Tonga: Secondary education, pupils

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Tonga's secondary education, pupils rose 0.9% on 2023 (from 15,981 to 16,132).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2023), the average change was +0.5% and a typical year strayed about 5.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 17.8% in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 10.9% in 2004. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Tonga had the 85th highest value of the 100 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Tonga in the 2024 ranking

• Bahamas, The — 82nd of 100: 26,561
• Barbados — 83rd of 100: 18,457
• Kiribati — 84th of 100: 16,846
• St. Lucia — 86th of 100: 10,378
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 87th of 100: 9,740
• Grenada — 88th of 100: 8,811

What this measures

Secondary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at secondary level in public and private schools.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 39 values

Secondary education, pupils in nearby economies

• Australia — 2.65 million (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 40,924 (2023)
• Cambodia — 1.17 million (2024)
• China — 97.98 million (2024)
• Fiji — 113,613 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 340,877 (2024)
• Indonesia — 27.84 million (2025)
• Japan — 6.61 million (2023)
• Kiribati — 16,846 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 2.66 million (2024)
• Lao PDR — 532,092 (2025)

More education data for Tonga

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 15,644 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 108.79% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 818 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 110.66% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 107.14% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.95 (2020)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Tonga's secondary education, pupils?

16,132 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 58.8% from 10,159 in 1970 (0.86% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 17,085 in 1982 and the lowest 10,159 in 1970.

How does Tonga rank?

85th highest of 100 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in secondary education, pupils unusual for Tonga?

In 2024, Tonga's secondary education, pupils rose 0.9% on 2023 (from 15,981 to 16,132). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2023), the average change was +0.5% and a typical year strayed about 5.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.ENRL, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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