Full democracy in Tonga
Tonga: Full democracy was 1 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 198 countries
All-time high
1
in 2018
All-time low
0
in 1845
Years of data
181
1845–2025
Full democracy in Tonga, 1845–2025
Source: Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for full democracy in Tonga is 1, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 181 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over five years.
Over the whole period, full democracy in Tonga peaked at 1 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1845.
That places Tonga 1st out of 198 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Full democracy in Tonga, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1845 | 0 | — |
| 1846 | 0 | — |
| 1847 | 0 | — |
| 1848 | 0 | — |
| 1849 | 0 | — |
| 1850 | 0 | — |
| 1851 | 0 | — |
| 1852 | 0 | — |
| 1853 | 0 | — |
| 1854 | 0 | — |
| 1855 | 0 | — |
| 1856 | 0 | — |
| 1857 | 0 | — |
| 1858 | 0 | — |
| 1859 | 0 | — |
| 1860 | 0 | — |
| 1861 | 0 | — |
| 1862 | 0 | — |
| 1863 | 0 | — |
| 1864 | 0 | — |
| 1865 | 0 | — |
| 1866 | 0 | — |
| 1867 | 0 | — |
| 1868 | 0 | — |
| 1869 | 0 | — |
| 1870 | 0 | — |
| 1871 | 0 | — |
| 1872 | 0 | — |
| 1873 | 0 | — |
| 1874 | 0 | — |
| 1875 | 0 | — |
| 1876 | 0 | — |
| 1877 | 0 | — |
| 1878 | 0 | — |
| 1879 | 0 | — |
| 1880 | 0 | — |
| 1881 | 0 | — |
| 1882 | 0 | — |
| 1883 | 0 | — |
| 1884 | 0 | — |
| 1885 | 0 | — |
| 1886 | 0 | — |
| 1887 | 0 | — |
| 1888 | 0 | — |
| 1889 | 0 | — |
| 1890 | 0 | — |
| 1891 | 0 | — |
| 1892 | 0 | — |
| 1893 | 0 | — |
| 1894 | 0 | — |
| 1895 | 0 | — |
| 1896 | 0 | — |
| 1897 | 0 | — |
| 1898 | 0 | — |
| 1899 | 0 | — |
| 1900 | 0 | — |
| 1901 | 0 | — |
| 1902 | 0 | — |
| 1903 | 0 | — |
| 1904 | 0 | — |
| 1905 | 0 | — |
| 1906 | 0 | — |
| 1907 | 0 | — |
| 1908 | 0 | — |
| 1909 | 0 | — |
| 1910 | 0 | — |
| 1911 | 0 | — |
| 1912 | 0 | — |
| 1913 | 0 | — |
| 1914 | 0 | — |
| 1915 | 0 | — |
| 1916 | 0 | — |
| 1917 | 0 | — |
| 1918 | 0 | — |
| 1919 | 0 | — |
| 1920 | 0 | — |
| 1921 | 0 | — |
| 1922 | 0 | — |
| 1923 | 0 | — |
| 1924 | 0 | — |
| 1925 | 0 | — |
| 1926 | 0 | — |
| 1927 | 0 | — |
| 1928 | 0 | — |
| 1929 | 0 | — |
| 1930 | 0 | — |
| 1931 | 0 | — |
| 1932 | 0 | — |
| 1933 | 0 | — |
| 1934 | 0 | — |
| 1935 | 0 | — |
| 1936 | 0 | — |
| 1937 | 0 | — |
| 1938 | 0 | — |
| 1939 | 0 | — |
| 1940 | 0 | — |
| 1941 | 0 | — |
| 1942 | 0 | — |
| 1943 | 0 | — |
| 1944 | 0 | — |
| 1945 | 0 | — |
| 1946 | 0 | — |
| 1947 | 0 | — |
| 1948 | 0 | — |
| 1949 | 0 | — |
| 1950 | 0 | — |
| 1951 | 0 | — |
| 1952 | 0 | — |
| 1953 | 0 | — |
| 1954 | 0 | — |
| 1955 | 0 | — |
| 1956 | 0 | — |
| 1957 | 0 | — |
| 1958 | 0 | — |
| 1959 | 0 | — |
| 1960 | 0 | — |
| 1961 | 0 | — |
| 1962 | 0 | — |
| 1963 | 0 | — |
| 1964 | 0 | — |
| 1965 | 0 | — |
| 1966 | 0 | — |
| 1967 | 0 | — |
| 1968 | 0 | — |
| 1969 | 0 | — |
| 1970 | 0 | — |
| 1971 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | — |
| 1982 | 0 | — |
| 1983 | 0 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | 0 | — |
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 0 | — |
| 2004 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 1 | — |
| 2019 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 1 | +0.0% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 1 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1, 1.0× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 1850s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1860s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1870s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1880s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1890s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1900s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1910s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1920s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1930s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1940s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 1 Andorra 1 compare
- 1 Antigua and Barbuda 1 compare
- 1 Argentina 1 compare
- 1 Australia 1 compare
- 1 Austria 1 compare
- 1 Bahamas 1 compare
- 1 Barbados 1 compare
- 1 Belgium 1 compare
- 1 Belize 1 compare
- 1 Brazil 1 compare
- 1 Bulgaria 1 compare
- 1 Canada 1 compare
- 1 Cape Verde 1 compare
- 1 Chile 1 compare
- 1 Costa Rica 1 compare
- 1 Croatia 1 compare
- 1 Cyprus 1 compare
- 1 Czechia 1 compare
- 1 Denmark 1 compare
- 1 Dominica 1 compare
- 1 Dominican Republic 1 compare
- 1 Estonia 1 compare
- 1 Fiji 1 compare
- 1 Finland 1 compare
- 1 France 1 compare
- 1 Germany 1 compare
- 1 Ghana 1 compare
- 1 Greece 1 compare
- 1 Grenada 1 compare
- 1 Guyana 1 compare
- 1 Iceland 1 compare
- 1 Ireland 1 compare
- 1 Italy 1 compare
- 1 Jamaica 1 compare
- 1 Japan 1 compare
- 1 Kiribati 1 compare
- 1 Latvia 1 compare
- 1 Lithuania 1 compare
- 1 Luxembourg 1 compare
- 1 Malta 1 compare
- 1 Marshall Islands 1 compare
- 1 Mauritius 1 compare
- 1 Micronesia (country) 1 compare
- 1 Mongolia 1 compare
- 1 Namibia 1 compare
- 1 Nauru 1 compare
- 1 Netherlands 1 compare
- 1 New Zealand 1 compare
- 1 Norway 1 compare
- 1 Palau 1 compare
- 1 Panama 1 compare
- 1 Papua New Guinea 1 compare
- 1 Poland 1 compare
- 1 Portugal 1 compare
- 1 Romania 1 compare
- 1 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1 compare
- 1 Saint Lucia 1 compare
- 1 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 compare
- 1 Samoa 1 compare
- 1 San Marino 1 compare
- 1 Sao Tome and Principe 1 compare
- 1 Seychelles 1 compare
- 1 Slovenia 1 compare
- 1 South Africa 1 compare
- 1 South Korea 1 compare
- 1 Spain 1 compare
- 1 Suriname 1 compare
- 1 Sweden 1 compare
- 1 Switzerland 1 compare
- 1 Taiwan 1 compare
- 1 Trinidad and Tobago 1 compare
- 1 Tuvalu 1 compare
- 1 United Kingdom 1 compare
- 1 United States 1 compare
- 1 Uruguay 1 compare
- 1 Vanuatu 1 compare
More social development data for Tonga
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 65 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 3 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 50 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 3 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0006 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 65 (2025)
- Sovereign state gleditsch ward, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 54.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is full democracy in Tonga?
- Full democracy in Tonga was 1 in 2025, according to Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest full democracy recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 1 in 2018.
- What is the lowest full democracy recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1845.
- How does Tonga rank for full democracy?
- Tonga ranks 1st out of 198 countries with data for 2025.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from Lexical Index (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Full democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 181 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Identifies if a country is a full democracy using the extended Lexical Index of Electoral Democracy (LIED+).