Tonga is currently in the research phase. The National Reserve Bank of Tonga issued a statement that said, “Consideration of a Central Bank Digital Currency is still at its very exploratory phase to determine whether it is suitable to be introduced in a small island economy like Tonga.”

A full analysis of the CBDC developments in Tonga and Tonga’s treatment of civil liberties is forthcoming.

In the meantime, for additional information on concerns regarding violations of human rights and civil liberties, see the following reports by Amnesty International, Financial Tyranny Index, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, Privacy International, and the U.S. Department of State. For additional information on concerns regarding the risks of CBDCs, see the following webpage and report by the Cato Institute: The Risks of CBDCs and Central Bank Digital Currency: Assessing the Risks and Dispelling the Myths.

For additional information regarding metrics, the methodology page explains each of the data points and provides their respective sources.