Tonga - Society

Population: 100,000 (2007); 34% lives in urban areas; growth 0.8% p.a. 1970–90 and 0.6% p.a. 1990–2004; birth rate (2005) 25 per 1,000 people; life expectancy 73 years. The vast majority of the people are of Polynesian descent. Tonga suffers from heavy emigration, mostly to New Zealand, Australia and the USA. There are 40,713 Tongans living in New Zealand, more than half of whom were born there (2001 New Zealand census).

Religion: Mainly Christians (Wesleyans, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Anglicans, Church of Tonga, Free Church of Tonga and Seventh Day Adventists).

Language: Tongan and English are official languages.

Media: Television Tonga is the state-run network, and there are also several private TV stations including OBN TV7 and Friendly Island Broadcasting Network, as well as the pay TV service Tonfon TV.

A3Z Radio Tonga is the government-operated radio station; Radio 2000 and Radio Nuku’alofa are privately owned.

Newspapers include Tonga Chronicle (state-owned), and Times of Tonga and Talaki (both published in New Zealand). Matangi Tonga is a fortnightly news magazine.

There are 20 personal computers (2002) and 30 internet users (2006) per 1,000 people.

Education: Public spending on education was 4.8% of GDP in 2004. There are nine years of compulsory education starting at age six. More than 95% of primary students attend state schools, while about 90% of secondary students attend church schools. The pupil–teacher ratio for primary is 20:1 and for secondary 15:1. The school year starts in February.

About 6% of the relevant age group is enrolled in tertiary education (2001/02). Tonga is a partner in the regional University of the South Pacific, which has its main campus in Suva, Fiji Islands.

Health: There are public hospitals on the islands of Tongatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u, and dispensaries throughout the islands. The entire population uses an improved drinking water source and 98% of people in urban areas have access to adequate sanitation facilities (2004). Over time, the Tongan diet has moved away from traditional root crops to imported foods. Infant mortality was 20 per 1,000 live births in 2005.