If you lived in Tonga instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:

Health

live 8.1 years longer

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Tonga, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.3 times more likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Tonga, that number is 48.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 57.1% more money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $4,200 as of 2023, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,600 as of 2022.

be 13.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Tonga, that number is 2.3% as of 2023.

be 44.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Tonga, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2021.

Life

be 34.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 192.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Tonga, 126.0 women do as of 2020.

be 54.8% more likely to be literate

In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 64.2% as of 2015. In Tonga, it is 99.4% as of 2021.

be 63.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 33.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Tonga, on the other hand, 12.4 children do as of 2022.

have 29.9% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tonga, there are 19.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 5.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 19% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Tonga, that number is 100% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 2.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Tonga, about 67.0% do as of 2021.

be 2.1 times more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access (86% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Tonga, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 4.7 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Tonga spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.1 times more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Tonga, that number is 5.3% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 91.9% less coastline

Papua New Guinea has a total of 5,152 km of coastline. In Tonga, that number is 419 km.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Tonga: At a glance

Tonga is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 717 sq km. Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.
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How big is Tonga compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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