Tonga vehicles market is one of the smaller in the World with few units sold each year. Indeed the Kingdom is a Pacific Ocean archipelago comprising 169 islands of which 36 are inhabited. In 2018, the market registered 62 units, while Toyota held near 80% of share.
Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian sovereign state and archipelago comprising 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited. The total surface area is about 750 square kilometres scattered over 700,000 square kilometres of the southern Pacific Ocean. It has a population of 107,122 people of whom 70% reside on the main island of Tongatapu.
Tonga became known in the West as the “Friendly Islands” because of the congenial reception accorded to Captain James Cook on his first visit in 1773. He arrived at the time of the ʻinasi festival, the yearly donation of the First Fruits to the Tuʻi Tonga (the islands’ paramount chief) and so received an invitation to the festivities. According to the writer William Mariner, the chiefs wanted to kill Cook during the gathering but could not agree on a plan.
The automotive sector is very little, competing to be the smaller in the World, with annual sales around 50 units.
In 2017 the market registered 61 units, while in 2018 it was flat, ending at 62 units.
Toyota kept dominating with near 80% of share, while Mazda is steadily growing.
