Primary education, pupils in Tonga
Tonga: Primary education, pupils was 15,644 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
15,644
Change on year
down 2.9%
World rank
181st
of 206 countries
All-time high
19,744
in 1979
All-time low
15,644
in 2024
Years of data
51
1970–2024
Primary education, pupils in Tonga, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Tonga recorded 15,644 for primary education, pupils in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.9% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Tonga peaked at 19,744 in 1979 and was at its lowest, 15,644, in 2024.
Tonga ranks 181st of 206 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Primary education, pupils in Tonga, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 17,865 | — |
| 1971 | 16,416 | -8.1% |
| 1972 | 16,566 | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 16,688 | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 16,932 | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 19,260 | +13.7% |
| 1976 | 19,474 | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 19,416 | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 19,730 | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 19,744 | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 19,012 | -3.7% |
| 1981 | 17,364 | -8.7% |
| 1982 | 16,701 | -3.8% |
| 1983 | 16,329 | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 16,921 | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 17,019 | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 16,912 | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 16,715 | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 16,522 | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 16,728 | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 16,658 | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 16,792 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 16,540 | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 16,652 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 16,857 | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 16,648 | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 16,460 | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 16,783 | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 16,697 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 17,033 | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 17,105 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 17,891 | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 17,113 | -4.3% |
| 2005 | 17,032 | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 16,941 | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 16,892 | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 16,667 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 16,719 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 16,848 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 17,033 | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 17,222 | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 17,251 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 17,093 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 16,982 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 17,246 | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 17,024 | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 17,056 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 16,440 | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 16,545 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 16,114 | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 15,644 | -2.9% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 15,644 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 519,452, 3% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 15,644 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 227,656, 7% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18,209 | 16,416 | 19,744 | 10 |
| 1980s | 17,122 | 16,329 | 19,012 | 8 |
| 1990s | 16,664 | 16,460 | 16,857 | 10 |
| 2000s | 17,009 | 16,667 | 17,891 | 10 |
| 2010s | 17,087 | 16,848 | 17,251 | 8 |
| 2020s | 16,360 | 15,644 | 17,056 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 178 New Caledonia 22,308 compare
- 179 Kiribati 17,457 compare
- 180 Barbados 16,314 compare
- 182 Guam 15,516 compare
- 183 United States Virgin Islands 14,544 compare
- 184 Saint Lucia 14,257 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 primary education, pupils in Tonga?
- Primary education, pupils in Tonga was 15,644 in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 19,744 in 1979.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,644 in 2024.
- How does Tonga rank for primary education, pupils?
- Tonga ranks 181st out of 206 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.