
Population growth in Tonga
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Tonga increased from 61,574.00 to 106,017.00 people. This is a growth of 72.2 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Tonga was recorded in 2015 with 5.05 percent. The biggest decrease in 2013 with -0.94 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Tonga rose by 2.82 years from 2012 to 2021 from 21.28 to 24.10 years (median value).
Around 23 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 0.7 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Tonga
Population development in Tonga since 1960
(Data given in 1000 inhabitants)Year | Population Tonga | Change Tonga | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 64,000 | 3.49 % | 46.7 ‰ | 9.8 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 66,000 | 3.94 % | 46.1 ‰ | 9.5 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 69,000 | 4.14 % | 45.4 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 72,000 | 4.01 % | 44.5 ‰ | 9.0 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 74,000 | 3.63 % | 43.4 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 77,000 | 3.26 % | 42.2 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 79,000 | 2.94 % | 40.8 ‰ | 8.0 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 81,000 | 2.58 % | 39.3 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 83,000 | 2.20 % | 37.7 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 84,000 | 1.79 % | 36.2 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 85,000 | 1.36 % | 35.0 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 86,000 | 0.98 % | 33.9 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 87,000 | 0.73 % | 33.2 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 88,000 | 0.72 % | 32.9 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 88,000 | 0.84 % | 32.8 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 89,000 | 1.03 % | 33.1 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 90,000 | 1.16 % | 33.5 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 91,000 | 1.19 % | 33.9 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 92,000 | 1.02 % | 34.3 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 93,000 | 0.75 % | 34.6 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 93,000 | 0.48 % | 34.7 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 94,000 | 0.24 % | 34.6 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 94,000 | 0.11 % | 34.3 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 94,000 | 0.06 % | 33.9 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 94,000 | 0.11 % | 33.3 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 94,000 | 0.20 % | 32.7 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 94,000 | 0.25 % | 32.2 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 95,000 | 0.29 % | 31.8 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 95,000 | 0.27 % | 31.5 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 95,000 | 0.23 % | 31.3 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 95,000 | 0.18 % | 31.2 ‰ | 6.3 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 95,000 | 0.16 % | 31.0 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 96,000 | 0.17 % | 30.7 ‰ | 6.4 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 96,000 | 0.19 % | 30.3 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 96,000 | 0.24 % | 29.8 ‰ | 6.6 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 96,000 | 0.31 % | 29.2 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 97,000 | 0.37 % | 28.8 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 97,000 | 0.43 % | 28.5 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 97,000 | 0.45 % | 28.3 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 98,000 | 0.50 % | 28.2 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 98,000 | 0.53 % | 28.3 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 99,000 | 0.55 % | 28.4 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 100,000 | 0.57 % | 28.5 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 100,000 | 0.63 % | 28.6 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 101,000 | 0.69 % | 28.5 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 102,000 | 0.80 % | 28.5 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 103,000 | 0.85 % | 28.3 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 103,000 | 0.79 % | 28.1 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 104,000 | 0.50 % | 27.8 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 104,000 | 0.08 % | 27.4 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 104,000 | -0.41 % | 27.0 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 103,000 | -0.79 % | 26.6 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 102,000 | -0.94 % | 26.2 ‰ | 7.2 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 101,000 | -0.73 % | 25.7 ‰ | 6.7 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 106,000 | 5.05 % | 25.2 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
2016 | 106,000 | -0.39 % | 24.5 ‰ | 6.8 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
2017 | 105,000 | -0.28 % | 24.0 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 105,000 | -0.25 % | 23.6 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 105,000 | -0.19 % | 23.4 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 105,000 | 0.29 % | 23.1 ‰ | 6.9 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
2021 | 106,000 | 0.72 % | 23.0 ‰ | 7.0 ‰ | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |

Birth and death rate in Tonga
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2021 in the graph: The population in Tonga increased by about 760 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.0 per 1,000 people (~ 730 deaths) and the birth rate was 23.0 per 1,000 people (~ 2,430 births). As a result, around 940 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 724 in Tonga. The number of births was 2,561 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate