density 163.72 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3365 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8047 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas in Tonga?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Tonga was 21,948 people in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 25,237 people in 2011.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,648 people in 1950.
- How does Tonga rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas?
- Tonga ranks 219th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.