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Kiribati vs Tonga
Side-by-side comparison of Kiribati and Tonga from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Kiribati
East Asia & Pacific · nation age 47 years
In short
Tonga scores 48.9 in the NationsTree Index (93rd in the world) and Kiribati scores 31.1 (161st), a gap of 17.8 points. Their trees are 0.4 m and 0.6 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Kiribati has 32% more people than Tonga. Kiribati and Tonga have a similar land area. The economy of Tonga is 67% larger than that of Kiribati (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Kiribati 136,488 and Tonga 103,742 (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $8,675 in Tonga and $3,937 in Kiribati (2025, international dollars). People in Tonga live on average 6.5 years longer (73.1 vs 66.6 years).
Of 32 indicators reported by both countries, Kiribati ranks higher in the world on 10 and Tonga on 22. Kiribati is clearly stronger in environment & energy, land & people and main industries. Tonga is clearly stronger in economy, society & health and infrastructure & digital.
As a nation, Tonga is the older of the two (statehood since 1970, 56 years), compared with Kiribati (since 1979). Over the last five years Tonga improved faster (direction score 86 vs 10 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Kiribati and Tonga.
Kiribati
-14.5%
188th of 192
Tongabetter
1.2%
27th of 192
Access to electricityInfrastructure & digital
Kiribati
97.7%
143rd of 215
Tongabetter
100.0%
1st of 215
High-tech exportsTrade
Kiribati
2.3%
128th of 168
Tongabetter
28.5%
18th of 168
Renewable energyEnvironment & energy
Kiribatibetter
41.9%
57th of 212
Tonga
2.3%
178th of 212
Under-5 mortalitySociety & health
Kiribati
53.1
172nd of 196
Tongabetter
9.5
70th of 196
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Tonga overtook Kiribati in the NationsTree Index in 2021 and has stayed ahead since.
Kiribati overtook Tonga in population in 2010 and has stayed ahead since.
Tonga has been ahead of Kiribati in GDP per person (PPP), GDP (PPP) and life expectancy in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
KiribatiTonga All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Kiribati | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 811180th/216 · 2024 | 749183rd/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 811179th/216 · 2024 | 720183rd/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 136,488187th/217 · 2025 | 103,742193rd/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 1.45%73rd/217 · 2025 | -0.42%195th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 165.971st/216 · 2024 | 144.781st/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 63.4%114th/217 · 2025 | 21.2%211th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 34.4%53rd/217 · 2025 | 34.9%52nd/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 4.4%159th/217 · 2025 | 6.9%127th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $349.2 m206th/210 · 2025 | $679.2 m203rd/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $537.3 m194th/199 · 2025 | $899.9 m193rd/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $459.1 m194th/199 · 2025 | $769.0 m193rd/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $2,559169th/210 · 2025 | $6,547126th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $3,937177th/199 · 2025 | $8,675146th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $3,930141st/201 · 2025 | $6,840112th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 4.2%74th/210 · 2025 | 2.8%123rd/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 6.5%145th/180 · 2025 | 5.6%142nd/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | — | 2.0%17th/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | — | 43.1%19th/55 · 2020 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 8.0%7th/189 · 2025 | 26.9%27th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -14.5%188th/192 · 2025 | 1.2%27th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 23.2%24th/197 · 2024 | 18.6%40th/197 · 2024 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 11.8%177th/200 · 2024 | 17.7%144th/200 · 2024 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 4.2%159th/192 · 2024 | 5.5%146th/192 · 2024 |
| Services % of GDP | 70.3%34th/200 · 2024 | 49.5%147th/200 · 2024 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $15.5 m182nd/182 · 2024 | $109.4 m179th/182 · 2024 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $334.9 m178th/182 · 2024 | $392.9 m176th/182 · 2024 |
| Exports % of GDP | 4.5%181st/183 · 2024 | 16.9%155th/183 · 2024 |
| Imports % of GDP | 97.6%11th/183 · 2024 | 60.7%55th/183 · 2024 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 102.1%59th/183 · 2024 | 77.6%101st/183 · 2024 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0%148th/170 · 2021 | 0.0%156th/170 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 2.1%161st/171 · 2021 | 84.2%13th/171 · 2025 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 97.2%2nd/171 · 2021 | 15.0%91st/171 · 2025 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 0.6%148th/171 · 2021 | 0.7%141st/171 · 2025 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 2.3%128th/168 · 2021 | 28.5%18th/168 · 2023 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -15.2%178th/191 · 2025 | -4.3%135th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 1.2%134th/196 · 2025 | 2.6%78th/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.0%165th/209 · 2021 | 0.0%166th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.04%130th/209 · 2021 | 0.04%131st/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 2.5%164th/206 · 2024 | 30.3%28th/206 · 2024 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 12,000188th/194 · 2019 | 94,000164th/194 · 2019 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $5.2 m172nd/175 · 2017 | $47.7 m157th/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 17.6%38th/168 · 2017 | 47.8%16th/168 · 2020 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 66.6180th/217 · 2024 | 73.1124th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 53.1172nd/196 · 2024 | 9.570th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 0.192013 | 1.01105th/174 · 2021 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 1.92016 | 2.52010 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 94%66th/193 · 2024 | 99%1st/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 77.3%77th/153 · 2024 | 94.2%32nd/153 · 2021 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 90.3%103rd/173 · 2024 | 92.4%90th/173 · 2024 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 51.7%29th/55 · 2019 | — |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 7.1%159th/217 · 2025 | 11.8%117th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 10.9%17th/193 · 2023 | 7.4%78th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 98.6%18th/98 · 2020 | 99.5%11th/98 · 2023 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 5.0%147th/150 · 2024 | 42.9%91st/150 · 2023 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.644140th/193 · 2023 | 0.76992nd/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 24.73rd/108 · 2023 | 27.111th/108 · 2021 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 0.9%48th/108 · 2023 | 0.4%27th/108 · 2021 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 97.7%143rd/215 · 2024 | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 15.1%144th/150 · 2024 | 29.6%131st/150 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 24.6%121st/144 · 2024 | 31.2%109th/144 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 89.4%62nd/186 · 2024 | 67.4%128th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 54198th/210 · 2024 | 62192nd/210 · 2022 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 0.0200th/208 · 2024 | 8.2124th/208 · 2022 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 58,879142nd/161 · 2023 | 75,4162004 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 0.5949th/203 · 2024 | 1.6381st/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 41.9%57th/212 · 2022 | 2.3%178th/212 · 2022 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 3.95th/200 · 2023 | 4.711th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 1.3%193rd/214 · 2024 | 12.1%155th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 1082007 | 5432007 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 44.9135th/205 · 2025 | 51.1112th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 54.077th/207 · 2025 | 39.6127th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 73.043rd/207 · 2025 | 71.448th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 87.521st/207 · 2025 | 88.614th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 48.3129th/205 · 2025 | 51.1116th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 76.739th/205 · 2025 | 72.553rd/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 7.12012 | 0.940th/145 · 2019 |
| Military | ||
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 7.0 m117th/163 · 2021 | 7.0 m2020 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| Patent applications by residents applications | — | 5117th/137 · 2024 |
| Scientific articles articles | 2194th/197 · 2023 | 5187th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Kiribati or Tonga?
Kiribati has the larger population: 136,488 (2025) compared with 103,742 for Tonga (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Kiribati or Tonga?
Kiribati is larger: 811 km² (2024) compared with 749 km² for Tonga (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Kiribati or Tonga?
Tonga has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $899.9 m intl. (2025) compared with $537.3 m intl. for Kiribati (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Kiribati or Tonga?
Tonga has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $8,675 intl. (2025) compared with $3,937 intl. for Kiribati (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Kiribati or Tonga?
Tonga has the higher life expectancy at birth: 73.1 years (2024) compared with 66.6 years for Kiribati (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Kiribati or Tonga?
Tonga: 48.9 points (93rd in the world); Kiribati: 31.1 points (161st). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Palau
Vanuatu
Samoa
Solomon IslandsSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Kiribati vs Tonga — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/kiribati-vs-tonga. Data as of 26 October 2026.