Demographics of Tonga

Demographics of Tonga
Population pyramid of Tonga in 2020
Population	105,517 (2022 est.)
Growth rate	-0.26% (2022 est.)
Birth rate	20.31 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate	4.95 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Life expectancy	77.53 years
• male	75.89 years
• female	79.23 years
Fertility rate	2.76 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate	12.41 deaths/1,000 live births
Net migration rate	-18.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years	32%
65 and over	6.83%
Nationality
Nationality	Tongan
Major ethnic	Tongan (97%)

Tongans, a Polynesian group, represent more than 98% of the inhabitants of Tonga. The rest are European (the majority are British), mixed European, and other Pacific Islanders. There also are several hundred Chinese. Almost two-thirds of the population live on its main island, Tongatapu. Although an increasing number of Tongans have moved into the only urban and commercial center, Nukuʻalofa, where European and Indigenous cultural and living patterns have blended, village life and kinship ties continue to be important throughout the country. Everyday life is heavily influenced by Polynesian traditions and especially by the Christian faith; for example, all commerce and entertainment activities cease from midnight Saturday until midnight Sunday, and the constitution declares the Sabbath to be sacred, forever. Other important Christian denominations include Methodists (Free Wesleyan) and Roman Catholics, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Primary education between ages 6 and 14 is compulsory and free in state schools. Mission schools provide about 83% of the primary and 90% of the secondary level education. Higher education includes teacher training, nursing and medical training, a small private university, a women's business college, and a number of private agricultural schools. Most higher education is pursued overseas.

Based on 2021 estimates, the religious breakdown of the population was Protestant 63.9% (includes Free Wesleyan Church 34.2%, Free Church of Tonga 11.3%, Church of Tonga 6.8%, Tokaikolo Christian Church 1.5%, Assembly of God 2.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 2.5%, Constitutional Church of Tonga 1.2%, and other Protestant 4%), Latter-day Saints 19.7%, Roman Catholic 13.7%, other 2.1%, none 0.6%, unspecified 0.1%.^[1]

As the 1960s ended the population growth rate fell rapidly in the country.