Tonga — Urban population
Urban Population (% of Total) for Tonga, 1960–2025.
Urban population for Tonga was 21.16% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 23.46% in 2011. The lowest was 18.26% in 1960 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.23% per year.
Tonga ranks 211 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 97%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 65.45%, so Tonga sits below it. It peaked in 2011 and has fallen 10% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 9%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 35 of 37 economies; Samoa (17.51%) is just below it. That is 4% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 158th of 217 in 1960 → 169th of 217 in 1970 → 181st of 217 in 1980 → 186th of 217 in 1990 → 193rd of 217 in 2000 → 198th of 217 in 2010 → 208th of 217 in 2020 → 211th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21.16% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 21.15% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 21.15% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 21.15% | -0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 21.26% | -0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 21.88% | -0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 22.33% | -0.4 pp |
| 2018 | 22.7% | -0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 22.97% | -0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 23.13% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 23.24% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 23.34% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 23.42% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 23.46% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 23.46% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 23.42% | +0.1 pp |
| 2009 | 23.36% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 23.29% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 23.22% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 23.18% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 23.15% | +0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 23.12% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 23.09% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 23.07% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 23.05% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 23.03% | +0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 23% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 22.97% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 22.93% | +0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 22.89% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 22.82% | +0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 22.73% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 22.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 22.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 22.36% | +0.2 pp |
| 1990 | 22.21% | +0.2 pp |
| 1989 | 22.04% | +0.2 pp |
| 1988 | 21.88% | +0.2 pp |
| 1987 | 21.71% | +0.2 pp |
| 1986 | 21.53% | +0.2 pp |
| 1985 | 21.36% | +0.2 pp |
| 1984 | 21.19% | +0.2 pp |
| 1983 | 21.03% | +0.2 pp |
| 1982 | 20.88% | +0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 20.74% | +0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 20.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 1979 | 20.51% | +0.1 pp |
| 1978 | 20.42% | +0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 20.35% | +0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 20.31% | +0.0 pp |
| 1975 | 20.28% | +0.0 pp |
| 1974 | 20.26% | +0.0 pp |
| 1973 | 20.24% | +0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 20.22% | +0.0 pp |
| 1971 | 20.2% | +0.0 pp |
| 1970 | 20.19% | +0.0 pp |
| 1969 | 20.17% | +0.0 pp |
| 1968 | 20.14% | +0.0 pp |
| 1967 | 20.1% | +0.1 pp |
| 1966 | 20.04% | +0.1 pp |
| 1965 | 19.92% | +0.2 pp |
| 1964 | 19.72% | +0.3 pp |
| 1963 | 19.44% | +0.3 pp |
| 1962 | 19.1% | +0.4 pp |
| 1961 | 18.7% | +0.4 pp |
| 1960 | 18.26% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Tonga’s Urban population in 1961?
18.7% (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total population, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Tonga’s Urban population growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +15.9% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 21.16%; 2024: 21.15%; 2023: 21.15%; 2022: 21.15%; 2021: 21.26%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS — Urban Population (% of Total). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.