Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Tonga
Tonga: Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas was 26.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Tonga, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Tonga stood at 26.3%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Tonga peaked at 39.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 26.3%, in 2023.
That places Tonga 70th out of 186 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 39.3% | — |
| 1992 | 39.2% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 38.8% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 37.2% | -4.1% |
| 1995 | 36.7% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 36.2% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 35.7% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 35.3% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 34.7% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 33.7% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 32.8% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 32.2% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 31.9% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 32.2% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 32.0% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 31.7% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 32.0% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 31.7% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 31.9% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 32.2% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 32.1% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 32.0% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 31.9% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 31.7% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 31.7% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 31.3% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 31.2% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 31.1% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 29.8% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 28.6% | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 26.7% | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 26.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 26.3% | -1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.0% | 34.7% | 39.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 32.2% | 31.7% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.5% | 29.8% | 32.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.1% | 26.3% | 28.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
More agriculture & rural data for Tonga
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1857 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,154 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4224 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7884 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 18.6% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 18.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.7% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Tonga?
- Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas in Tonga was 26.3% in 2023, according to ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 39.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.3% in 2023.
- How does Tonga rank for share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas?
- Tonga ranks 70th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of employment in agriculture vs. share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
The share of people employed in agriculture includes working-age people with a job in farming, forestry, fishing, and related activities, including those temporarily absent.