Employment in agriculture vs. urban population in Tonga
Tonga: Employment in agriculture vs. urban population was 26.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employment in agriculture vs. urban population in Tonga, 1991–2023
Source: ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, employment in agriculture vs. urban population in Tonga stood at 26.3%. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in agriculture vs. urban population in Tonga peaked at 39.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 26.3%, in 2023.
Tonga ranks 70th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Employment in agriculture vs. urban population in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 39.3% | — |
| 1992 | 39.2% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 38.8% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 37.2% | -4.1% |
| 1995 | 36.7% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 36.2% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 35.7% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 35.3% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 34.7% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 33.7% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 32.8% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 32.2% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 31.9% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 32.2% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 32.0% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 31.7% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 32.0% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 31.7% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 31.9% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 32.2% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 32.1% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 32.0% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 31.9% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 31.7% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 31.7% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 31.3% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 31.2% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 31.1% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 29.8% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 28.6% | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 26.7% | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 26.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 26.3% | -1.9% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 26.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.1%, 1.5× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 26.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 26.1%, 1.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.0% | 34.7% | 39.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 32.2% | 31.7% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.5% | 29.8% | 32.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.1% | 26.3% | 28.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
More work & labour data for Tonga
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0285 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0138 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.0722 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 41.65 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 98.27 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 58.13 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 59.74 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 117.87 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in agriculture vs. urban population in Tonga?
- Employment in agriculture vs. urban population in Tonga was 26.3% in 2023, according to ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment in agriculture vs. urban population recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 39.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment in agriculture vs. urban population recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.3% in 2023.
- How does Tonga rank for employment in agriculture vs. urban population?
- Tonga ranks 70th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employment in agriculture vs. urban population rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from ILO via World Bank – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment in agriculture vs. urban population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of people employed in agriculture includes working-age people with a job in farming, forestry, fishing, and related activities, including those temporarily absent.