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

Health

live 9.2 years longer

In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 5.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tonga spends $512 as of 2023.

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have 13.0 times more doctors per person

Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Tonga has 10.1 as of 2021.

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have 39.0% more access to essential health services

Burundi 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 38.2% less likely to die by suicide

Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 14.2 times more likely to be obese

In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tonga, that number is 73.8% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 59.6% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Burundi, 51.0% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Tonga, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2021.

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make 28.0 times more money

Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,547 as of 2025.

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be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tonga, that number is 2.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 82.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Burundi, approximately 392.0 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 33.2% more likely to be literate

In Burundi, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 99.5% as of 2023.

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be 74.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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 30.6% fewer children

In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 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 8.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% 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 7.8 times more likely to have internet access

In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tonga, about 67.4% do as of 2024.

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be 50.0% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% 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 19.0% less on healthcare

Burundi spends 9.1% 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 18.0% more on education

Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. Tonga spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Safety

be 83.2% less likely to be murdered

Burundi has a homicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2016. In Tonga, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2019.

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be 30.9% less likely to die in a road accident

In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 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 408.5 times more home broadband

Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Tonga has 8.2 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 66.2% less likely to die from air pollution

In Burundi, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tonga, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.

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emit 23.3 times more CO2

Burundi emits 0.1 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 (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). 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 Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.

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