Tonga

constitutional monarchy

name: Nuku'alofa geographic coordinates: 21 08 S, 175 12 W time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January etymology: name is said to be composed of the local words nuku , meaning "residence or abode," and alofa , meaning "love;" it may also mean "the south," describing Tonga's position in relation to most other Polynesian islands

chief of state: King TUPOU VI (since 18 March 2012) head of government: Prime Minister Fatafehi FAKAFANUA (since 18 December 2025) cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the monarch most recent election date: 15 December 2025 election results: 2025: Fatafehi FAKAFANUA elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly; Fatafehi FAKAFANUA (Independent) 16 votes, Aisake Valu EKE (Independent) 10 votes 2024: Aisake Valu EKE elected prime minister by the Legislative Assembly; Aisake Valu EKE (Independent) 16 votes, Viliami LATU (Independent) 8 note: a Privy Council advises the monarch

legislature name: Legislative Assembly (Fale Alea) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 30 (17 directly elected; 9 indirectly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 11/20/2025 percentage of women in chamber: 3.8% expected date of next election: November 2025

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and a number of judges determined by the monarch) judge selection and term of office: judge appointments and tenures made by the King in Privy Council and subject to consent of the Legislative Assembly subordinate courts: Supreme Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land Courts note: appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are brought before the King in Privy Council, the monarch's advisory organ that has both judicial and legislative powers

history: adopted 4 November 1875, revised 1988, 2016 amendment process: proposed by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires approval by the Assembly in each of three readings, the unanimous approval of the Privy Council (a high-level advisory body to the monarch), the Cabinet, and assent to by the monarch

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

1.8% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

His Majesty's Armed Forces Tonga (HMAF; aka Tonga Defense Services): Tonga Royal Guard, Tonga Land Force (Royal Tongan Marines), Tonga Navy, Air Wing Ministry of Police and Fire Services: Tonga Police Force (2025)

16-25 years of age for men and women to apply for trainee soldier; no conscription (2025)

the military's primary missions are defending Tonga's sovereignty, providing maritime security, and protecting the King; it is also responsible for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, search and rescue operations, monitoring against illegal fishing, and delivering supplies to the outer islands; the military has contributed limited numbers of personnel to multinational military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Solomon Islands; Australia, New Zealand, and the US are key partners Tonga has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Tonga's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas Tonga participated in World War I as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, but the Tonga Defense Force (TDF) was not established until 1939 at the beginning of World War II; in 1943, New Zealand helped train about 2,000 Tongan troops who saw action in the Solomon Islands; the TDF was disbanded at the end of the war, but was reactivated in 1946 as the Tonga Defense Services (TDS); in 2013, the name of the TDS was changed to His Majesty s Armed Forces of Tonga (HMAF) (2025)

$740.082 million (2023 est.) $724.972 million (2022 est.) $742.114 million (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$7,100 (2023 est.) $6,900 (2022 est.) $7,000 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

2.1% (2023 est.) -2.3% (2022 est.) 0.4% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

3.2% (2024 est.) 6.4% (2023 est.) 11% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

43.9% of GDP (2020 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$119.511 million (2024 est.) $95.345 million (2023 est.) $59.926 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$392.888 million (2024 est.) $383.475 million (2023 est.) $330.306 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

2.2% (2024 est.) 2.3% (2023 est.) 2.4% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $276.025 million (2023 est.) expenditures: $244.97 million (2023 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

tourism, construction, fishing

coconuts, pumpkins/squash, cassava, sweet potatoes, vegetables, yams, taro, root vegetables, plantains, lemons/limes (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 104,519 (2025 est.) male: 52,421 female: 52,098

-0.37% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 29.3% (male 15,627/female 15,142) 15-64 years: 63.2% (male 33,445/female 32,867) 65 years and over: 7.4% (2024 est.) (male 3,534/female 4,274)

19.43 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.98 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-18.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 78 years (2024 est.) male: 76.4 years female: 79.7 years

urban population: 23.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Tongan 96.5%, other (European, Fijian, Samoan, Indian, Chinese, other Pacific Islander, other Asian, other) 3.5% (2021 est.)

Tongan only 85%, Tongan and other language 13.9%, Tongan not used at home 1.1% (2021 est.) note: data represent language use at home of persons aged 5 and older

Protestant 63.9% (Free Wesleyan Church 34.2%, Free Church of Tonga 11.3%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Assembly of God 2.5%, Tokaikolo/Maamafo'ou 1.5%, Constitutional Church of Tonga 1.2%, other Protestant 4%), Church of Jesus Christ 19.7%, Roman Catholic 13.7%, other 2.1%, none 0.6%, no answer 0.1% (2021 est.)

total population: 91.1% (2019 est.) male: 83.8% (2019 est.) female: 97.6% (2019 est.)

arable land, fish

6 (2025)

total: 29 (2023) by type: container ship 1, general cargo 13, oil tanker 1, other 14

total subscriptions: 64,800 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 62 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 59% (2023 est.)