Mobile phone subscriptions in Tonga
Tonga: Mobile phone subscriptions was 64,838 in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Mobile phone subscriptions in Tonga, 1980–2022
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2022, mobile phone subscriptions in Tonga stood at 64,838.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mobile phone subscriptions in Tonga peaked at 107,938 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.
That places Tonga 195th out of 212 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Mobile phone subscriptions in Tonga, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 300 | — |
| 1996 | 302 | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 120 | -60.3% |
| 1998 | 130 | +8.3% |
| 1999 | 140 | +7.7% |
| 2000 | 180 | +28.6% |
| 2001 | 236 | +31.1% |
| 2002 | 3,354 | +1321.2% |
| 2003 | 11,200 | +233.9% |
| 2004 | 16,400 | +46.4% |
| 2005 | 29,872 | +82.1% |
| 2006 | 30,051 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 46,525 | +54.8% |
| 2008 | 50,472 | +8.5% |
| 2009 | 53,000 | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 54,300 | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 55,000 | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 56,000 | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 57,500 | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 68,000 | +18.3% |
| 2015 | 73,493 | +8.1% |
| 2016 | 80,000 | +8.9% |
| 2017 | 107,938 | +34.9% |
| 2018 | 107,938 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 62,104 | -42.5% |
| 2020 | 62,000 | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 64,328 | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 64,838 | +0.8% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 64,838 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.03 million, 1% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 64,838 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.10 million, 2% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mobile phone subscriptions in Tonga changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +1321.2% | 236 | 3,354 |
| 2003 | +233.9% | 3,354 | 11,200 |
| 2005 | +82.1% | 16,400 | 29,872 |
| 1997 | -60.3% | 302 | 120 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1990s | 99.2 | 0 | 302 | 10 |
| 2000s | 24,129 | 180 | 53,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 72,227 | 54,300 | 107,938 | 10 |
| 2020s | 63,722 | 62,000 | 64,838 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
More science & technology data for Tonga
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 61.73 (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.6173 units per person (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 64,838 (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 90.05 units per square kilometre (2022)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2022)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 0.7928 % change on previous year (2022)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 4.85 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mobile phone subscriptions in Tonga?
- Mobile phone subscriptions in Tonga was 64,838 in 2022, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 107,938 in 2017.
- What is the lowest mobile phone subscriptions recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
- How does Tonga rank for mobile phone subscriptions?
- Tonga ranks 195th out of 212 countries with data for 2022.
- Is mobile phone subscriptions rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Mobile phone subscriptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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