2020 Edition

Background

The first Austronesian settlers arrived in Samoa around 1000 B.C., and early Samoans traded and intermarried with Fijian and Tongan nobility. The fa’amatai system of titles and nobility developed, which dominates Samoan politics to this day; all but two seats in the legislature are reserved for matai, or heads of families. A Dutch explorer was the first European to spot the islands in 1722. Christian missionaries arrived in the 1830s and were followed by an influx of American and European settlers and influence. By the 1880s, Germany, the UK, and the US had trading posts and claimed parts of the kingdom. In 1886, an eight-year civil war broke out, with rival matai factions fighting over royal succession and the three foreign powers providing support to the factions. Germany, the UK, and the US all sent warships to Apia in 1889 and came close to conflict, but a cyclone damaged or destroyed the ships of all three navies.   At the end of the civil war in 1894, Malietoa LAUPEPA was installed as king, but upon his death in 1898, a second civil war over succession broke out. When the war ended in 1899, the Western powers abolished the monarchy, giving the western Samoan islands to Germany and the eastern Samoan islands to the US. The UK abandoned claims in Samoa and received former German territory in the Solomon Islands.  New Zealand occupied Samoa during World War I but was accused of negligence and opposed by many Samoans, particularly an organized political movement called the Mau (“Strongly Held View”) that advocated for independence. During the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic, about 20% of the population died. In 1929, New Zealand police shot into a crowd of peaceful Mau protestors, killing 11, in an event known as Black Sunday. In 1962, Samoa became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish its independence as Western Samoa but dropped the “Western” from its name in 1997. The Human Rights Protection Party dominated politics from 1982 until Prime Minister FIAME Naomi Mata'afa's Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party gained a majority in elections in 2021.

Area

land

2,821 sq km

total

2,831 sq km

water

10 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Climate

tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)

Coastline

403 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Silisili 1,857 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

13 35 S, 172 20 W

Geography - note

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

17.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 2.3% (2023 est.)

forest

57.8% (2023 est.)

other

24.6% (2023 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

occasional cyclones; active volcanism volcanism: Savai'I Island (1,858 m) is historically active

Natural resources

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Population distribution

about three quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu

Terrain

two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rugged mountains in interior

Age structure

0-14 years

26.9% (male 28,952/female 27,173)

15-64 years

65.9% (male 70,225/female 67,427)

65 years and over

7.2% (2024 est.) (male 6,743/female 8,333)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

2.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

18.53 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

2% (2020)

women married by age 15

0.9% (2020)

women married by age 18

7.4% (2020)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.4% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62% (2020 est.)

Death rate

5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

11.4 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

8.8 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

51.6 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

40.2 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.5% of GDP (2024 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

11.7% national budget (2025 est.)

Ethnic groups

Samoan 96%, Samoan/New Zealander 2%, other 1.9% (2011 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.12 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

6.8% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

13.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

20.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Samoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 0.2%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.7 years

male

72.8 years

total population

75.7 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

97.7% (2019 est.)

male

98.3% (2019 est.)

total population

98% (2019 est.)

Major urban areas - population

36,000 APIA (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

101 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

27.8 years

male

27 years

total

27.8 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Samoan

noun

Samoan(s)

Net migration rate

-6.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

47.3% (2016)

Physician density

0.56 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

Population

female

103,681

male

106,542

total

210,223 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.66% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 54.9% (Congregationalist 29%, Methodist 12.4%, Assembly of God 6.8%, Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, other Protestant 2.3%), Roman Catholic 18.8%, Church of Jesus Christ 16.9%, Worship Centre 2.8%, other Christian 3.6%, other 2.9% (includes Baha'i, Muslim), none 0.2% (2016 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 98.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

12.3% (2025 est.)

male

28.6% (2025 est.)

total

20.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.29 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

17.5% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga, Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti, Vaisigano

Capital

geographic coordinates

13 49 S, 171 46 W

name

Apia

time difference

UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Samoa

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed as an act by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the third reading, provided at least 90 days have elapsed since the second reading, and assent of the chief of state; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles on customary land or constitutional amendment procedures also requires at least two-thirds majority approval in a referendum

history

several previous (pre-independence); latest 1 January 1962

Country name

conventional long form

Independent State of Samoa

conventional short form

Samoa

etymology

the name's meaning and origin are unclear; some assert that it can mean "place of the moa bird" of Polynesian mythology, or it could be a local chieftain's name

former

Western Samoa

local long form

Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa

local short form

Samoa

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

the US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa

email address and website

ApiaConsular@state.gov https://ws.usembassy.gov/

embassy

5th Floor, Accident Corporation Building, Matafele Apia

FAX

[685] 22-030

mailing address

4400 Apia Place, Washington DC 20521-4400

telephone

[685] 21-436

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

685 Third Avenue, 44th Street, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Pa’olelei LUTERU (since 7 July 2021); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN

consulate(s) general

Pago Pago (American Samoa)

email address and website

samoa@samoanymission.ws About | Samoa Permanent Mission to the United Nations

FAX

[1] (212) 599-0797

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6196

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the chief of state on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017)

election results

TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (independent) unanimously reelected by the Legislative Assembly

election/appointment process

chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (2-term limit); following legislative elections, the chief of state usually appoints the leader of the majority party as prime minister, with the approval of the Legislative Assembly

expected date of next election

2026

head of government

Prime Minister LA'AULIALEMALIETOA La'auli Leuatea Schmidt (since 16 September 2025)

most recent election date

23 August 2022

Flag

description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper-left quadrant; on the rectangle are five five-pointed white stars that represent the Southern Cross constellation meaning: red stands for courage, blue for freedom, and white for purity

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 2 Supreme Court judges and meets once or twice a year); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and several judges)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice appointed by the chief of state on the advice of the prime minister; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general and an appointee of the Minister of Justice; judges normally serve until retirement at age 68

subordinate courts

District Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village chief councils

Legal system

mixed system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts involving fundamental citizen rights

Legislative branch

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

August 2030

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Legislative Assembly (Fono)

most recent election date

8/29/2025

number of seats

51 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) (32); Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) (22), Sāmoa Uniting Party (SUP) (3), Independents (4)

percentage of women in chamber

9.8%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1962; also known as "Samoa Tula'i" (Samoa Arise)

lyrics/music

Sauni Liga KURESA

title

"O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa" (The Banner of Freedom)

National color(s)

red, white, blue

National holiday

Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962)

National symbol(s)

Southern Cross constellation (five five-pointed stars)

Political parties

Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi or FAST  Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP  Sāmoa Uniting Party (SUP) Tautua Samoa Party or TSP

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, bananas, taro, tropical fruits, pineapples, mangoes/guavas, papayas, root vegetables, milk, avocados (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$326.052 million (2023 est.)

revenues

$371.764 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$74.039 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$40.177 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$64.616 million (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$269.974 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview

ower middle-income Pacific island economy; enormous fishing and agriculture industries; significant remittances; growing offshore financial hub; recently hosted Pacific Games to drive tourism and infrastructure growth

Exchange rates

Currency

tala (SAT) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

2.665 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

2.556 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

2.689 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

2.738 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

2.754 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$175.377 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$346.187 million (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$369.73 million (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, integrated circuits, coconut oil, fish, insulated wire (2023)

Exports - partners

India 26%, NZ 14%, USA 12%, American Samoa 10%, Australia 9% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

29.3% (2024 est.)

government consumption

18.2% (2024 est.)

household consumption

80.8% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-53.8% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

30.5% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

2.3% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

11% (2024 est.)

industry

10.9% (2024 est.)

services

72.5% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.068 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$512.021 million (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$560.776 million (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$575.749 million (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, poultry, cars, plastic products, milk (2023)

Imports - partners

NZ 20%, Singapore 19%, China 17%, Australia 10%, Fiji 9% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

4.2% (2024 est.)

Industries

food processing, building materials, auto parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

11% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.2% (2024 est.)

Labor force

57,200 (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

21.9% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

52.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.258 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$1.374 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$1.503 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-5.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

9.2% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

9.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$5,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$6,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$6,900 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

33.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

28.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

26.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$321.163 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$447.09 million (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$507.74 million (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

26.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

5.1% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

20.9% (2024 est.)

male

7.4% (2024 est.)

total

11.9% (2024 est.)

Electricity

consumption

141.846 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

54,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

17.284 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

97.9%

electrification - total population

98.3% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

6.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

59.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

18.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

15.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

23.476 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2022 est.)

total

2,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned TV station privatized in 2008; 4 privately owned TV stations; about a half-dozen privately owned radio stations and one state-owned; TV and radio broadcasts of several stations from American Samoa are available (2019)

Internet country code

.ws

Internet users

percent of population

58% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

5,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

62 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

134,000 (2022 est.)

Airports

4 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5W

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 3, oil tanker 1, other 9

total

13 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Apia

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

0

total ports

1 (2024)

very small

1

Military - note

informal defense ties exist with New Zealand, which pledged to afford assistance to Samoa in the conduct of its international relations under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship; New Zealand naval vessels patrol Samoan waters Samoa has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Somoa's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Samoa Police Service (includes a maritime unit) (2025)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

335,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

335,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

soil erosion; deforestation; invasive species; overfishing

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

7.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

27,400 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

57.6% (2022 est.)