Age dependency ratio in Tonga
Tonga: Age dependency ratio was 71.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Tonga, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
Tonga recorded 71.7% for age dependency ratio in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Tonga peaked at 98.3% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 71.7%, in 2025.
Tonga ranks 35th of 217 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 95.4% | — |
| 1961 | 95.4% | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 95.6% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 95.9% | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 96.1% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 96.3% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 96.2% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 96.6% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 97.4% | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 97.9% | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 98.2% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 98.3% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 98.1% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 97.7% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 97.5% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 97.3% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 96.1% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 94.4% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 92.9% | -1.6% |
| 1980 | 91.5% | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 90.2% | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 88.8% | -1.5% |
| 1983 | 87.4% | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 86.2% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 85.3% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 84.7% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 84.1% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 83.3% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 82.8% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 82.5% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 82.3% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 82.2% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 82.0% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 81.8% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 81.5% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 81.2% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 80.4% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 79.3% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 78.4% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 77.7% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 77.3% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 77.3% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 77.5% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 78.0% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 78.4% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 78.7% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 78.5% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 77.9% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 77.2% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 76.5% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 76.2% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 76.0% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 75.7% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 75.3% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 74.6% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 74.0% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 73.8% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 73.5% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 73.1% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 72.7% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 72.6% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 72.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 73.1% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 72.8% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 71.7% | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 72.6% | 71.7% | 73.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 32 Vanuatu 73.4% compare
- 33 Ethiopia 72.6% compare
- 34 Eritrea 72.0% compare
- 36 Guinea-Bissau 71.1% compare
- 37 Palestine, State of 70.8% compare
- 38 Sao Tome and Principe 70.6% compare
More health data for Tonga
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -33.33 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 2.33 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 834.5 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 2 (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate -1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.3492 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate -0.0242 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, per capita 0.319 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Tonga?
- Age dependency ratio in Tonga was 71.7% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 98.3% in 1971.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.7% in 2025.
- How does Tonga rank for age dependency ratio?
- Tonga ranks 35th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.