People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Tonga
Tonga: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 143.28 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Tonga, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Tonga stood at 143.28 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 62.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Tonga peaked at 625.97 people in 2004 and was at its lowest, 143.28 people, in 2024.
Tonga ranks 131st of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Tonga, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 612.62 people | — |
| 2001 | 616.04 people | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 619.31 people | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 622.59 people | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 625.97 people | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 603.85 people | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 581.35 people | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 557.91 people | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 533.31 people | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 508.07 people | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 482.84 people | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 457.43 people | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 431.21 people | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 404.25 people | -6.3% |
| 2014 | 377.12 people | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 350.03 people | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 322.98 people | -7.7% |
| 2017 | 297.3 people | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 272.6 people | -8.3% |
| 2019 | 247.46 people | -9.2% |
| 2020 | 222.08 people | -10.3% |
| 2021 | 196.17 people | -11.7% |
| 2022 | 169.96 people | -13.4% |
| 2023 | 143.95 people | -15.3% |
| 2024 | 143.28 people | -0.5% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 143.28 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 40,286 people, 0% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 143.28 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 142,459 people, 0% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 588.1 people | 508.07 people | 625.97 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 364.32 people | 247.46 people | 482.84 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 175.09 people | 143.28 people | 222.08 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
- 128 Antigua and Barbuda 721.76 people compare
- 129 Dominica 619.42 people compare
- 130 Falkland Islands 164.47 people compare
- 132 Wallis and Futuna 80.75 people compare
- 133 Turks and Caicos Islands 80.18 people compare
- 134 Marshall Islands 57.78 people compare
More environment data for Tonga
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.234 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.858 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.1689 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Tonga?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Tonga was 143.28 people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 625.97 people in 2004.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 143.28 people in 2024.
- How does Tonga rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Tonga ranks 131st out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People in rural areas not using an improved water source. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.