Total dependency ratio in Tonga
Tonga: Total dependency ratio was 73.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Total dependency ratio in Tonga, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tonga recorded 73.1% for total dependency ratio in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total dependency ratio in Tonga peaked at 98.3% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 72.6%, in 2021.
Tonga ranks 39th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 95.1% | 94.8% | 95.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 96.3% | 95.4% | 97.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 96.8% | 92.9% | 98.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 86.4% | 82.8% | 91.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 81.2% | 78.4% | 82.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.9% | 77.2% | 78.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.9% | 73.1% | 76.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.8% | 72.6% | 73.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 36 South Sudan 74.7% compare
- 37 Ethiopia 74.0% compare
- 38 Guinea-Bissau 73.6% compare
- 40 Senegal 73.1% compare
- 41 Palestine 72.9% compare
- 42 Sao Tome and Principe 72.9% compare
More reference data data for Tonga
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Consumer price index 174.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 2 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total dependency ratio in Tonga?
- Total dependency ratio in Tonga was 73.1% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total dependency ratio recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 98.3% in 1971.
- What is the lowest total dependency ratio recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.6% in 2021.
- How does Tonga rank for total dependency ratio?
- Tonga ranks 39th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total dependency ratio rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total dependency ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of children (under 15) and people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age people (aged 15 to 64).