Tonga (Kingdom of Tonga)

https://www.humantruth.info/tonga.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Tonga Kingdom of Tonga
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	148th best
Capital	Nuku'alofa
Land Area	720km²₁
Location	Australasia, Polynesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.1m₂
Life Expectancy	70.99yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$6 822 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	TO, TON, 776₅
Internet Domain	.to₆
Currency	Pa'anga (TOP)₇
Telephone	+676₈

1. Overview

“Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Think lush, reef-fringed islands with sandy foreshores that virtually glow in the tropical sunshine. In Tonga you´ll need to slow down to the pace of local island life. Say goodbye to tourist hype - you´re now in the Kingdom of Tonga. This `never colonised´ Polynesian kingdom is unique in its approach to tourism. This is a country that survives on international aid and remittances sent from Tongans living overseas. You may get the impression that most Tongans would prefer visitors to donate their dollars and not leave the airport; expats seem determined to build a tourist industry, but most of the locals just don´t seem to care. In some ways, this is incredibly refreshing and in others incredibly frustrating. You won´t have to try to gain a cultural experience - it´s all around!
There´s no doubting the natural beauty of Tonga. Travellers choose the pace of their adventure here, mixing sun-and-sand holidays, swimming with humpback whales, hiking in tropical rainforests or just lying on the beach and experiencing Tongan time. Throw away any preconceived ideas, slow down to the pace of local life, and you´ll love the place. Expect too much and you´ll likely leave frustrated.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Tonga National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
88	Colombia	0.752
89	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.751
90	Maldives	0.747
91=	Tonga	0.745
91=	Algeria	0.745
91=	Azerbaijan	0.745
91=	Turkmenistan	0.745
95	Ecuador	0.740
	Australasia Avg	0.70
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
123	Laos	$7 700
124	Swaziland	$7 679
125	Morocco	$7 303
126	Tonga	$6 822
127	India	$6 590
128	Palestine	$6 583
129	Tuvalu	$6 351
130	Belize	$6 309
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	29.7
2	Norway	33.6
3	Switzerland	35.2
	...
145	Gambia	106.4
146	Ethiopia	107.0
147	Malawi	107.1
148	Tonga	107.2
149	Zambia	107.5
150	Vanuatu	107.6
151	Mali	107.6
152	Pakistan	108.3
	Australasia Avg	95.6
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Tonga's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Tonga's population is predicted to rise to 120 540 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.19. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
180	Micronesia	0.1m
181	Grenada	0.1m
182	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.1m
183	Tonga	0.1m
184	Seychelles	97 096
185	Antigua & Barbuda	96 286
186	Andorra	77 006
187	Dominica	71 625
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
102	Tajikistan	71.6
103	Seychelles	71.3
104	St Lucia	71.1
105	Tonga	71.0
106	Mongolia	71.0
107	Uzbekistan	70.9
108	El Salvador	70.7
109	Micronesia	70.7
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
152	Tajikistan	3.14
153	Tuvalu	3.14
154	Papua New Guinea	3.17
155	Tonga	3.19
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
81	Maldives	11.0
82	Mongolia	11.8
83=	Uzbekistan	11.9
83=	Tonga	11.9
85	Kyrgyzstan	12.1
86	Indonesia	12.4
87=	Myanmar (Burma)	12.5
87=	India	12.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
84	Palestine	5.2%
85	Argentina	4.9%
86	Panama	4.7%
87	Tonga	4.6%
88	Venezuela	4.5%
89	Lithuania	4.3%
90	St Vincent & Grenadines	4.2%
91	Czechia	4.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
6	Guyana	56.9%
7	Monaco	56.3%
8	Antigua & Barbuda	47.6%
9	Tonga	45.4%
10	Albania	45.4%
11	Barbados	41.0%
12	Suriname	39.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Tonga's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Compared to Australasia (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	New Zealand	13.3
2	Australia	16.0
3	Kiribati	70.1
	...
6	Micronesia	78.2
7	Palau	80.7
8	Nauru	82.3
9	Fiji	87.1
10	Vanuatu	98.7
11	Samoa	100.4
12	Tonga	105.5
13	Solomon Islands	108.9
14	Papua New Guinea	113.5
	Australasia Avg	79.23
q=14.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
122	Kosovo	102.5
123	Lebanon	104.4
124	Kazakhstan	104.7
125	Tonga	105.5
126	Benin	105.6
127	Malaysia	105.8
128	Tajikistan	106.4
129	Kenya	106.8
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets:

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₀
Pos.		2025₂₀
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
43	Dominican Rep.	69.87
44	Samoa	69.28
45	Seychelles	68.56
46	Tonga	68.39
47	Belize	68.32
48	Italy	68.01
49	Mauritania	67.52
50	Mauritius	67.31
	Australasia Avg	70.62
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
65	Malta	2.0
66=	Croatia	2.0
66=	Panama	2.0
66=	Tonga	2.0
66=	Samoa	2.0
66=	Botswana	2.0
66=	Romania	2.0
66=	Trinidad & Tobago	2.0
	Australasia Avg	1.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₁
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₁
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
180	UAE	7
181	St Lucia	6
182=	Brunei	6
182=	Tonga	6
182=	Pakistan	6
185	Tuvalu	5
186=	Micronesia	5
186=	Singapore	5
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₂
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
182	Singapore	15.02
183	Papua New Guinea	15.23
184	Brunei	15.29
185	Tonga	15.55
186	Micronesia	15.55
187	Somalia	15.71
188	Kiribati	15.80
189	Solomon Islands	15.81
	Australasia Avg	14.35
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Gender Equality Datasets:

Tonga is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2022₂₃
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
136	Gabon	0.53
137	Uganda	0.53
138	Kenya	0.54
139	Tonga	0.55
140	Sudan	0.55
141	Cameroon	0.56
142	Lesotho	0.56
143	Iraq	0.56
	Australasia Avg	0.37
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Data starts in 2018, but in absence of any other data, this is still being used as the 2010s average.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
122=	Madagascar	1959
122=	Tunisia	1959
122=	Tanzania	1959
125	Tonga	1960
126=	Cyprus	1960
126=	Gambia	1960
128	El Salvador	1961
129=	Rwanda	1961
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice Datasets:

LGBT Equality Higher is better₂₄
Pos.		2017 Score₂₄
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
176=	Comoros	-30
176=	Angola	-30
176=	Uzbekistan	-30
176=	Tonga	-30
176=	Tuvalu	-30
181	Mauritania	-32
182	UAE	-34
183=	Kuwait	-37
	Australasia Avg	07.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₅
Pos.		2021₂₅
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
50	Romania	2.5
51=	Mali	2.5
51=	Bhutan	2.5
51=	Tonga	2.5
51=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.5
51=	Bulgaria	2.5
51=	Ukraine	2.5
51=	Bahamas	2.5
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Tonga's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #tonga #vaccines

Compared to Australasia (2025)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₆
1	New Caledonia	57.9
2	Australia	62.9
3	New Zealand	67.5
	...
7	French Polynesia	114.5
8	Vanuatu	123.8
9	Solomon Islands	128.2
10=	Tonga	129.1
11	Tuvalu	129.6
12	Papua New Guinea	130.7
13	Micronesia	134.5
14	Kiribati	138.7
15	Samoa	138.9
	Australasia Avg	112.00
q=19.

Health (2025)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₆
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
184	Yemen	128.5
185	Burkina Faso	128.6
186	Niger	129.0
187=	Tonga	129.1
187=	Sierra Leone	129.1
189	Tuvalu	129.6
190	Zambia	130.5
191	Madagascar	130.6
	World Avg	96.49
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₇. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Marshall Islands, The Cook Islands and S. Sudan₂₇.

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₇, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Melanesia and Australasia₂₇.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

Tonga is a pretty unhealthy country. Tonga does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate₂₈ and in its adolescent birth rate₂₉ (one of the best in Australasia). When it comes to most other metrics, Tonga does not do well. It does worse than average in its average life expectancy₁₁ (still good for Australasia), its smoking rate₃₀, its fertility rate₁₄ and in its immunizations take-up₃₁. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂ (amongst the highest in Australasia) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Tonga improved by +3.6yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Tonga's peak fertility rate was 6.89 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
102	Tajikistan	71.6
103	Seychelles	71.3
104	St Lucia	71.1
105	Tonga	71.0
106	Mongolia	71.0
107	Uzbekistan	70.9
108	El Salvador	70.7
109	Micronesia	70.7
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₂₈
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
32=	Guinea	1.3
32=	Mali	1.3
34	Solomon Islands	1.4
35=	Tonga	1.5
35=	Lebanon	1.5
37	Chad	1.6
38	Tuvalu	1.7
39=	Madagascar	1.9
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
152	Tajikistan	3.14
153	Tuvalu	3.14
154	Papua New Guinea	3.17
155	Tonga	3.19
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
	Australasia Avg	2.82
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		Total %₃₀
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
137	Romania	30.1%
138	Belarus	30.2%
139	Turkey	30.5%
140	Tonga	31.3%
141	Lithuania	31.4%
142	Georgia	31.8%
143	Montenegro	32.1%
144	Hungary	32.2%
	Australasia Avg	29.2%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
146	Samoa	146
147	Jamaica	147
148	Togo	148
149	Tonga	149
150	Nigeria	150
151	St Lucia	151
152	Trinidad & Tobago	152
153	Mozambique	153
	Australasia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		1976 %₃₃
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
183=	Tuvalu	51.4
184	Niue	51.7
185	Kuwait	52.2
186	Tonga	53.2
187	Samoa	54.0
188	Cook Islands	63.0
189	Marshall Islands	63.3
190	Palau	64.0
	Australasia Avg	48.8
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		2022 %₃₄
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
192	Samoa	61.2%
193	Tuvalu	63.9%
194	Niue	66.5%
195	Cook Islands	68.4%
196	Tokelau	69.2%
197	Nauru	70.2%
198	Tonga	70.5%
199	American Samoa	75.6%
	Australasia Avg	49.3%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₂₉
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
66	India	16.3
67	Armenia	18.3
68	Bhutan	18.5
69	Tonga	19.2
70	Lebanon	20.0
71	Kazakhstan	20.9
72	Turkmenistan	21.2
73	Hungary	21.9
	Australasia Avg	40.2
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₃₁
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₁
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
155	Myanmar (Burma)	80.3
156=	Benin	80.1
156=	Guinea-Bissau	80.1
158	Tonga	80.0
159	Mauritania	79.9
160	Lebanon	79.4
161	San Marino	79.3
162	Gabon	78.7
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Tonga's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #internationalism #over-exploitation #the_environment

Compared to Australasia (2025)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₅
1	New Zealand	75.8
2	Australia	76.6
3	Fiji	89.1
4	Vanuatu	93.0
5	Tonga	96.1
6	Papua New Guinea	104.5
7	Samoa	107.0
8	Kiribati	111.4
9	Micronesia	114.6
10	Cook Islands	119.6
11	Solomon Islands	121.6
12	Marshall Islands	123.1
13	Palau	124.5
	Australasia Avg	93.28
q=16.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₅
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
138	Ukraine	94.8
139	Saudi Arabia	94.9
140	Israel	95.8
141	Tonga	96.1
142=	St Kitts & Nevis	96.9
142=	Iceland	96.9
144	Laos	97.0
145=	Estonia	97.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₃₆. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

With respect to its responsibility towards the environment, Tonga comes 141st in the world (still low for Australasia). This is computed using 21 data sets. Tonga does better than average for its environmental performance₃₇ (one of the highest in Australasia) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₈. And finally, it does worse than average in terms of its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₃₈
Pos.		Total₃₈
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
90=	Marshall Islands	0.0%
90=	Norfolk Island	0.0%
90=	Yemen	0.0%
90=	Tonga	0.0%
90=	Barbados	0.0%
90=	Turkmenistan	0.0%
90=	Bahamas	0.0%
90=	San Marino	0.0%
	Australasia Avg	0.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₃₇
Pos.		2018₃₇
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
54	Morocco	63.5
55	Cuba	63.4
56	Panama	62.7
57	Tonga	62.5
58	Tunisia	62.4
59	Azerbaijan	62.3
60	S. Korea	62.3
61	Kuwait	62.3
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
171	Sierra Leone	43%
172	Eritrea	43%
173	Somalia	43%
174	Tonga	43%
175	Kiribati	42%
176	Cook Islands	42%
177	Niue	42%
178	Solomon Islands	42%
	Australasia Avg	48.2%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

7. Tonga's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2020)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	New Zealand	15.2
2	Australia	16.6
3	Palau	47.4
4=	Tonga	62.0
5	Fiji	71.5
6	Samoa	99.8
7	Marshall Islands	111.1
8	Vanuatu	125.6
9	Kiribati	127.3
10	Micronesia	133.6
11	Tuvalu	138.2
12	Solomon Islands	154.5
13	Papua New Guinea	158.4
	Australasia Avg	97.01
q=13.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
56	Malaysia	59.4
57	Kazakhstan	59.8
58=	Saudi Arabia	62.0
58=	Tonga	62.0
60	UAE	64.3
61	Mexico	64.5
62	Montenegro	64.9
63	Bosnia & Herzegovina	65.6
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₀. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₀. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₁.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₂

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₀, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₀.

For more, see:

"Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₃
Pos.		2018₄₃
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
28	Bulgaria	95.1%
29	Lithuania	94.9%
30	Ukraine	94.6%
31	Tonga	93.7%
32	Japan	93.6%
33	Tajikistan	93.1%
34	Barbados	92.9%
35	Albania	92.9%
	Australasia Avg	79.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₄
Pos.		2021 Years₄₄
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
34	Latvia	16.2
35	Saudi Arabia	16.1
36	Israel	16.1
37	Tonga	16.0
38	Poland	16.0
39	Austria	16.0
40	Estonia	15.9
41	Thailand	15.9
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
82	Uganda	82
83	Mauritius	83
84	UAE	84
85	Tonga	85
86	Georgia	86
87	Benin	87
88	Pakistan	88
89	Seychelles	89
	Australasia Avg	58.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		2016₄₅
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
102	Moldova	48%
103=	Paraguay	47%
103=	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
108	Panama	45%
109	Mexico	45%
	Australasia Avg	44.3%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2017 Ratio₄₆
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
128=	Djibouti	0.0
128=	Guyana	0.0
128=	Namibia	0.0
128=	Tonga	0.0
128=	Myanmar (Burma)	0.0
128=	Morocco	0.0
128=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.0
128=	Honduras	0.0
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Tonga's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #culture #economics #equality #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #social_development

Compared to Australasia (2020)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	New Zealand	15.5
2	Australia	29.4
3	Fiji	77.4
4	Samoa	83.3
5	Tonga	105.3
6	Papua New Guinea	110.3
	Australasia Avg	70.21
q=6.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₄₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₇
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
149=	Guinea	103.4
150	Djibouti	103.6
151	Gambia	104.9
152	Tonga	105.3
153	Lebanon	105.4
154	Myanmar (Burma)	105.7
155	Niger	106.1
156	Cameroon	109.9
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
67	USA	67
68	Guyana	68
69	Bosnia & Herzegovina	69
70	Tonga	70
71	Trinidad & Tobago	71
72	Botswana	72
73	Dominica	73
74	Antigua & Barbuda	74
	Australasia Avg	61.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
76	Dominican Rep.	76
77	Slovenia	77
78	Guatemala	78
79	Tonga	79
80	Latvia	80
81	Romania	81
82	Costa Rica	82
83	Kuwait	83
	Australasia Avg	91.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
156	Swaziland	156
157	Yemen	157
158	Iraq	158
159	Bahrain	159
160	Slovenia	160
161	Tonga	161
162	Marshall Islands	162
163	Guinea-Bissau	163
	Australasia Avg	88.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₂
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
156	Ivory Coast	156
157	St Lucia	157
158	Vietnam	158
159	Laos	159
160	Equatorial Guinea	160
161	Fiji	161
162	Tonga	162
163	Brunei	163
	Australasia Avg	103.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₄₈
Pos.		2019₄₈
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
78	Moldova	9.60
79	Jamaica	10.00
80=	Samoa	10.00
81	Tonga	10.40
82	Mexico	10.50
83=	St Lucia	10.60
83=	Jordan	10.60
85	Colombia	10.70
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₄₉
Pos.		2023 %₄₉
1	Slovakia	24.1%₅₀
2	Slovenia	24.3%₅₀
3	Belarus	24.4%₅₁
	...
11=	Syria	26.6%₅₂
11=	Azerbaijan	26.6%₅₃
11=	Belgium	26.6%₅₀
14	Tonga	27.1%₅₀
15	Algeria	27.6%₅₄
16=	Finland	27.7%₅₀
16=	Norway	27.7%₅₅
18	Kiribati	27.8%₅₅
	Australasia Avg	34.8%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Tonga - only for 3 years between 1980 and 2019.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₅₆:

Christian	98.9%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)₅₇.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems