Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) (literacy male) in Tonga
Tonga: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) (literacy male) was 99.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Tonga, 1976–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tonga recorded 99.9% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in 2023. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Tonga peaked at 99.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 74.3%, in 2019.
Tonga ranks 5th of 87 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) (literacy male) in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 98.1% | — |
| 1996 | 97.3% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 98.4% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 98.9% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 96.1% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 74.3% | -22.7% |
| 2023 | 99.9% | +34.5% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 99.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 90.9%, 1.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 99.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 91.5%, 1.1× the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 98.1% | 98.1% | 98.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 97.3% | 97.3% | 97.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 98.4% | 98.4% | 98.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 89.8% | 74.3% | 98.9% | 3 |
| 2020s | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 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 elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Tonga?
- Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in Tonga was 99.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 99.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 74.3% in 2019.
- How does Tonga rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male?
- Tonga ranks 5th out of 87 countries with data for 2023.
- Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release