Languages spoken in Tonga
Oceania · Capital: Nuku'alofa · Population 104,889
In Tonga, two languages have official status: Tongan and English. Tongan is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 95% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 99,645 people. The only other recorded language is English, at 28% of the population. Tongan belongs to the Austronesian language family. In total, two languages are recorded in Tonga, and their shares add up to 123% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.2 of them.
What languages are spoken in Tonga?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| TonganAustronesian | 95% | Official | 99,645 |
| EnglishIndo-European | 28% | Official | 29,369 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Tonga?
In Tonga, two languages have official status: Tongan and English. Tongan is spoken by an estimated 95% of the population, or roughly 99,645 people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Tongan in Tonga?
An estimated 95% of Tonga's 104,889 people speak Tongan, which works out at roughly 99,645 speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Tonga
- Capital
- Nuku'alofa
- Population
- 104,889
- Continent
- Oceania
- Area
- 747 km²
- Currency
- TOP
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- TO / TON / 776
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.