If you lived in Tonga instead of Central African Republic, you would:

Health

live 15.4 years longer

In Central African Republic, the average life expectancy is 58 years (56 years for men, 60 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 3.7 times more spent on your healthcare

Central African Republic spends $137 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tonga spends $512 as of 2023.

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have 13.7 times more doctors per person

Central African Republic has 0.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Tonga has 10.1 as of 2021.

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have 78.1% more access to essential health services

Central African Republic scores 32 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tonga scores 57 as of 2021.

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be 48.5% less likely to die by suicide

Central African Republic has a suicide rate of 9.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 6.8 times more likely to be obese

In Central African Republic, 10.9% 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 67.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Central African Republic, 6.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tonga, that number is 2.0% as of 2025.

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be 70.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Central African Republic, 68.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Tonga, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2021.

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make 11.8 times more money

Central African Republic has a GDP per capita of $556 as of 2025, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,547 as of 2025.

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Life

be 90.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Central African Republic, approximately 692.0 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 Central African Republic, the literacy rate is 37.5% as of 2020. In Tonga, it is 99.5% as of 2023.

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be 86.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Central African Republic, approximately 58.8 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 50.1% fewer children

In Central African Republic, there are approximately 46.2 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 5.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Central African Republic, approximately 18% of people have electricity access (37% 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 4.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Central African Republic, approximately 13.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tonga, about 67.4% do as of 2024.

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be 2.7 times more likely to have access to drinking water

In Central African Republic, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (48% in urban areas, and 27% 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 31.0% less on healthcare

Central African Republic spends 10.7% 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 2.9 times more on education

Central African Republic spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Tonga spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Safety

be 95.3% less likely to be murdered

Central African Republic has a homicide rate of 20.1 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 67.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Central African Republic, road accidents kill 25.9 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

Central African Republic has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Tonga has 8.2 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 75.5% less likely to die from air pollution

In Central African Republic, air pollution causes 98.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tonga, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.

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emit 27.2 times more CO2

Central African Republic 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 (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 Central African Republic? See an in-depth size comparison.

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