Tonga ranked 191/197 by economy size with a GDP of $509M and 121/197 by GDP per capita at $4,864. Tonga has $224M in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 44.1%.
In 2025, Tonga made up 0.0005% of the world's economy, compared to 0.0005% in 1975.
The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.
| Year | GDP | GDP growth | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current $ | Constant $ | ||
| 1975 | $32,506,742 | - | - |
| 1976 | $30,036,417 | - | -7.6% |
| 1977 | $34,139,388 | - | 13.7% |
| 1978 | $41,567,472 | - | 21.8% |
| 1979 | $44,667,002 | - | 7.46% |
| 1980 | $53,260,077 | - | 19.2% |
| 1981 | $62,242,013 | $253,486,823 | 16.9% |
| 1982 | $62,068,161 | $265,505,306 | -0.28% |
| 1983 | $60,863,964 | $270,768,691 | -1.94% |
| 1984 | $64,248,355 | $275,475,712 | 5.56% |
| 1985 | $60,058,663 | $293,542,686 | -6.52% |
| 1986 | $68,195,856 | $299,761,860 | 13.5% |
| 1987 | $81,667,133 | $308,711,663 | 19.8% |
| 1988 | $106,657,267 | $302,902,105 | 30.6% |
| 1989 | $106,344,855 | $304,083,141 | -0.29% |
| 1990 | $113,563,822 | $297,867,403 | 6.79% |
| 1991 | $132,201,141 | $316,975,459 | 16.4% |
| 1992 | $137,066,291 | $317,774,152 | 3.68% |
| 1993 | $138,489,884 | $329,652,735 | 1.04% |
| 1994 | $195,990,986 | $345,978,857 | 41.5% |
| 1995 | $208,871,666 | $367,526,974 | 6.57% |
| 1996 | $222,100,576 | $367,868,474 | 6.33% |
| 1997 | $214,991,452 | $365,659,284 | -3.2% |
| 1998 | $191,504,893 | $374,042,303 | -10.9% |
| 1999 | $199,208,718 | $382,654,487 | 4.02% |
| 2000 | $204,848,488 | $397,019,710 | 2.83% |
| 2001 | $181,117,230 | $402,945,154 | -11.6% |
| 2002 | $182,764,281 | $420,792,496 | 0.91% |
| 2003 | $202,246,591 | $421,010,490 | 10.7% |
| 2004 | $230,678,011 | $412,725,225 | 14.1% |
| 2005 | $261,823,805 | $410,010,934 | 13.5% |
| 2006 | $292,232,703 | $401,131,477 | 11.6% |
| 2007 | $298,519,623 | $391,246,363 | 2.15% |
| 2008 | $344,438,844 | $410,272,053 | 15.4% |
| 2009 | $312,415,028 | $389,228,468 | -9.3% |
| 2010 | $366,887,375 | $392,437,256 | 17.4% |
| 2011 | $414,143,828 | $418,745,062 | 12.9% |
| 2012 | $471,122,971 | $422,596,516 | 13.8% |
| 2013 | $451,788,498 | $424,261,219 | -4.1% |
| 2014 | $440,997,735 | $432,706,298 | -2.39% |
| 2015 | $437,525,539 | $437,525,539 | -0.79% |
| 2016 | $420,828,255 | $466,396,531 | -3.82% |
| 2017 | $459,976,847 | $481,332,040 | 9.3% |
| 2018 | $489,714,530 | $484,641,421 | 6.47% |
| 2019 | $494,197,854 | $483,631,267 | 0.92% |
| 2020 | $496,856,304 | $492,256,327 | 0.54% |
| 2021 | $518,228,029 | $494,041,269 | 4.3% |
| 2022 | $518,180,029 | $482,629,586 | -0.009% |
| 2023 | $508,735,107 | $492,688,338 | -1.82% |
Economic Statistics of Tonga
Tonga
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$509M
2023 |
191/197 |
| GDP growth |
-1.82%
2022-2023 |
182/196 |
| GDP per capita |
$4,864
2023 |
121/197 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$7,853
2023 |
141/197 |
| Government debt |
$224M
2023 |
181/185 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
44.1%
2025 |
120/185 |
| Government debt per person |
$2,138
2023 |
117/185 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$4,126
2025 |
125/197 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
22%
2021 |
159/169 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
4%
2021 |
15/169 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
49.7%
2025 |
20/195 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
3.18%
2023-2024 |
98/195 |
| Unemployment rate |
1.65%
2023 |
179/196 |
| Population |
103744
|
183/197 |
Tonga's GDP per capita
Tonga has a GDP per capita of $4,864, ranking 121/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $7,853, ranking 141/197, and a median annual after tax income of $4,126, ranking 125/197.
| Year | Current $ | |
|---|---|---|
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1975 | $349 | - |
| 1976 | $315 | - |
| 1977 | $353 | - |
| 1978 | $428 | - |
| 1979 | $458 | - |
| 1980 | $545 | - |
| 1981 | $636 | - |
| 1982 | $633 | - |
| 1983 | $621 | - |
| 1984 | $656 | - |
| 1985 | $613 | - |
| 1986 | $696 | - |
| 1987 | $830 | - |
| 1988 | $1,078 | - |
| 1989 | $1,070 | - |
| 1990 | $1,139 | $2,416 |
| 1991 | $1,323 | $2,652 |
| 1992 | $1,370 | $2,716 |
| 1993 | $1,383 | $2,882 |
| 1994 | $1,957 | $3,088 |
| 1995 | $2,084 | $3,347 |
| 1996 | $2,215 | $3,410 |
| 1997 | $2,136 | $3,434 |
| 1998 | $1,889 | $3,527 |
| 1999 | $1,952 | $3,636 |
| 2000 | $1,995 | $3,834 |
| 2001 | $1,754 | $3,955 |
| 2002 | $1,759 | $4,171 |
| 2003 | $1,936 | $4,231 |
| 2004 | $2,195 | $4,235 |
| 2005 | $2,478 | $4,315 |
| 2006 | $2,750 | $4,327 |
| 2007 | $2,797 | $4,316 |
| 2008 | $3,218 | $4,600 |
| 2009 | $2,914 | $4,384 |
| 2010 | $3,416 | $4,465 |
| 2011 | $3,850 | $4,855 |
| 2012 | $4,384 | $4,996 |
| 2013 | $4,219 | $5,120 |
| 2014 | $4,137 | $5,336 |
| 2015 | $4,124 | $5,472 |
| 2016 | $3,988 | $5,920 |
| 2017 | $4,366 | $6,229 |
| 2018 | $4,639 | $6,403 |
| 2019 | $4,677 | $6,489 |
| 2020 | $4,700 | $6,690 |
| 2021 | $4,913 | $7,035 |
| 2022 | $4,933 | $7,394 |
| 2023 | $4,864 | $7,853 |
Tonga's government spending, deficit, and chart
This chart shows Tonga's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.
Over the past 27 years, Tonga recorded a fiscal deficit in 8 years — average annual surplus equal to +1.64% of GDP. In 2023, government spending reached $245M (49.7% of GDP), with a deficit of -7.9%.
The national debt reached $224M, ranking 181st out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 44.1%, ranking 120th.
| Year | % of GDP | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Government spending | Government debt | Government deficit/surplus | |
| 1999 | 18.8% | 38.4% | 1.55% |
| 2000 | 20% | 43.6% | 1.35% |
| 2001 | 19.1% | 53.4% | 2.23% |
| 2002 | 21.3% | 60.7% | 2.59% |
| 2003 | 20% | 56.2% | 2.37% |
| 2004 | 19.3% | 52.2% | 4.23% |
| 2005 | 19.8% | 43.3% | 4.23% |
| 2006 | 25.6% | 39.6% | 1.34% |
| 2007 | 23.2% | 37.8% | 5.39% |
| 2008 | 24% | 34% | 2.14% |
| 2009 | 23.9% | 39.7% | 6.85% |
| 2010 | 28.4% | 44.7% | -1.22% |
| 2011 | 32.6% | 51.9% | -6.02% |
| 2012 | 32% | 60% | -1.74% |
| 2013 | 34.3% | 48.9% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 31.5% | 47.4% | 6.38% |
| 2015 | 37.4% | 51.1% | -2.75% |
| 2016 | 37.2% | 49.4% | 1.47% |
| 2017 | 39.7% | 44.7% | 3.58% |
| 2018 | 39.6% | 45.8% | 2.92% |
| 2019 | 39.9% | 42.8% | 3.28% |
| 2020 | 37.9% | 42.6% | 5.25% |
| 2021 | 44.6% | 43% | -0.87% |
| 2022 | 44.4% | 43.8% | -0.69% |
| 2023 | 48.2% | 43.9% | 6.14% |
| 2024 | 49.6% | 38.2% | 3.49% |
| 2025 | 49.7% | 44.1% | -7.9% |
Inflation rate by year
Over the past 20 years, Tonga has had an average annual inflation rate of 4.39%. In 2024, inflation was 3.18%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1976 | 7.11% |
| 1977 | 17.5% |
| 1978 | 9.58% |
| 1979 | 5.46% |
| 1980 | 22.4% |
| 1981 | 14.9% |
| 1982 | 10.8% |
| 1983 | 9.81% |
| 1984 | 0.11% |
| 1985 | 16.8% |
| 1986 | 21.7% |
| 1987 | 4.69% |
| 1988 | 9.92% |
| 1989 | 4.07% |
| 1990 | 9.71% |
| 1991 | 10.6% |
| 1992 | 7.94% |
| 1993 | 0.96% |
| 1994 | 1.01% |
| 1995 | 1.46% |
| 1996 | 3% |
| 1997 | 2.12% |
| 1998 | 3.27% |
| 1999 | 4.46% |
| 2000 | 6.33% |
| 2001 | 8.29% |
| 2002 | 10.4% |
| 2003 | 11.6% |
| 2004 | 11% |
| 2005 | 8.67% |
| 2006 | 6.15% |
| 2007 | 5.84% |
| 2008 | 10.4% |
| 2009 | 1.43% |
| 2010 | 3.53% |
| 2011 | 6.27% |
| 2012 | 1.15% |
| 2013 | 0.78% |
| 2014 | 2.51% |
| 2015 | -1.05% |
| 2016 | 2.58% |
| 2017 | 7.52% |
| 2018 | 5.03% |
| 2019 | 1.18% |
| 2020 | -0.35% |
| 2021 | 5.64% |
| 2022 | 11% |
| 2023 | 6.35% |
| 2024 | 3.18% |
Balance of trade
|
Tonga
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
-$21.2M
2024 |
76/189 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
-5.91%
2023 |
141/189 |
| Goods imports |
$232M
2024 |
179/188 |
| Goods exports |
$10.8M
2024 |
185/188 |
| Service imports |
$161M
2024 |
177/188 |
| Service exports |
$109M
2024 |
171/188 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
75.4%
2023 |
23/180 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
18.8%
2023 |
154/193 |
Tonga's top 10 trading partners
Tonga's biggest trading partner accounting for 28.5%% of all exports and imports is New Zealand, with a trade balance between the two of -$77.9M — Tonga exports $6.91M worth of goods and services to New Zealand and imports $84.8M.
Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Tonga.
| Rank | Country | Trade value | Share of total trade | Export to | Import from | Top export to | Top import from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
New Zealand
|
$91.7M | 28.5% | $6.91M | $84.8M | Wood & paper products | Machinery & equipment |
| 2 |
Singapore
|
$54.1M | 16.8% | $370K | $53.8M | Machinery & equipment | Raw materials & minerals |
| 3 |
China
|
$45.7M | 14.2% | $3K | $45.7M | Machinery & equipment | Machinery & equipment |
| 4 |
Fiji
|
$27.4M | 8.51% | $1.75M | $25.7M | Machinery & equipment | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 5 |
Australia
|
$24.3M | 7.55% | $627K | $23.7M | Raw agricultural goods | Animal & marine products |
| 6 |
United States
|
$20.9M | 6.49% | $702K | $20.2M | Raw agricultural goods | Animal & marine products |
| 7 |
Japan
|
$16.7M | 5.18% | $520K | $16.2M | Textiles & consumer goods | Machinery & equipment |
| 8 |
Indonesia
|
$8.66M | 2.69% | $43K | $8.62M | Machinery & equipment | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
| 9 |
North Korea
|
$6.9M | 2.14% | $0 | $6.9M | Animal & marine products | Machinery & equipment |
| 10 |
Malaysia
|
$4.75M | 1.48% | $330K | $4.42M | Animal & marine products | Processed food, beverages & tobacco |
Tonga's top 10 exports
|
Tonga
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Transport & tourism services | $19.8M | 176/188 |
| IT & IP services | $15.5M | 148/183 |
| Business & finance services | $7.42M | 174/188 |
| Machinery & equipment | $4.33M | 173/193 |
| Wood & paper products | $3.56M | 156/192 |
| Raw agricultural goods | $2.6M | 170/193 |
| Government & miscellaneous services | $2.01M | 166/180 |
| Animal & marine products | $1.1M | 174/192 |
| Manufacturing & construction services | $540K | 153/164 |
| Metals | $183K | 185/192 |
Tonga's top 10 imports
|
Tonga
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Machinery & equipment | $80.8M | 182/193 |
| Transport & tourism services | $73.9M | 180/188 |
| Raw materials & minerals | $61.4M | 179/193 |
| Processed food, beverages & tobacco | $54M | 181/193 |
| Animal & marine products | $31.9M | 171/193 |
| Textiles & consumer goods | $28.9M | 181/193 |
| Metals | $22M | 180/193 |
| Chemicals & pharma | $20.1M | 185/193 |
| Business & finance services | $19.4M | 178/188 |
| Wood & paper products | $13.8M | 181/193 |
Economic freedom indices
|
Tonga
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 58.5 | 106/197 |
| Property rights | 67.9 | 57/182 |
| Government integrity | 45.8 | 57/182 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 65.7 | 57/182 |
| Tax burden | 84.9 | 59/181 |
| Government spending | 28.9 | 165/180 |
| Fiscal health | 96.3 | 19/181 |
| Business freedom | 59.5 | 109/182 |
| Labor freedom | 56.6 | 99/182 |
| Monetary freedom | 61 | 153/180 |
| Trade freedom | 75.4 | 71/181 |
| Investment freedom | 40 | 140/181 |
| Financial freedom | 20 | 173/181 |
Tonga's economic freedom by year
Tonga is ranked 94/180 for economic freedom with a score of 58.5, compared to 124/178 and a score of 54.1 in 2009.
| Year | Index | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | Judicial effectiveness | Tax burden | Government spending | Fiscal health | |
| 2009 | 54.1 | - | 82.5 | 58 | - |
| 2010 | 53.4 | - | 82.8 | 70.8 | - |
| 2011 | 55.8 | - | 83.1 | 73.2 | - |
| 2012 | 57 | - | 85.9 | 62.2 | - |
| 2013 | 56 | - | 87.1 | 64.7 | - |
| 2014 | 58.2 | - | 86.7 | 74.8 | - |
| 2015 | 59.3 | - | 87.2 | 79 | - |
| 2016 | 59.6 | - | 86.9 | 76.3 | - |
| 2017 | 63 | 19.8 | 86.9 | 74.4 | 79.6 |
| 2018 | 63.1 | 25.4 | 85.4 | 68.7 | 95.9 |
| 2019 | 57.7 | 26.6 | 85.5 | 40.9 | 93.4 |
| 2020 | 58.8 | 26.5 | 85.2 | 42.8 | 95.2 |
| 2021 | 57.5 | 23.3 | 84.8 | 53.7 | 95.4 |
| 2022 | 60.8 | 68.1 | 85.4 | 54.6 | 96.5 |
| 2023 | 60 | 43.2 | 85.4 | 46.5 | 95.5 |
| 2024 | 59.2 | 68.8 | 85.4 | 40.1 | 95.9 |
| 2025 | 58.5 | 65.7 | 84.9 | 28.9 | 96.3 |
More economic indicators
|
Tonga
|
Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
50.2%
2023 |
129/191 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
13.5%
2023 |
166/194 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
17.5%
2023 |
41/193 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$578M
2023 |
189/194 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$8,560
2023 |
131/191 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$377M
2024 |
163/177 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
$13.3M
2024 |
37/188 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
-$12.1M
2024 |
174/193 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$1.25M
2024 |
142/187 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
3.17%
2023 |
73/119 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
20.6%
2021 |
93/176 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
27%
2023 |
50/176 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
Relevant pages:
Tonga topic pages:
Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.