STATISTICS: TONGA

Tonga Official name: Pule'anga Fakatu'i 'o Tonga (Tongan); Kingdom of Tonga (English). Form of government: constitutional monarchy with one legislative house (Legislative Assembly ). Head of state and government: King assisted by Privy Council. Capital: Nuku'alofa. Official languages: Tongan; English. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 pa'anga{2} (T$) = 100 seniti; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = T$1.70; 1 = T$2.89. Demography Population (1998): 97,900. Density (1998){3}: persons per sq mi 352.0, persons per sq km 135.9. Urban-rural (1997): urban 43.0%; rural 57.0%. Sex distribution (1992): male 50.28%; female 49.72%. Age breakdown (1986): under 15, 40.6%; 15-29, 29.0%; 30-44, 13.8%; 45-59, 10.2%; 60-74, 5.0%; 75 and over, 1.4%. Population projection: (2000) 98,500; (2010) 101,000. Doubling time: 33 years. Ethnic composition (1986): Tongan 95.5%; part Tongan 2.8%; other 1.7%. Religious affiliation (1998): Free Wesleyan 41.2%; Roman Catholic 15.8%; Mormon 13.6%. Major cities (1986): Nuku'alofa 21,383; Neiafu 3,879; Haveluloto 3,070. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1997): 27.0 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1997): 5.8 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1997): 21.2 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1997): 3.4. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1992): 8.2. Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1992): 1.1. Life expectancy at birth (1997): male 68.0 years; female 72.0 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1993){4}: circulatory diseases 58.1; nervous system diseases 51.0; senility 27.6; diabetes mellitus 17.3. National economy Budget (1996-97). Revenue: T$68,300,000 (foreign-trade taxes 41.6%, government services revenue 16.5%, direct taxes 12.0%, indirect taxes 10.7%, interest and rent 6.8%). Expenditures{5}: T$68,700,000 (education 17.8%, public works and communications 17.3%, general administration 14.4%, health 11.4%, law and order 10.5%, agriculture 9.0%). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$68,300,000. Tourism (1995): receipts U.S.$11,000,000; expenditures (1993) U.S.$3,000,000. Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): yams 31,000, cassava 28,000, taro 27,200, coconuts 24,500, fruits 12,500, vegetables 7,308, sweet potatoes 5,137, copra (1994) 2,000; livestock (number of live animals) 80,853 pigs, 13,939 goats, 11,400 horses, 9,318 cattle, 266,000 chickens; roundwood (1995) 4,600 cu m; fish catch (1995) 2,596. Mining and quarrying (1982): coral 150,000; sand 25,000. Manufacturing (output in T$'000,000; 1994): food products and beverages 7,766; chemical products 4,294; wood products 1,330; paper products 859; nonmetallic products 814; textile and wearing apparel 806. Construction (value in T$; 1984): residential 9,552,300; nonresidential 11,377,100. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 29,000,000 (29,000,000); petroleum (barrels; 1989) none (154,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) n.a. (34,000). Gross national product (1996): U.S.$175,000,000 (U.S.$1,790 per capita). Population economically active (1993-94): total 36,665; activity rate 36.9% (participation rates: ages 10 and over 52.2%; female 42.9%; unemployed 11.8%). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1986) 6.3; income per household: n.a.; sources of income: n.a.; expenditure (1984){6}: food 49.3%, household operations 13.3%, housing 10.5%, tobacco and beverages 7.0%, transportation 5.8%, clothing and footwear 5.6%. Land use (1994): forest 11.1%; pasture 5.6%; agriculture 66.7%; other 16.6%. Foreign trade{7} Imports (1995-96): T$94,960,000 (food and live animals 28.7%, machinery and transport equipment 20.6%, basic manufactures 17.0%, mineral fuels 13.7%, chemicals 6.8%). Major import sources: New Zealand 36.1%; Australia 28.9%; U.S. 11.5%; Japan 8.0%; Fiji 7.2%. Exports (1995-96): T$17,020,000 (squash 49.3%, fish 24.4%, vanilla beans 12.5%, root crops 5.5%). Major export destinations: Japan 51.8%; U.S. 27.7%; New Zealand 8.3%; Australia 4.0%; Fiji 1.5%. Transport Transport. Railroads: none. Roads (1995): total length 674 km (paved 27%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 1,136, commercial vehicles 766. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 15; total deadweight tonnage 13,740. Air transport (1994): passenger-km 9,397,000; metric ton-km cargo 16,000; airports (1996) with scheduled flights 6. Education and health Educational attainment (1986). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: complete primary 38.3%; lower secondary 30.3%; secondary 23.4%; postsecondary 4.9%; higher 1.0%; not stated 2.1%. Literacy (1976): total population age 15 and over literate 46,456 (92.8%); males 23,372 (92.9%); females 23,084 (92.8%). Health: physicians (1993) 45 (1 per 2,201 persons); hospital beds (1992) 307 (1 per 320 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1997) 15. Food (1992): daily per capita caloric intake 2,946 (vegetable products 82%, animal products 18%); 129% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1991): Tonga has a national police (defense) force of about 300. Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1989): 4.9% (world 4.9%); per capita expenditure U.S.$21. {1} Includes 12 nonelective seats and 9 nobles elected by the 33 hereditary nobles of Tonga. {2} The pa'anga was pegged at par to the Australian dollar through Feb. 8, 1991, but beginning Feb. 11, 1991, it was linked to a weighted basket of foreign currencies. {3} Density is based on land area. {4} Reported inpatient deaths at all hospitals. {5} Excludes amortization of public debt and sinking funds. {6} Current weight of consumer price index components. {7} Import data used in computing balance of trade is c.i.f.