Unemployment rate in Tonga
Tonga: Unemployment rate was 2.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Tonga, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Tonga is 2.0%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Tonga peaked at 5.2% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2006.
That places Tonga 170th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.3% | — |
| 1992 | 1.3% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | -3.6% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | +29.8% |
| 1995 | 2.0% | +17.7% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | +21.0% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | +19.7% |
| 1998 | 3.3% | +16.4% |
| 1999 | 3.7% | +10.2% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | +7.5% |
| 2001 | 4.4% | +10.1% |
| 2002 | 4.7% | +7.2% |
| 2003 | 5.2% | +10.6% |
| 2004 | 3.9% | -25.1% |
| 2005 | 2.5% | -34.5% |
| 2006 | 1.1% | -57.1% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | +11.0% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | +10.9% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | +6.2% |
| 2012 | 1.6% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | +6.8% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | +9.4% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | +4.3% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | +25.3% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -22.2% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | -5.2% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | -17.5% |
| 2024 | 2.0% | +18.9% |
| 2025 | 2.0% | +2.2% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 2.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.6%, 36% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 2.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.0%, 66% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Tonga changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | -57.1% | 2.5% | 1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.2% | 1.3% | 3.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 1.1% | 5.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.7% | 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 unemployment rate in Tonga?
- Unemployment rate in Tonga was 2.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 5.2% in 2003.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2006.
- How does Tonga rank for unemployment rate?
- Tonga ranks 170th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.