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Photo: Haanofonua derivative work: Massimo Telò · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 07 of 12 · Country Index 2026
Tonga: Environment & Sustainability
How much pressure does a country put on nature, and how is it changing course?
Tonga is placed joint 124th of 161 countries on environment & sustainability in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Renewable Share of Electricity Generation 14.29 (2024); Organic Agricultural Area 0.92 (2024).
Environment & Sustainability
joint124th
of 161 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Tonga on environment & sustainability — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country in that edition, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Renewable Share of Electricity Generation
Ember
Why it is a key: How much of the electricity a country actually generates already comes from renewable sources.
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
14.29
Renewables (% of electricity generated)
Higher is better
Tonga: 14.29. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Gambia) to 100 (Paraguay); the world median is 31.14.
- World median
- 31.14
- Best in Polynesia
- 50 Cook Islands
Each grey tick is one of 193 countries in the 2024 edition.
Key 2 of 3
Organic Agricultural Area
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Why it is a key: Farmland managed without synthetic inputs — a practice that reduces pressure, where the footprint measures the pressure itself. ⚠ A thin pairing: this topic gets stronger keys when carbon per capita and air quality are imported.
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
0.92
Organic share of agricultural land (%)
Higher is better
Tonga: 0.92. Across the 156 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Afghanistan) to 86.38 (Samoa); the world median is 0.725.
- World median
- 0.725
- Best in Polynesia
- 86.38 Samoa
Each grey tick is one of 156 countries in the 2024 edition.
Key 3 of 3
Ecological Footprint
Global Footprint Network
Why it is a key: How much of the planet's biological capacity a country's own consumption uses up.
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
3.759
Ecological Footprint (global hectares per person)
Lower is better
Tonga: 3.759. Across the 126 countries in this edition, values run from 0.514 (Yemen) to 11.73 (Qatar); the world median is 2.296.
- World median
- 2.296
- Best in Polynesia
- 2.287 Samoa
Each grey tick is one of 126 countries in the 2025 edition.
02Over time
Which way Tonga is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Renewable Share of Electricity Generation
Renewables (% of electricity generated) · higher is better
TongaWorld median
Tonga rose from 0 in 2000 to 14.29 in 2024; the world median went from 14.98 to 31.14.
Every year’s figures
Year Tonga World median 2024 14 31.136 2023 14 26.890 2022 13 27.359 2021 14 24.983 2020 14 25.000 2019 14 23.341 2018 14 22.936 2017 14 19.936 2016 0 20.000 2015 0 18.557 2014 0 19.081 2013 0 18.562 2012 0 16.909 2011 0 15.798 2010 0 16.875 2009 0 15.276 2008 0 14.901 2007 0 14.229 2006 0 14.041 2005 0 14.768 2004 0 13.794 2003 0 13.505 2002 0 12.500 2001 0 13.889 2000 0 14.977 Organic Agricultural Area
Organic share of agricultural land (%) · higher is better
TongaWorld median
Tonga rose from 0.74 in 2011 to 0.92 in 2024; the world median went from 0.46 to 0.725.
Every year’s figures
Year Tonga World median 2024 0.92 0.725 2023 0.92 0.780 2022 0.92 0.740 2021 3.21 0.710 2020 3.22 0.665 2019 3.22 0.550 2018 1.96 0.490 2017 4.61 0.630 2016 4.33 0.545 2015 7.85 0.540 2014 6.10 0.470 2013 1.17 0.440 2012 1.18 0.480 2011 0.74 0.460 2010 — 0.330 2009 — 0.335 2008 — 0.290 2007 — 0.370 2006 — 0.305 2005 — 0.345 Ecological Footprint
Ecological Footprint (global hectares per person) · lower is better
TongaWorld median
Tonga rose from 1.869 in 2000 to 3.759 in 2025; the world median went from 1.95 to 2.296.
Every year’s figures
Year Tonga World median 2025 3.759 2.2963 2024 3.743 2.3139 2023 3.740 2.3174 2022 3.702 2.2724 2021 3.705 2.3370 2020 3.384 2.3057 2019 3.721 2.2578 2018 3.683 2.2485 2017 3.837 2.2209 2016 3.698 2.2308 2015 3.519 2.3000 2014 3.366 2.3814 2013 2.751 2.3363 2012 2.510 2.4200 2011 2.610 2.4794 2010 2.646 2.3679 2009 2.263 2.2224 2008 2.341 2.1727 2007 2.271 2.2036 2006 1.915 2.1203 2005 2.004 2.1512 2004 1.934 2.1055 2003 1.941 2.0449 2002 2.076 2.1195 2001 2.402 2.2004 2000 1.869 1.9499
03In context
Tonga beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 161 countries on environment & sustainability, never a place within the region.
1st161stNot placed · 63 countries with too few key statisticsNo data
Tonga and Polynesia
Tonga has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. The standing is each country’s place among all 161 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.
| Country | Standing | Renewable Share of Electricity GenerationRenewables (% of electricity generated) | Organic Agricultural AreaOrganic share of agricultural land (%) | Ecological FootprintEcological Footprint (global hectares per person) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Samoa | 16th | 43.75 | 86.38 | 2.287 |
| Tonga | =124th | 14.29 | 0.92 | 3.759 |
 American Samoa | not placed | 5.556 | — | — |
 Cook Islands | not placed | 50 | — | — |
 French Polynesia | not placed | 34.72 | — | — |
 Niue | not placed | — | — | — |
 Tuvalu | not placed | — | — | — |
“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.
Across Polynesia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 161.
Placed either side on environment & sustainability
The countries immediately above and below Tonga in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Tonga is ahead of the world, and behind
11 more statistics filed under environment & sustainability, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median2
Statistics on which Tonga does better than the middle country measured.
Internal Displacements by DisasterIDMC · 2024 · world median 4,750404,750▲ Improved since 2014
Tonga: 40 · world median 4,750 · New displacements by disaster (people). Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 11,001,000; lower is better.
Position 142nd of 160 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
World Risk IndexInstitute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum · 2025 · world median 4.173.674.17▲ Improved since 2015
Tonga: 3.67 · world median 4.17 · WorldRiskIndex score (0–100, where 100 is the most at risk). Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.18 to 46.56; lower is better.
Position 104th of 193 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Behind the world median1
Statistics on which Tonga does worse than the middle country measured.
Adjusted Net SavingsWorld Bank Group · 2021 · world median 8.389-3.3478.389▼ Worsened since 2011
Tonga: -3.347 · world median 8.389 · Adjusted net savings, including particulate emission damage (% of GNI). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from -81.62 to 32.18; higher is better.
Position 107th of 118 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
No better end8
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Livestock DensityFAO · 2023 · world median 0.5351.050.535No real change since 2013
Tonga: 1.05 · world median 0.535 · Livestock units per hectare of agricultural land. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.02 to 43.97.
Position 47th of 188 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Arable Land per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 0.1090.1910.109Moved since 2013
Tonga: 0.191 · world median 0.109 · Arable land (hectares per person). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1.459.
Position 62nd of 206 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Agricultural LandFAO · 2023 · world median 37.9648.6137.96Moved since 2013
Tonga: 48.61 · world median 37.96 · Agricultural land (% of land area). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.445 to 86.48.
Position 65th of 209 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Forest AreaFAO · 2023 · world median 31.0812.4331.08No real change since 2013
Tonga: 12.43 · world median 31.08 · Forest area (% of land area). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 94.45.
Position 150th of 210 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Pesticide Use per HectareFAO · 2024 · world median 1.730.651.73No real change since 2014
Tonga: 0.65 · world median 1.73 · Pesticide use (kg per hectare of cropland). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 37.72.
Position 136th of 178 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Total Natural Resources Rents (% of GDP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 1.7080.0411.708No real change since 2011
Tonga: 0.041 · world median 1.708 · Natural resources rents (% of GDP). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 61.03.
Position 160th of 180 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Agricultural EmissionsFAO · 2023 · world median 8,63583.858,635No real change since 2013
Tonga: 83.85 · world median 8,635 · Farm-gate emissions (kt CO₂eq). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1,044,508.
Position 171st of 193 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Fertilizer Consumption per HectareFAO · 2023 · world median 87.364.5587.36Moved since 2013
Tonga: 4.55 · world median 87.36 · Fertilizer consumption (kg per hectare of arable land). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 2,926.
Position 172nd of 188 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
No current reading for Tonga
Agricultural Irrigated Land, Land Under Cereal Production, Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI, Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources per Capita, Water Stress, Water Withdrawal by Sector and World Energy Trilemma Index. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
05Country Index 2026
Environment & Sustainability among Tonga’s 9 topics
Environment & Sustainability is Tonga’s 8th best-placed topic of 9. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.
- Democracy & Civil Liberties46th of 1982/3 keys
- Education & Knowledgejoint 60th of 1822/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 71st of 1912/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing89th of 2012/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 104th of 1942/3 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 103rd of 1824/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 134th of 1933/5 keys
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 124th of 1613/3 keys
- Gender & Equality145th of 1782/3 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Peace & Security, Mobility & Connectivity: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on environment & sustainability
The three countries placed highest of 161, and the leaders Tonga can most readily be measured against.
1
UruguaySouth America
1st of 161 · 2 of 3 keys
2
AngolaMiddle Africa
2nd of 161 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: Paulo César Santos derivative work: Jjtkk · CC0, greyscale
3
Timor-LesteSouth-eastern Asia
3rd of 161 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: Nhobgood Nick Hobgood · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
_banner_Kalandula_waterfalls_of_the_Lucala_River.jpg){kind=link}
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 3 keys
Sierra Leone4th3/3 keysHighest in Oceania
Australia13th2/3 keysHighest in Polynesia
Samoa16th3/3 keysThis page
Tonga=124th3/3 keys
Positions out of 161 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Tonga on environment & sustainability: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Tonga rank on environment & sustainability?
Tonga is placed joint 124th of 161 countries on Environment & Sustainability in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Renewable Share of Electricity Generation, Organic Agricultural Area and Ecological Footprint). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Renewable Share of Electricity Generation figure for Tonga?
14.29 in 2024 (renewables (% of electricity generated)), according to Ember. The world median in the same edition was 31.14.
What is the latest Organic Agricultural Area figure for Tonga?
0.92 in 2024 (organic share of agricultural land (%)), according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The world median in the same edition was 0.725.
How have Tonga’s environment & sustainability figures changed?
Renewable Share of Electricity Generation rose from 0 in 2000 to 14.29 in 2024; Organic Agricultural Area rose from 0.74 in 2011 to 0.92 in 2024; Ecological Footprint rose from 1.869 in 2000 to 3.759 in 2025.
Which environment & sustainability statistics are missing for Tonga?
No current reading is published for Tonga on Agricultural Irrigated Land, Land Under Cereal Production, Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI, Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources per Capita, Water Stress, Water Withdrawal by Sector and World Energy Trilemma Index. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Keep reading
Explore further
Tonga, topic by topic
Nearby, on environment & sustainability
The key statistics, for every country
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Carbon emissions per person, air quality and biodiversity are not yet keys, because the site does not yet hold data for them that passes every test. Forest cover, water use, farmland and farm emissions are published here as context. Exposure to natural hazards belongs to Risk & Resilience.
How the Environment & Sustainability standing is decided, step by step
A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.
- A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 3 indicators on this topic are keys and 18 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
- Each key is read at one edition. ⚠ The keys behind this standing do not all describe the same year — they run from 2024 to 2025, because publishers release on their own schedules. Read the standing as “how this country places now”, not as a snapshot of one year.
- Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
- Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
- The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
- A country needs 2 of this topic’s 3 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 161 countries clear the bar here.
- A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 3.
- A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.
The key statistics and their licences
- Renewable Share of Electricity Generation — Ember, CC BY 4.0
- Organic Agricultural Area — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
- Ecological Footprint — Global Footprint Network, CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 11 statistics on this page come from 4 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Tonga’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Tonga (banner) — Haanofonua derivative work: Massimo Telò, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Uruguay — Elemaki, CC BY 3.0
- Angola — Paulo César Santos derivative work: Jjtkk, CC0
- Timor-Leste — Nhobgood Nick Hobgood, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Tonga: Environment & Sustainability — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/tonga/environment