Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tonga
Tonga: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 99.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
99.5%
World rank
4th
of 53 countries
All-time high
99.6%
in 2019
All-time low
98.5%
in 2016
Years of data
6
1996–2023
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tonga, 1996–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tonga recorded 99.5% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in 2023.
The figure is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tonga peaked at 99.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 98.5%, in 2016.
Tonga ranks 4th of 53 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 98.8% | — |
| 2006 | 99.2% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 99.4% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 98.5% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 99.6% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 99.5% | -0.2% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 99.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 91.9%, 1.1× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 99.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 93.6%, 1.1× the median. (7 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 98.8% | 98.8% | 98.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.2% | 99.2% | 99.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 99.2% | 98.5% | 99.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
More education data for Tonga
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1,086 (2015)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 20 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1,228 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1,164 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 16,132 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15,644 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -2.92 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1502 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tonga?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tonga was 99.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 99.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 98.5% in 2016.
- How does Tonga rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Tonga ranks 4th out of 53 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release