Tonga

KNOWN FAMILIARLY AS “The Friendly Islands,” Tonga is composed of 150 islands in the south Pacific Ocean. Of these islands, 36 are uninhabited. Tonga is the only monarchy in the Pacific. After 70 years as a British protectorate, it became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga is a lower-mid-dle-income nation with an annual per capita income of $2,300. Approximately 65 percent of the labor force are involved in agriculture. The islands export squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans, and these exports make up two-thirds of the total exports. Despite the abundance of agricultural products, Tonga imports most of its food supply from New Zealand.

Regular remittances from Tongans who work abroad and receipts from the tourist industry provide the largest share of government revenues. Unemployment stands at 13.3 percent on the islands and is particularly prevalent among the young. Without foreign aid, the Tongan economy would be unstable. With substantial aid, Tonga has a well-developed system of social services and has increased funding for health and education.

A recently published study by the Asian Development Bank revealed that poverty on Tonga is generally an issue of hardship rather than the kind of extreme poverty that plagues the poorest nations of the world. On this basis, 23 percent of Tongans lived below the poverty line of $28.18 per person per week. This meant that some individuals were forced to choose between buying food and paying school fees for their children's education.

Among the Tongan population of 112,422, life expectancy is 71.5 years. This is an increase of over 10 years since 1980. Females generally have a five-year advantage over males. The median age on Tonga is 20.46 years. Over 36 percent of the population are below the age of 14, and 4.2 percent have seen a 65th birthday. All of the people of Tonga have access to safe drinking water, and 97 percent of the population have access to improved sanitation. There are 35 physicians for every 100,000 residents on the island, and only five percent of Tongans lack access to affordable essential drugs.

Infant mortality is relatively low on Tonga. In 2005, it was estimated that 12.62 infants died out of every 1,000 live births. Female infants died at a rate of 12.2 per 1,000 as compared to males at 13.97 per 1,000. Between 1990 and 2003, infant mortality rates decreased from 25 deaths per 1,000 live births to 15 per 1,000. During that same period, the mortality rate of all children under 5 fell from 26 deaths per 1,000 to 19 deaths per 1,000. Two percent of Tongan infants are underweight at birth. Childhood immunization rates for children between the ages of birth and 23 months are all in the high 90 percent range. The entire Pacific region has been certified as polio-free, and no measles outbreaks have been reported for several years.

Currently, Tongan women bear an average of three children each. Between 1970 and 2003, the fertility rate dropped from 5.5 children per woman to 3.4 children per woman. The adolescent fertility rate is 23 out of 1,000 births. About 41 percent of all women use some method of contraception. Over 92 percent of all births in Tonga take place in the presence of trained medical staff.

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