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

Health

be 47.1% less likely to be obese

In Tonga, 73.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Fiji, that number is 39.0% of people as of 2024.

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live 5.6 years less

In Tonga, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Fiji, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 74.8% more likely to die by suicide

Tonga has a suicide rate of 4.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Fiji, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Tonga, 2.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Fiji, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.

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be 17.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Tonga, 20.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Fiji, however, that number is 24.1% as of 2019.

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Life

be 55.2% less likely to die during childbirth

In Tonga, approximately 67.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Fiji, 30.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In Tonga, approximately 7.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Fiji, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.

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have 22.5% fewer children

In Tonga, there are approximately 23.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Fiji, there are 17.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 10.8% more likely to have internet access

In Tonga, approximately 67.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Fiji, about 74.7% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 20.0% less on education

Tonga spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Fiji spends 4.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 50.8% less on healthcare

Tonga spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Fiji, that number is 3.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 2.7 times more coastline

Tonga has a total of 419 km of coastline. In Fiji, that number is 1,129 km.

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Safety

be 37.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Tonga, road accidents kill 8.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Fiji, they kill 5.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 78.0% less home broadband

Tonga has 8.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Fiji has 1.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 54.2% more likely to die from air pollution

In Tonga, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Fiji, it causes 37.0 as of 2019.

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

Fiji: At a glance

Fiji is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 18,274 sq km. Fiji became independent in 1970 after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987 caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Re-elected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Since taking power BAINIMARAMA has neutralized his opponents, crippled Fiji's democratic institutions, and initially refused to hold elections. In 2012, he promised to hold elections in 2014.
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How big is Fiji compared to Tonga? See an in-depth size comparison.

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