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Tonga vs Vanuatu
Side-by-side comparison of Tonga and Vanuatu from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Vanuatu
East Asia & Pacific · nation age 46 years
In short
Tonga scores 48.9 in the NationsTree Index (93rd in the world) and Vanuatu scores 41.1 (126th), a gap of 7.8 points. Their trees are 0.6 m and 0.7 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Vanuatu has 3.2 times the population of Tonga. Vanuatu is 16 times larger than Tonga by land area. The economy of Vanuatu is 69% larger than that of Tonga (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Tonga 103,742 and Vanuatu 335,169 (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $8,675 in Tonga and $4,525 in Vanuatu (2025, international dollars). People in Tonga live on average 1.4 years longer (73.1 vs 71.7 years).
Of 30 indicators reported by both countries, Tonga ranks higher in the world on 22 and Vanuatu on 8. Tonga is clearly stronger in society & health, infrastructure & digital and trade. Vanuatu is clearly stronger in environment & energy.
As a nation, Tonga is the older of the two (statehood since 1970, 56 years), compared with Vanuatu (since 1980). Over the last five years Vanuatu improved faster (direction score 92 vs 86 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Tonga and Vanuatu.
Tongabetter
99%
1st of 193
Vanuatu
71%
166th of 193
Access to electricityInfrastructure & digital
Tongabetter
100.0%
1st of 215
Vanuatu
65.5%
181st of 215
Completed lower secondary, 25+Society & health
Tongabetter
94.2%
32nd of 153
Vanuatu
28.7%
133rd of 153
InflationEconomy
Tonga
5.6%
142nd of 180
Vanuatubetter
0.7%
26th of 180
Renewable energyEnvironment & energy
Tonga
2.3%
178th of 212
Vanuatubetter
25.0%
92nd of 212
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Tonga overtook Vanuatu in the NationsTree Index in 2007 and has stayed ahead since.
Tonga has been ahead of Vanuatu in GDP per person (PPP) and life expectancy in every year since 1990.
Vanuatu has been ahead of Tonga in GDP (PPP) and population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
TongaVanuatu 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 | Tonga | Vanuatu |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 749183rd/216 · 2024 | 12,189160th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 720183rd/216 · 2024 | 12,189158th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 103,742193rd/217 · 2025 | 335,169177th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | -0.42%195th/217 · 2025 | 2.23%36th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 144.781st/216 · 2024 | 26.9177th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 21.2%211th/217 · 2025 | 22.3%209th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 34.9%52nd/217 · 2025 | 38.0%34th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 6.9%127th/217 · 2025 | 4.4%158th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $679.2 m203rd/210 · 2025 | $1.35 bn195th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $899.9 m193rd/199 · 2025 | $1.52 bn191st/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $769.0 m193rd/199 · 2025 | $1.30 bn191st/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $6,547126th/210 · 2025 | $4,039150th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $8,675146th/199 · 2025 | $4,525171st/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $6,840112th/201 · 2025 | $4,410135th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 2.8%123rd/210 · 2025 | 3.1%113th/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 5.6%142nd/180 · 2025 | 0.7%26th/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 2.0%17th/187 · 2025 | 5.1%90th/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | 43.1%19th/55 · 2020 | 67.9%37th/55 · 2023 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 26.9%27th/189 · 2025 | 36.2%52nd/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | 1.2%27th/192 · 2025 | 6.2%5th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 18.6%40th/197 · 2024 | 26.6%17th/197 · 2024 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 17.7%144th/200 · 2024 | 10.1%185th/200 · 2024 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 5.5%146th/192 · 2024 | 4.0%161st/192 · 2024 |
| Services % of GDP | 49.5%147th/200 · 2024 | 56.8%112th/200 · 2024 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $109.4 m179th/182 · 2024 | $329.0 m172nd/182 · 2024 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $392.9 m176th/182 · 2024 | $623.5 m173rd/182 · 2024 |
| Exports % of GDP | 16.9%155th/183 · 2024 | 25.3%123rd/183 · 2024 |
| Imports % of GDP | 60.7%55th/183 · 2024 | 48.0%84th/183 · 2024 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 77.6%101st/183 · 2024 | 73.4%108th/183 · 2024 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0%156th/170 · 2025 | 0.1%2011 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 84.2%13th/171 · 2025 | 8.2%2011 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 15.0%91st/171 · 2025 | 85.3%2011 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 0.7%141st/171 · 2025 | 1.6%2011 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 28.5%18th/168 · 2023 | — |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -4.3%135th/191 · 2025 | -6.0%150th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 2.6%78th/196 · 2025 | 2.4%86th/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.0%166th/209 · 2021 | 0.6%128th/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%131st/209 · 2021 | 0.57%67th/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 30.3%28th/206 · 2024 | 1.6%177th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | — | 31,94417th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 94,000164th/194 · 2019 | 82,400172nd/194 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $47.7 m157th/175 · 2020 | $67.0 m149th/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 47.8%16th/168 · 2020 | 50.4%15th/168 · 2020 |
| Outbound trips departures | — | 9,400106th/107 · 2020 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 73.1124th/217 · 2024 | 71.7141st/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 9.570th/196 · 2024 | 17.1110th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 1.01105th/174 · 2021 | 0.16154th/174 · 2019 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 2.52010 | 1.72008 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 99%1st/193 · 2024 | 71%166th/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 94.2%32nd/153 · 2021 | 28.7%133rd/153 · 2023 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 92.4%90th/173 · 2024 | 134.7%6th/173 · 2023 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | — | 30.4%42nd/55 · 2019 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 11.8%117th/217 · 2025 | 7.6%149th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 7.4%78th/193 · 2023 | 4.1%153rd/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 99.5%11th/98 · 2023 | 88.0%57th/98 · 2023 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 42.9%91st/150 · 2023 | 4.9%2004 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.76992nd/193 · 2023 | 0.621146th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 27.111th/108 · 2021 | 32.32019 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 0.4%27th/108 · 2021 | 19.5%2019 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 | 65.5%181st/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 29.6%131st/150 · 2024 | 19.2%138th/150 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 31.2%109th/144 · 2024 | — |
| Internet users % of population | 67.4%128th/186 · 2024 | 22.4%2015 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 62192nd/210 · 2022 | 89159th/210 · 2023 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 8.2124th/208 · 2022 | 1.2167th/208 · 2024 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 75,4162004 | 359,290121st/161 · 2023 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 1.6381st/203 · 2024 | 0.8759th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 2.3%178th/212 · 2022 | 25.0%92nd/212 · 2022 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 4.711th/200 · 2023 | 7.026th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 12.1%155th/214 · 2024 | 74.6%12th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 5432007 | 1582007 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 51.1112th/205 · 2025 | 37.0159th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 39.6127th/207 · 2025 | 44.4102nd/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 71.448th/207 · 2025 | 67.371st/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 88.614th/207 · 2025 | 82.346th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 51.1116th/205 · 2025 | 49.6122nd/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 72.553rd/205 · 2025 | 67.867th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 0.940th/145 · 2019 | 0.38th/145 · 2020 |
| Military | ||
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 7.0 m2020 | 7.0 m117th/163 · 2021 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| Patent applications by residents applications | 5117th/137 · 2024 | 1126th/137 · 2021 |
| Scientific articles articles | 5187th/197 · 2023 | 12183rd/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Tonga or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has the larger population: 335,169 (2025) compared with 103,742 for Tonga (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Tonga or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu is larger: 12,189 km² (2024) compared with 749 km² for Tonga (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Tonga or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $1.52 bn intl. (2025) compared with $899.9 m intl. for Tonga (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Tonga or Vanuatu?
Tonga has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $8,675 intl. (2025) compared with $4,525 intl. for Vanuatu (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Tonga or Vanuatu?
Tonga has the higher life expectancy at birth: 73.1 years (2024) compared with 71.7 years for Vanuatu (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Tonga or Vanuatu?
Tonga: 48.9 points (93rd in the world); Vanuatu: 41.1 points (126th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Kiribati
Micronesia
Palau
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Timor-LesteSources
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). Tonga vs Vanuatu — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/tonga-vs-vanuatu. Data as of 26 October 2026.