Literacy rate in Tonga
Tonga: Literacy rate was 99.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
99.5%
World rank
7th
of 128 countries
All-time high
99.6%
in 1976
All-time low
91.0%
in 2019
Years of data
8
1950–2023
Literacy rate in Tonga, 1950–2023
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate in Tonga is 99.5%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Tonga peaked at 99.6% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 91.0%, in 2019.
That places Tonga 7th out of 128 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 92.5% | 92.5% | 92.5% | 1 |
| 1970s | 99.6% | 99.6% | 99.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 98.9% | 98.9% | 98.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.0% | 99.0% | 99.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 95.9% | 91.0% | 99.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
More education data for Tonga
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 34.9% (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 58.2% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 108.8% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 818 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.1 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 110.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Tonga?
- Literacy rate in Tonga was 99.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 99.6% in 1976.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.0% in 2019.
- How does Tonga rank for literacy rate?
- Tonga ranks 7th out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate 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 (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.