23 Dec 2011

Outer island populations of Tonga decreasing

1:21 pm on 23 December 2011

The outer island populations of Tonga are decreasing, according to the latest census figures, despite a national population increase of more than a thousand.

The preliminary count of Tonga's National Population and Housing Census, conducted on November the 30th, recorded just over 103,000 people in the Kingdom.

While Tongatapu has increased in population by about 3,000 since the last count to just over 75,000, the two Niuas in the far north showed a major decrease with 5.5 percent population loss.

Kolofo'ou district in Niuafo'ou experienced the biggest percentage decline, losing almost half of its population since the last census.

The full results of the census are expected by mid-2012.