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	118th 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	26.9
2	Norway	29.1
3	Sweden	29.9
	...
115	Palau	95.3
116	Botswana	95.4
117	Venezuela	95.7
118	Tonga	96.1
119	Guyana	96.4
120	Uzbekistan	96.5
121	Oman	97.1
122	Nepal	98.0
	Australasia Avg	95.6
	World Avg	89.0
q=200.

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, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
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	12.5
87=	India	12.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
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.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
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)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	New Zealand	18.9
2	Australia	22.1
3	Micronesia	59.3
	...
6	Tuvalu	83.8
7	Nauru	89.3
8	Fiji	89.5
9	Palau	91.4
10	Samoa	98.2
11	Tonga	101.0
12	Marshall Islands	102.9
13	Papua New Guinea	108.8
14	Solomon Islands	119.1
	Australasia Avg	79.23
q=14.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
110	St Kitts & Nevis	98.9
111	Armenia	99.1
112	Indonesia	100.4
113	Tonga	101.0
114	Kyrgyzstan	102.0
115	Rwanda	102.5
116	Haiti	102.6
117	Marshall Islands	102.9
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting 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 Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

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

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₁
Pos.		2025₂₁
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. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

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
65=	Croatia	2.0
65=	Panama	2.0
65=	Tonga	2.0
65=	Samoa	2.0
65=	Botswana	2.0
65=	Romania	2.0
65=	Trinidad & Tobago	2.0
	Australasia Avg	1.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₂
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₂
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
180=	UAE	7
181=	St Lucia	6
181=	Brunei	6
181=	Tonga	6
181=	Pakistan	6
185=	Tuvalu	5
185=	Micronesia	5
185=	Singapore	5
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₃
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.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

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

See:

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2022₂₄
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

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
125=	Cyprus	1960
125=	Gambia	1960
128=	El Salvador	1961
128=	Rwanda	1961
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₂₅
Pos.		Total Score₂₅
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
150	Belarus	-3.26
151	Ghana	-3.28
152	Myanmar	-3.34
153	Tonga	-3.38
154	Jordan	-3.40
155	Dominica	-3.42
156	Kuwait	-3.44
157	Namibia	-3.52
	Australasia Avg	-0.93
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Colonial Era (British) anti-male-homosexuality laws were introduced, criminalizing it. -3 for male-only illegality

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Tonga had legal protections against anti-LGBT and other protections.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2021₂₆
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
50=	Romania	2.5
50=	Mali	2.5
50=	Bhutan	2.5
50=	Tonga	2.5
50=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.5
50=	Bulgaria	2.5
50=	Ukraine	2.5
50=	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)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₇
1	Australia	60.4
2	New Zealand	65.0
3	New Caledonia	68.1
4	French Polynesia	93.1
5	Fiji	93.8
6	Palau	98.6
7	Niue	102.3
8	Tonga	103.3
9	Tuvalu	118.6
10	Vanuatu	122.4
11	Guam	122.6
12	Solomon Islands	122.9
13	Samoa	124.2
	Australasia Avg	112.00
q=19.

Health (2025)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₇
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	37.3
	...
115	Libya	102.1
116	Kosovo	102.3
117	Niue	102.3
118	Tonga	103.3
119	Palestine	103.9
120	Peru	103.9
121	Azerbaijan	103.9
122	Indonesia	104.1
	World Avg	97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₈. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₈.

42 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, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₈, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₈.

For more, see:

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

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #children's_health #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #tonga #vaccines

Tonga has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Tonga does the best in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₂₉. It does better than average when it comes to its alcohol consumption rate₃₀, childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₁ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₂ (one of the lowest in Australasia). But, things could still be better. Tonga does worse than average in terms of its average life expectancy₁₁ (still good for Australasia), its smoking rate₃₃, its fertility rate₁₅ and in delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₄. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅ (amongst the worst in Australasia) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. 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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₃₀
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 best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
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. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		Total %₃₃
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. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
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 better₃₆
Pos.		1976 %₃₆
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 better₃₇
Pos.		2022 %₃₇
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₂
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₂₉
Pos.		Total Avg %₂₉
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
1=	French Polynesia	99.0
1=	Monaco	99.0
1=	Portugal	99.0
1=	Nicaragua	99.0
1=	Brunei	99.0
1=	Tonga	99.0
1=	Cuba	99.0
1=	Hungary	99.0
12	N. Korea	98.7
	Australasia Avg	90.0
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₄
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₄
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
155	Myanmar	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.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		Total Per 1000₃₁
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
66	Georgia	11.17
67	Oman	11.23
68	China	11.43
69	Tonga	12.05
70=	Argentina	12.18
70=	Thailand	12.18
72	Barbados	12.81
73	Lebanon	13.05
	Australasia Avg	25.09
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Tonga's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Australasia (2025)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
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)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
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
144=	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"₃₉. 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).

Tonga ranks 141st in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment (still good for Australasia). This rank is calculated from 21 data sets. Tonga does better than average in its environmental performance₄₀ (amongst the highest in Australasia) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₁. 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 better₄₁
Pos.		Total₄₁
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 better₄₀
Pos.		2018₄₀
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. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

7. Tonga's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	New Zealand	19.3
2	Australia	29.2
3	Tonga	62.0
4	Fiji	71.5
5	Samoa	99.8
6	Marshall Islands	111.1
7	Kiribati	127.3
8	Solomon Islands	154.5
9	Papua New Guinea	158.4
	Australasia Avg	92.56
q=9.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₂
1	Vatican City	1.0
2	Finland	4.8
3	Belgium	8.5
	...
71	Bolivia	60.5
72	Azerbaijan	60.6
73	Colombia	61.0
74	Tonga	62.0
75	Tunisia	63.4
76	Macedonia	63.8
77	China	64.1
78	UK	64.5
	World Avg	80.33
q=194.

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 The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium₄₃. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₃. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₄.

“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)₄₅

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, 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 Europe₄₃, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₃.

For more, see:

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

7.1. Modernity Datasets

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
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.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2018₄₆
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 better₄₇
Pos.		2021 Years₄₇
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. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users Higher is better₄₈
Pos.		2016₄₈
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 better₄₉
Pos.		2017 Ratio₄₉
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	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 #economics #health #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#internationalism

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
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.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		Total Q₅₀
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
74	Solomon Islands	132.2
75=	Colombia	131.2
75=	Samoa	131.2
77	Tonga	128.8
78	Nicaragua	127.8
79	Tuvalu	127.5
80	Venezuela	126.8
81	Macedonia	125.8
	Australasia Avg	123.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
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.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
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 better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
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.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better₅₁
Pos.		Total %₅₁
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
26	Croatia	0.36%
27	Estonia	0.39%
28	Portugal	0.40%
29	Tonga	0.41%
30	Mongolia	0.44%
31	Slovakia	0.45%
32	Latvia	0.47%
33	UK	0.50%
	Australasia Avg	0.70%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₂
Pos.		2019₅₂
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
78=	Moldova	9.60
79=	Jamaica	10.00
79=	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 better₅₃
Pos.		2023 %₅₃
1	Slovakia	24.1%₅₄
2	Slovenia	24.3%₅₄
3	Belarus	24.4%₅₅
	...
11=	Syria	26.6%₅₆
11=	Azerbaijan	26.6%₅₇
11=	Belgium	26.6%₅₄
14	Tonga	27.1%₅₄
15	Algeria	27.6%₅₈
16=	Finland	27.7%₅₄
16=	Norway	27.7%₅₉
18	Kiribati	27.8%₅₉
	Australasia Avg	34.8%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

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

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₆₀:

	2010	2020
Christian	97.8%	97.8%
Other	1.61%	1.46%
Unaffiliated	0.28%	0.581%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Muslim	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	0.178%	<0.1%
Jewish	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)₆₁.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems