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 4.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga stood at 4.1%.
That represents a change of down 13.4% on the previous year and down 22.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in Tonga peaked at 11.3% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 2012.
That places Tonga 119th out of 171 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 | 11.3% | — |
| 1999 | 8.5% | -24.6% |
| 2001 | 10.5% | +23.8% |
| 2012 | 3.8% | -63.8% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | +39.2% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -23.6% |
| 2020 | 4.8% | +17.8% |
| 2023 | 4.1% | -13.4% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 4.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.5%, 56% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 4.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7.6%, 54% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.9% | 8.5% | 11.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.5% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 3.8% | 5.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 4.5% | 4.1% | 4.8% | 2 |
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 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 4.1% 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 11.3% 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 3.8% in 2012.
- How does Tonga rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
- Tonga ranks 119th 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 down 22.0%. 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 Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, female (%). 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