Net migration in Tonga
Tonga: Net migration was -2,150 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Net migration in Tonga, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
Analysis
The most recent figure for net migration in Tonga is -2,150, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net migration in Tonga peaked at -344 in 1974 and was at its lowest, -2,840, in 1983.
Tonga ranks 119th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Net migration in Tonga, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -384 | — |
| 1961 | -401 | +4.4% |
| 1962 | -420 | +4.7% |
| 1963 | -426 | +1.4% |
| 1964 | -428 | +0.5% |
| 1965 | -426 | -0.5% |
| 1966 | -465 | +9.2% |
| 1967 | -1,060 | +128.0% |
| 1968 | -1,078 | +1.7% |
| 1969 | -1,101 | +2.1% |
| 1970 | -1,122 | +1.9% |
| 1971 | -1,138 | +1.4% |
| 1972 | -1,153 | +1.3% |
| 1973 | -1,168 | +1.3% |
| 1974 | -344 | -70.5% |
| 1975 | -346 | +0.6% |
| 1976 | -523 | +51.2% |
| 1977 | -2,273 | +334.6% |
| 1978 | -2,457 | +8.1% |
| 1979 | -2,604 | +6.0% |
| 1980 | -2,708 | +4.0% |
| 1981 | -2,778 | +2.6% |
| 1982 | -2,814 | +1.3% |
| 1983 | -2,840 | +0.9% |
| 1984 | -2,823 | -0.6% |
| 1985 | -2,775 | -1.7% |
| 1986 | -2,650 | -4.5% |
| 1987 | -1,970 | -25.7% |
| 1988 | -2,138 | +8.5% |
| 1989 | -2,280 | +6.6% |
| 1990 | -2,409 | +5.7% |
| 1991 | -2,484 | +3.1% |
| 1992 | -2,524 | +1.6% |
| 1993 | -2,532 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | -2,484 | -1.9% |
| 1995 | -2,422 | -2.5% |
| 1996 | -2,338 | -3.5% |
| 1997 | -1,589 | -32.0% |
| 1998 | -1,665 | +4.8% |
| 1999 | -1,710 | +2.7% |
| 2000 | -1,721 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | -1,766 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | -1,815 | +2.8% |
| 2003 | -1,844 | +1.6% |
| 2004 | -1,876 | +1.7% |
| 2005 | -1,906 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | -1,875 | -1.6% |
| 2007 | -2,057 | +9.7% |
| 2008 | -2,177 | +5.8% |
| 2009 | -2,204 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | -2,097 | -4.9% |
| 2011 | -2,198 | +4.8% |
| 2012 | -2,578 | +17.3% |
| 2013 | -2,637 | +2.3% |
| 2014 | -2,622 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | -2,610 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | -2,591 | -0.7% |
| 2017 | -1,642 | -36.6% |
| 2018 | -1,723 | +4.9% |
| 2019 | -1,778 | +3.2% |
| 2020 | -1,807 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | -2,220 | +22.9% |
| 2022 | -2,218 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | -2,173 | -2.0% |
| 2024 | -2,149 | -1.1% |
| 2025 | -2,150 | +0.0% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's -2,150 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is -2,815, 76% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Tonga's -2,150 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -462, 4.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Net migration in Tonga changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | -334.6% | -523 | -2,273 |
| 1967 | -128.0% | -465 | -1,060 |
| 1974 | +70.5% | -1,168 | -344 |
| 1976 | -51.2% | -346 | -523 |
| 2017 | +36.6% | -2,591 | -1,642 |
| 1997 | +32.0% | -2,338 | -1,589 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -618.9 | -1,101 | -384 | 10 |
| 1970s | -1,313 | -2,604 | -344 | 10 |
| 1980s | -2,578 | -2,840 | -1,970 | 10 |
| 1990s | -2,216 | -2,532 | -1,589 | 10 |
| 2000s | -1,924 | -2,204 | -1,721 | 10 |
| 2010s | -2,248 | -2,637 | -1,642 | 10 |
| 2020s | -2,120 | -2,220 | -1,807 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 116 Guinea-Bissau -1,373 compare
- 117 Marshall Islands -1,698 compare
- 118 Comoros -2,127 compare
- 120 Madagascar -2,227 compare
- 121 Maldives -2,283 compare
- 122 East Timor -2,550 compare
More financial sector data for Tonga
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0069 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 45.37 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0051 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 33.13 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0069 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 45.37 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net migration in Tonga?
- Net migration in Tonga was -2,150 in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest net migration recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was -344 in 1974.
- What is the lowest net migration recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was -2,840 in 1983.
- How does Tonga rank for net migration?
- Tonga ranks 119th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is net migration rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Net migration. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens.