Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga
Tonga: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 11.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
11.6%
Change on year
up 17.8%
World rank
70th
of 171 countries
All-time high
12.2%
in 1998
All-time low
6.8%
in 1999
Years of data
8
1998–2023
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga is 11.6%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 17.8% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga peaked at 12.2% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 1999.
Tonga ranks 70th of 171 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 12.2% | — |
| 1999 | 6.8% | -43.8% |
| 2001 | 12.0% | +75.2% |
| 2012 | 10.3% | -14.2% |
| 2013 | 11.2% | +9.1% |
| 2019 | 9.1% | -18.9% |
| 2020 | 9.8% | +8.3% |
| 2023 | 11.6% | +17.8% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 11.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 9.3%, 1.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 11.6% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.5%, 1.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.5% | 6.8% | 12.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.0% | 12.0% | 12.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 10.2% | 9.1% | 11.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 10.7% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 67 Seychelles 12.4% compare
- 68 Barbados 11.9% compare
- 69 Mauritius 11.9% compare
- 71 Brunei Darussalam 11.5% compare
- 72 Kenya 11.4% compare
- 73 Cape Verde 11.2% compare
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 out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga?
- Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga was 11.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 12.2% in 1998.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 1999.
- How does Tonga rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Tonga ranks 70th out of 171 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. 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 Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release