Tonga
Digital snapshot – key policies and laws
Tonga’s digital architecture foundation includes the Digital Government Strategic Framework 2019–2024, the Cloud First Policy, the Tonga Interoperability Framework, the Tonga Enterprise Architecture Framework, the Tongan Data Exchange Policy and Framework, and the Tonga National Cybersecurity Framework. The cybersecurity framework, approved in 2022, treats cyber resilience as a shared responsibility across government, the private sector, and society; in 2025, this was reinforced by the new Cybersecurity Act 2025 and Computer Crimes Act 2025.
The digital economy agenda is led by the Tonga E-Commerce Strategy and Roadmap 2021–2026, which focuses on ICT infrastructure, trade logistics, legal frameworks, digital payments, skills, SME finance, women’s participation, and youth entrepreneurship. Tonga has also moved from strategy to implementation through e-commerce platforms, payment-gateway initiatives, and a FinTech Regulatory Sandbox Framework under the National Reserve Bank of Tonga.
The digital services in Tonga are shaped by the Electronic Transactions Act 2025, which gives legal recognition to electronic information and communications, and the Privacy Act 2025, which establishes a comprehensive personal-data protection framework, including rights, breach notification, cross-border transfer rules, and a Privacy Commission. These reforms are closely linked to digital ID, health records, e-commerce, cloud use, and future AI systems.
Regarding digital infrastructure, the 2022 volcanic eruption and subsequent cable disruptions exposed the risks of relying on limited submarine links, while the 2024 Vavaʻu and Haʻapai outage brought Starlink licensing to the centre of public debate. In 2026, Tonga’s second international undersea cable, the Tonga Hawaiki Cable Branch System, was completed, strengthening redundancy and supporting more reliable connectivity for public services, businesses, and disaster response.
Regarding emerging technologies, Tonga is laying the foundations for AI-enabled public services through data exchange, digital ID, cloud policy, and cybersecurity. Oxford Insights’ Government AI Readiness Index 2024 assesses countries across government, technology-sector, and data/infrastructure pillars, and Tonga’s 2024 DataReportal profile shows its relative strengths are in data and infrastructure rather than AI-specific governance. Connectivity is also improving: DataReportal counted 117.6 thousand mobile connections in early 2024, equivalent to 108.7% of the population, showing high mobile dependence even as affordability, outer-island access, and resilience remain central challenges.
Tonga’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva:
The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Tonga to the UN is Tonga’s main multilateral representation to the UN system and is listed on the UN’s official mission platform with a New York address. Tonga was admitted to the UN on 14 September 1999, and its mission represents the Kingdom in UN diplomacy, including issues that are central to Small Island Developing States such as climate change, disaster risk, ocean governance, sustainable development, and international cooperation.
EMBASSY AND PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UN – GENEVA
Consult Tonga’s digital strategies and regulations
Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.
Main digital policies and regulations in the country:
- Tonga Interoperability Framework
- Tonga Cloud First Policy
- Tongan Data Exchange Policy and Framework
- Tonga National Cybersecurity Framework
- Tonga E-Commerce Strategy and Roadmap 2021–2026
- Cybersecurity Act 2025
- Computer Crimes Act 2025
- Electronic Transactions Act 2025
Follow Tonga’s digital submarine cables
The data is sourced from reputable international agencies and organizations. Hover over each field for source information and explanations.
General profile
Official name: Kingdom of Tonga
National internet domain: TO
Area: 749 km2
Capital: Nuku'alofa
Population: 107.8 thousand
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.Population growth: 0.85
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Life expectancy at birth: 71.27
Total years (Estimate for 2022)The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Rule of law estimate: 0.59
Rule of Law captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, and in particular the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately -2.5 to 2.5 (Estimate for 2023)
Regulatory quality estimate: -0.35
Political stability: 1.11
Economic info
Currency: Tongan paʻanga
Unemployment (%): 2.11
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force)The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
GDP (current US$): 500.3 million
GDP growth (annual %): -2.01
GDP per capita (current US$): 4.7 thousand
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.Inflation, consumer prices (annual %): 6.35
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Digital profile
Internet and social media penetration:
Individuals using the internet, total (%): 57.55
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.Social media users: 66.5 thousand
Estimate for 2024Male internet users (%): No data
Male internet users as a % of total male population.The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Facebook users: 66.5 thousand
Estimate for 2024Female internet users (%): No data
Female Internet users as a % of total female population.The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
Instagram users: 15.1 thousand
Estimate for 2024Households with internet access at home (%): 33.80
The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.Linkedin users: 15.0 thousand
Estimate for 2024Fixed broadband subscriptions: 8.17
Total fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) refers to fixed subscriptions to high-speed access to the public internet (a TCP/IP connection), at downstream speeds equal to, or greater than, 256 kbit/s.The displayed data represents the most recent information obtained from sources, typically covering the years 2018 to 2023.
X users: 1.9 thousand
Estimate for 2024Mobile infrastructure and access:
Mobile ownership (%): 54.06
Mobile phone ownership as a % of total population (Estimate for 2023)Mobile Infrastructure: 50.10
Mobile Infrastructure index: High-performance mobile internet coverage availability. It includes parameters such as network coverage, performance, quality of supporting infrastructure and amount of spectrum assigned to mobile network operators (Estimate for 2023)Gender gap in mobile internet (%): 0
This metric evaluates the disparity in mobile internet access between genders. (Estimate for 2023)Mobile Affordability: 57.95
Mobile Affordability index : The availability of mobile services and devices at price points that reflect the level of income across a national population. It includes parameters such as mobile tariffs, headset prices, taxation and inequality (Estimate for 2023)Gender gap in mobile ownership (%): 0
Represents the disparity between genders in owning mobile devices. (Estimate for 2023)Top-Level Domains (TLDs) per person: 86.43
Number of generic and country Top Level Domains per person Estimate for 2023.Network performance: 32.22
Network performance index: Quality of mobile services measured by download speed, upload speed and latencies (Estimate for 2023)Mobile download speeds: 15.34
Mobile download speeds: Average download speed for mobile users (originally in Mbit/s) (Estimate for 2023)Mobile uploads speeds: 29.41
Mobile uploads speeds: average uploads speed for mobile users (originally in Mbit/s) (Estimate for 2023)Mobile Latencies: 51.92
Mobile Latencies: Average latency for mobile users (originally in milliseconds) (Estimate for 2023)Network Coverage (%): 85.90
Network coverage (% of total population) (Estimate for 2023)2G Coverage (%): 99
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2023)3G Coverage (%): 95
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2023)4G Coverage (%): 95
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2023)5G Coverage (%): 0
Coverage % of population (Estimate for 2023)Operating system and browser market share estimate
Operating system market share (%):
Desktop, Tablet & Console Operating System Market Share: Estimate for 2024Browser market share (%):
Browser Market Share Worldwide: Estimate for 2024Android: 29.79
Chrome: 52.79
Win10: 16.11
Safari: 12.30
iOS: 14.98
Edge: 12.98
OS X: 2.48
Firefox: 2.50
Win11: 14.81
Samsung Internet: 1.44
The UN E-Government Survey
The UN E-Government Survey is the assessment of the digital government landscape across all UN member states. The E-Government Survey is informed by over two decades of longitudinal research, with a ranking of countries based on the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a combination of primary data (collected and owned by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and secondary data from other UN agencies.E-Government Rank: 134
Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a combination of primary data (collected and owned by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and secondary data from other UN agencies. Estimate gives the country's rank.E-Government Index: 0.51
The EGDI is a composite measure of three important dimensions of e-government, namely: provision of online services, telecommunication connectivity and human capacity. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.E-Participation Index: 0.32
The E-Participation Index (EPI) is derived as a supplementary index to the United Nations E-Government Survey. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Online Service Index: 0.32
The online services index was developed by the UN to evaluate the scope and quality of government online services. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Human Capital Index: 0.74
The Human Capital Index (HCI) quantiï¬es the contribution of health and education to the productivity of the next generation of workers. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Telecommunication Infrastructure Index: 0.47
Telecommunication Infrastructure Index- Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII) Composite Indicator that measures the countries' Telecommunication infrastructure readiness to adopt the opportunities offered by Information and Communication Technology as to enhance their competitiveness. Estimate gives the country's score ranging from approximately 0 to 1.Government AI Readiness Index
Ranking: 118
Global Ranking is calculated based on the total score. (Estimate for 2024).Total: 38.63
The total score is calculated by taking the arithmetic mean of each dimension, followed by the arithmetic mean of each pillar. The final score is the arithmetic mean of the three pillars, with all indicators, dimensions, and pillars weighted equally. (Estimate for 2024).Government: 31.75
This pillar evaluates a government's readiness and capability to implement AI responsibly and effectively. It includes several dimensions: the presence of a national AI strategy (Vision), regulations for data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity, along with ethical frameworks and accountability measures (Governance and Ethics). It also considers the existing IT infrastructure, online services, and promotion of emerging technology investments (Digital Capacity). Finally, it assesses the government’s ability to change and innovate effectively, including responsiveness to change, effectiveness, and use of procurement data (Adaptability). (Estimate for 2024).Technology Sector: 34.89
This pillar assesses the country's technology sector and its ability to support AI implementation. It includes the maturity of the sector, measured by metrics such as the number of AI and non-AI unicorns, value of trade in ICT services and goods, and spending on computer software (Maturity). It also evaluates the sector's capacity for innovation, considering factors like time spent dealing with regulations, availability of venture capital, R&D spending, company investment in emerging technology, and research papers published in AI (Innovation Capacity). Additionally, it examines the availability of skills within the population, focusing on STEM graduates, GitHub users, female STEM graduates, quality of engineering education, and ICT skills (Human Capital). (Estimate for 2024).Data and Infrastructure: 49.25
This pillar evaluates a country’s technological and data infrastructure to support AI implementation. It examines the quality of technological infrastructure, including telecommunications, supercomputing capabilities, broadband quality, 5G infrastructure, and the adoption of emerging technologies (Infrastructure). It also assesses the availability of data for training AI models, considering factors such as open data, data governance, mobile-cellular subscriptions, household internet access, and statistical capacity (Data Availability). Additionally, it considers the representativeness of the available data, focusing on metrics like the gender gap in internet access and the affordability of internet-enabled devices relative to GDP per capita (Data Representativeness). (Estimate for 2024).