Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Tonga
Tonga: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 87.9% in 1999. ▼ Falling
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Tonga, 1970–1999
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Tonga is 87.9%, measured in 1999.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Tonga peaked at 97.1% in 1978 and was at its lowest, 80.5%, in 1983.
Tonga ranks 137th of 190 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 94.5% | — |
| 1971 | 94.5% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 92.5% | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 96.8% | +4.6% |
| 1978 | 97.1% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 85.9% | -11.5% |
| 1983 | 80.5% | -6.3% |
| 1984 | 87.1% | +8.2% |
| 1985 | 88.7% | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 87.5% | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 87.1% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 86.1% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 89.6% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 87.9% | -1.9% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 87.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 94.1%, 93% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 87.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 95.4%, 92% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 95.1% | 92.5% | 97.1% | 5 |
| 1980s | 85.9% | 80.5% | 88.7% | 5 |
| 1990s | 87.7% | 86.1% | 89.6% | 4 |
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 gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Tonga?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Tonga was 87.9% in 1999, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 97.1% in 1978.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.5% in 1983.
- How does Tonga rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Tonga ranks 137th out of 190 countries with data for 1999.
- Is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. 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 (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.