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Labour · East Asia & Pacific · Upper-middle income

Tonga: the labour market

Labour force is 33,628 (2025), 187th of 187 in the world and 29th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Participation rate is 49.8% (2025), 160th of 187 in the world and 28th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Women's participation is 42.3% (2025), 143rd of 187 in the world and 26th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific.

Labour force33,6282025 · world 187/187 · region 29/29Participation rate49.8%2025 · world 160/187 · region 28/29Women's participation42.3%2025 · world 143/187 · region 26/29Employment rate48.8%2025 · world 149/187 · region 27/29
Labour force
Tonga
32,00034,00036,00038,0001995200020052010201520202025Tonga33,628
Participation rate
TongaEast Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
40%50%60%70%80%1995200020052010201520202025Tonga49.8%East Asia & PacificUpper-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Tonga in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total33,6282025187/18729/2937,08037,87535,568−9.0%since 20151.3bn1.5bn3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+49.8%2025160/18728/2958.6%56.5%52.4%−5.2 ppsince 201565.2%62.7%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+42.3%2025143/18726/2944.5%43.6%42.3%−0.7 ppsince 201558.1%53.4%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)48.8%2025149/18727/2956.2%55.7%51.0%−5.1 ppsince 201562.7%59.5%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)2.0%2025171/18723/294.0%1.5%2.7%±0.0 ppsince 20153.8%5.2%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)2.5%2025162/18718/295.7%2.1%3.7%−0.3 ppsince 20153.4%5.1%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)6.0%2025155/18722/2910.4%4.2%8.0%+0.2 ppsince 201512.5%15.6%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %25.6%202345/1709/28··18.7%2021—15.3%17.3%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment58.2%2025114/18717/2945.8%46.1%51.8%+11.2 ppsince 201561.0%61.3%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)33.7%202580/18714/2940.0%39.8%36.5%−5.4 ppsince 201535.3%34.8%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment23.6%202575/18715/2929.9%32.6%28.7%−8.4 ppsince 201521.7%19.8%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment23.3%202553/1876/2930.0%24.6%26.8%−2.4 ppsince 201528.5%27.7%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment53.0%2025113/18716/2940.1%42.8%44.6%+10.8 ppsince 201549.9%52.4%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Tonga and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Tonga. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorTongaUnited States
Labour force33,6282025175m2025
Participation rate49.8%202561.7%2025
Women's participation42.3%202556.3%2025
Employment rate48.8%202559.1%2025
Unemployment2.0%20254.2%2025
Female unemployment2.5%20254.2%2025
Youth unemployment6.0%20259.3%2025
Youth NEET rate25.6%202311.6%2025
Wage workers58.2%202593.9%2025
United States: labour
Labour in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedLabour: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesTonga: all key statisticscountry profile