Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Tonga
Tonga: Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region was 8.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Tonga, 1979–2023
Source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of total merchandise exports.
Analysis
In 2023, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Tonga stood at 8.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 388.1% on the previous year and up 340.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Tonga peaked at 14.3% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1984.
That places Tonga 129th out of 203 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Tonga, year by year
| Year | % of total merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 14.3% | — |
| 1980 | 3.5% | -75.4% |
| 1981 | 7.3% | +109.6% |
| 1982 | 4.9% | -33.0% |
| 1983 | 1.8% | -64.1% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | -87.7% |
| 1985 | 5.9% | +2617.5% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | -85.7% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | +55.5% |
| 1988 | 12.3% | +838.8% |
| 1989 | 1.8% | -85.0% |
| 1990 | 1.7% | -8.6% |
| 1991 | 4.5% | +167.8% |
| 1992 | 3.6% | -20.8% |
| 1993 | 0.4% | -87.6% |
| 1994 | 2.3% | +425.4% |
| 1995 | 1.8% | -21.7% |
| 1996 | 4.2% | +129.9% |
| 1997 | 6.9% | +64.8% |
| 1998 | 7.6% | +10.6% |
| 1999 | 3.1% | -59.4% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | +29.6% |
| 2001 | 6.7% | +67.5% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | -61.0% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | -60.9% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | +48.2% |
| 2005 | 2.6% | +71.7% |
| 2006 | 3.4% | +28.9% |
| 2007 | 5.6% | +67.8% |
| 2008 | 13.0% | +131.2% |
| 2009 | 4.9% | -62.0% |
| 2010 | 5.2% | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 5.7% | +8.4% |
| 2012 | 4.8% | -15.8% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -60.7% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -6.2% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | +62.8% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | -5.4% |
| 2017 | 3.6% | +34.5% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 10.6% | +186.2% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | -49.1% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | -71.1% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | +7.9% |
| 2023 | 8.2% | +388.1% |
Tonga compared with similar countries
- Tonga's 8.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.5%, 53% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Tonga's 8.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 35.9%, 23% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +2617.5% | 0.2% | 5.9% |
| 1988 | +838.8% | 1.3% | 12.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 14.3% | 14.3% | 14.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 4.0% | 0.2% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.6% | 0.4% | 7.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | 1.0% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 1.8% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 1.6% | 8.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Tonga
More private sector data for Tonga
- Merchandise trade 39.5% (2025)
- Food imports 27.5% (2023)
- Manufactures imports 53.8% (2023)
- Merchandise imports 255.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 30.9% (2023)
- Manufactures exports 67.5% (2023)
- Merchandise exports 13.00 million current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 125.31 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0191 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 44.44 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Tonga?
- Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region in Tonga was 8.2% in 2023, according to Staff estimates, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region recorded in Tonga?
- The highest recorded value was 14.3% in 1979.
- What is the lowest merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region recorded in Tonga?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1984.
- How does Tonga rank for merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region?
- Tonga ranks 129th out of 203 countries with data for 2023.
- Is merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region rising or falling in Tonga?
- Over the last ten years it is up 340.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tonga data come from?
- The figures come from Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), published as part of Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region (% of total merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Merchandise exports to low- and middle-income economies within region are the sum of merchandise exports from the reporting economy to other low- and middle-income economies in the same World Bank region as a percentage of total merchandise exports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data. No figures are shown for high-income economies, because they are a separate category in the World Bank classification of economies.