If you lived in Tonga instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

live 6.8 years longer

In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73 years (70 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 55.3% more spent on your healthcare

Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tonga spends $512 as of 2023.

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have 3.2 times more doctors per person

Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Tonga has 10.1 as of 2021.

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have 39.0% more access to essential health services

Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tonga scores 57 as of 2021.

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be 3.6 times more likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73.8% of people as of 2024.

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be 31.4% more likely to die by suicide

Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 84.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tonga, that number is 2.0% as of 2025.

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be 56.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Tonga, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2021.

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make 15.7 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,547 as of 2025.

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Life

be 87.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Tonga, 67.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.7 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 99.5% as of 2023.

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be 83.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Tonga, on the other hand, 7.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 34.2% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tonga, there are 23.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Tonga, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 4.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tonga, about 67.4% do as of 2024.

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be 22.3% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 50.9% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tonga, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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spend 83.1% more on education

Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Tonga spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Safety

be 76.4% less likely to be murdered

Afghanistan has a homicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2019.

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be 64.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tonga, they kill 8.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 102.1 times more home broadband

Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Tonga has 8.2 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 83.2% less likely to die from air pollution

In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tonga, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.

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emit 5.8 times more CO2

Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Tonga emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this

Tonga: At a glance

Tonga is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 717 sq km. Tonga - unique among Pacific nations - never completely lost its indigenous governance. The archipelagos of "The Friendly Islands" were united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. Tonga became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900; it withdrew from the protectorate and joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1970. Tonga remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.
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How big is Tonga compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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