Labor participation rate in Tonga
Tonga: Labor participation rate was 49.81 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
49.81
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
159th
of 186 countries
All-time high
59.92
in 1994
All-time low
49.81
in 2025
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor participation rate in Tonga, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Tonga recorded 49.81 for labor participation rate in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor participation rate in Tonga peaked at 59.92 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 49.81, in 2025.
That places Tonga 159th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor participation rate in Tonga, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 55.68 | — |
| 1991 | 56.71 | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 57.79 | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 58.88 | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 59.92 | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 59.69 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 59.38 | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 59.12 | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 58.94 | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 58.75 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 58.55 | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 58.37 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 58.19 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 58.02 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 57.84 | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 57.62 | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 57.37 | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 57.14 | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 56.97 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 56.77 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 56.5 | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 56.17 | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 55.89 | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 55.64 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 55.36 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 55.04 | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 54.69 | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 54.35 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 53.99 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 53.47 | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 52.39 | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 51.94 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 51.38 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 50.6 | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 50.2 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 49.81 | -0.8% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 49.81 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60.51, 82% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 49.81 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.35, 77% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 58.49 | 55.68 | 59.92 | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.69 | 56.77 | 58.55 | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.11 | 53.47 | 56.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.05 | 49.81 | 52.39 | 6 |
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 labor participation rate in Tonga?
- Labor participation rate in Tonga was 49.81 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor participation rate recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 59.92 in 1994.
- What is the lowest labor participation rate recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.81 in 2025.
- How does Tonga rank for labor participation rate?
- Tonga ranks 159th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor participation rate rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).