| Economy - overview | Tonga has a small, open island economy and is the last constitutional monarchy among the Pacific Island countries. It has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, vanilla beans, and yams are the main crops. Agricultural exports, including fish, make up two-thirds of total exports. Tourism is the second-largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. Tonga had 53,800 visitors in 2015. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from overseas Tongans to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, encouraging investment, and is committing increased funds for health care and education. Tonga's English-speaking and educated workforce offers a viable labor market, and the tropical climate provides fertile soil. Renewable energy and deep-sea mining also offer opportunities for investment. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well developed social services. But the government faces high unemployment among the young, moderate inflation, pressures for democratic reform, and rising civil service expenditures. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $667 million (2019 est.) $662 million (2018 est.) $660 million (2017 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $455 million (2017 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.5% (2017 est.) 4.2% (2016 est.) 3.5% (2015 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $6,383 (2019 est.) $6,416 (2018 est.) $6,472 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 99.4% (2017 est.) government consumption: 21.9% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 24.1% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 22.8% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -68.5% (2017 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 19.9% (2017 est.) industry: 20.3% (2017 est.) services: 59.8% (2017 est.) |
| Ease of Doing Business Index scores | Overall score: 61.4 (2020) Starting a Business score: 90.9 (2020) Trading score: 72.6 (2020) Enforcement score: 57.3 (2020) |
| Population below poverty line | 22.5% (2010 est.) |
| Labor force | 33,800 (2011 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 2,006% (2006 est.) industry: 27.5% (2006 est.) services: 2,006% (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 1.1% (2011 est.) 1.1% (2006) |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | total: 8.9% male: 5.7% female: 13.1% (2018) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 37.6 (2015 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: 181.2 million (2017 est.) expenditures: 181.2 million (2017 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues | 39.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | 0% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Public debt | 48% of GDP (FY2017 est.) 51.8% of GDP (FY2016 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7.4% (2017 est.) 2.6% (2016 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | coconuts, gourds, cassava, sweet potatoes, vegetables, yams, taro, roots/tubers nes, plantains, lemons/limes |
| Industries | tourism, construction, fishing |
| Industrial production growth rate | 5% (2017 est.) |
| Current Account Balance | -$53 million (2017 est.) -$30 million (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $18.4 million (2017 est.) $19.4 million (2016 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | squash, fish, various fruits and nuts, antiques, coral and shells (2019) |
| Exports - partners | United States 38%, South Korea 18%, Australia 14%, New Zealand 14%, Japan 6%, (2019) |
| Imports | $250.2 million (2017 est.) $269.8 million (2016 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | refined petroleum, poultry meats, audio equipment, mutton, goat meat, broadcasting equipment (2019) |
| Imports - partners | Fiji 29%, New Zealand 23%, China 14%, United States 8%, Australia 6%, Japan 6% (2019) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $198.5 million (31 December 2017 est.) $176.5 million (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Debt - external | $189.9 million (31 December 2017 est.) $198.2 million (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Exchange rates | pa'anga (TOP) per US dollar - 2.27015 (2020 est.) 2.29095 (2019 est.) 2.22717 (2018 est.) 2.106 (2014 est.) 1.847 (2013 est.) |
| Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
