Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Tonga
Tonga: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 82.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Tonga, 1999–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Tonga stood at 82.1%.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Tonga peaked at 92.9% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 81.5%, in 2019.
That places Tonga 128th out of 201 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 92.9% | — |
| 2001 | 90.8% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 91.2% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 91.1% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 90.0% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 89.7% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 88.7% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 88.0% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 85.2% | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 85.8% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 85.4% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 84.8% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 82.1% | -3.2% |
| 2019 | 81.5% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 82.1% | +0.8% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 82.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 90.5%, 91% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 82.1% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 91.0%, 90% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 92.9% | 92.9% | 92.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 90.6% | 89.7% | 91.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 85.2% | 81.5% | 88.7% | 8 |
| 2020s | 82.1% | 82.1% | 82.1% | 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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Tonga?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Tonga was 82.1% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 92.9% in 1999.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.5% in 2019.
- How does Tonga rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Tonga ranks 128th out of 201 countries with data for 2020.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. 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 Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release