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

Health

live 10.0 years longer

In Zimbabwe, the average life expectancy is 63 years (60 years for men, 65 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 5.0 times more spent on your healthcare

Zimbabwe spends $103 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tonga spends $512 as of 2023.

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have 7.5 times more doctors per person

Zimbabwe has 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Tonga has 10.1 as of 2021.

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be 72.7% less likely to die by suicide

Zimbabwe has a suicide rate of 17.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 5.0 times more likely to be obese

In Zimbabwe, 14.7% 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 78.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Zimbabwe, 9.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tonga, that number is 2.0% as of 2025.

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be 46.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Zimbabwe, 38.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Tonga, however, that number is 20.6% as of 2021.

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make 2.2 times more money

Zimbabwe has a GDP per capita of $3,021 as of 2025, while in Tonga, the GDP per capita is $6,547 as of 2025.

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Life

be 81.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Zimbabwe, approximately 358.0 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 10.9% more likely to be literate

In Zimbabwe, the literacy rate is 89.7% as of 2021. In Tonga, it is 99.5% as of 2023.

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be 87.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Zimbabwe, approximately 62.4 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 22.9% fewer children

In Zimbabwe, there are approximately 29.9 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 61.3% more likely to have access to electricity

In Zimbabwe, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (84% in urban areas, and 51% 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 62.0% more likely to have internet access

In Zimbabwe, approximately 41.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tonga, about 67.4% do as of 2024.

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be 47.1% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Zimbabwe, approximately 67% of people have access to drinking water (94% in urban areas, and 54% 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 14.0 times more on education

Zimbabwe spends 0.4% 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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spend 2.5 times more on healthcare

Zimbabwe spends 2.9% 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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Safety

be 85.9% less likely to be murdered

Zimbabwe has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In Tonga, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2019.

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be 71.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Zimbabwe, road accidents kill 29.9 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 4.2 times more home broadband

Zimbabwe has 1.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tonga has 8.2 as of 2022.

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Environment

be 57.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Zimbabwe, air pollution causes 56.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tonga, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.1 times more CO2

Zimbabwe emits 0.8 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 (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 Zimbabwe? See an in-depth size comparison.

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