Rural population in Tonga
Tonga: Rural population was 78.8% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
78.8%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
7th
of 217 countries
All-time high
81.7%
in 1960
All-time low
76.5%
in 2011
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Rural population in Tonga, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Tonga recorded 78.8% for rural population in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Tonga peaked at 81.7% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 76.5%, in 2011.
That places Tonga 7th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Rural population in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 81.7% | — |
| 1961 | 81.3% | -0.5% |
| 1962 | 80.9% | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 80.6% | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 80.3% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 80.1% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 80.0% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 79.9% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 79.9% | -0.0% |
| 1969 | 79.8% | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 79.8% | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 79.8% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 79.8% | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 79.8% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 79.7% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 79.6% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 79.6% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 79.5% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 79.4% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 79.3% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 79.1% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 79.0% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 78.8% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 78.6% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 78.5% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 78.3% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 78.1% | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 78.0% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 77.8% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 77.6% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 77.5% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 77.4% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 77.3% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 77.2% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 77.1% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 77.1% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 77.0% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 77.0% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 77.0% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 77.0% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 76.8% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 76.8% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 76.7% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 76.6% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 76.6% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 76.5% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 76.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 76.6% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 76.7% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 76.8% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 76.9% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 77.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 77.3% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 77.7% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 78.1% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 78.7% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 78.9% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 78.9% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 78.8% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 78.8% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80.4% | 79.8% | 81.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 79.7% | 79.5% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 78.7% | 78.0% | 79.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 77.3% | 77.0% | 77.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 76.8% | 76.6% | 77.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.9% | 76.5% | 77.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.7% | 78.1% | 78.9% | 6 |
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)
- Agriculture share gdp 18.57 (2024)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 18.57 (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.7% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Tonga?
- Rural population in Tonga was 78.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 81.7% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.5% in 2011.
- How does Tonga rank for rural population?
- Tonga ranks 7th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.