Samoa :: Australia-Oceania
Introduction
Background:
New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997. ++ In the late 2000s, Samoa began making efforts to more closely align with Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, Samoa changed its driving orientation to the left side of the road, in line with other Commonwealth countries. In 2011, Samoa jumped forward one day - skipping December 30 - by moving to the west of the International Date Line so that it was one hour ahead of New Zealand and three hours ahead of the east coast of Australia, rather than 23 and 21 hours behind, respectively.
Geography
Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
13 35 S, 172 20 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total:
2,831 sq km
land:
2,821 sq km
water:
10 sq km
country comparison to the world: 177
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
403 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12
nm
exclusive economic zone:
200
nm
contiguous zone:
24
nm
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
Terrain:
two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rugged mountains in interior
Elevation:
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mount Silisili 1,857 m
Natural resources:
hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
Land use:
agricultural land:
12.4%
(2011 est.)
arable land:
2.8%
(2011 est.)
/
permanent crops:
7.8%
(2011 est.)
/
permanent pasture:
1.8%
(2011 est.)
forest:
60.4%
(2011 est.)
other:
27.2%
(2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
(2012)
Population distribution:
about three-quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu
Natural hazards:
occasional cyclones; active volcanism
++ volcanism: Savai'I Island (1,858 m), which last erupted in 1911, is historically active
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
occupies an almost central position within Polynesia
People and Society
Population:
203,774
(July 2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
Nationality:
noun:
Samoan(s)
adjective:
Samoan
Ethnic groups:
Samoan 96%, Samoan/New Zealander 2%, other 1.9%
(2011 est.)
note: data represent the population by country of citizenship
Languages:
Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Somoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 0.2%, unspecified 1.6%
(2006 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%, Mormon 16.9%, Worship Centre 2.8%, other Christian 3.6%, other 2.9% (includes Baha'i, Muslim), none 0.2%
(2016 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
29.31%
(male 30,825/female 28,900)
15-24 years:
19.61%
(male 20,519/female 19,439)
25-54 years:
37.4%
(male 39,011/female 37,200)
55-64 years:
7.5%
(male 7,780/female 7,505)
65 years and over:
6.18%
(male 5,513/female 7,082)
(2020 est.)
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:
73.3
youth dependency ratio:
64.5
elderly dependency ratio:
8.8
potential support ratio:
11.4
(2020 est.)
Median age:
total:
25.6 years
male:
25.3 years
female:
26 years
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
Population growth rate:
0.61%
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
Birth rate:
19.6 births/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
Death rate:
5.4 deaths/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Net migration rate:
-8.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
Population distribution:
about three-quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu
Urbanization:
urban population:
17.9% of total population
(2020)
rate of urbanization:
-0.47% annual rate of change
(2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
36,000 APIA (capital)
(2018)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years:
1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.78 male(s)/female
total population:
1.04 male(s)/female
(2020 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth:
23.6 years
(2009 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Maternal mortality rate:
43 deaths/100,000 live births
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Infant mortality rate:
total:
17 deaths/1,000 live births
male:
20 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
13.9 deaths/1,000 live births
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
74.7 years
male:
71.7 years
female:
77.7 years
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
26.9%
(2014)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban:
100% of population
rural:
96.8% of population
total:
97.4% of population
unimproved:
urban:
0% of population
rural:
3.2% of population
total:
2.6% of population
(2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure:
5.5%
(2017)
Physicians density:
0.34 physicians/1,000 population
(2016)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban:
98.5% of population
rural:
98.1% of population
total:
98.2% of population
unimproved:
urban:
1.5% of population
rural:
1.9% of population
total:
1.8% of population
(2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk:
high
(2020)
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases:
malaria
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
47.3%
(2016)
country comparison to the world: 8
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
3.2%
(2014)
country comparison to the world: 97
Education expenditures:
4.2% of GDP
(2016)
country comparison to the world: 88
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
99.1%
male:
99%
female:
99.2%
(2018)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:
31.9%
male:
24.6%
female:
43.4%
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Government
Country name:
conventional long form:
Independent State of Samoa
conventional short form:
Samoa
local long form:
Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
local short form:
Samoa
former:
Western Samoa
etymology:
the meaning of Samoa is disputed; some modern explanations are that the "sa" connotes "sacred" and "moa" indicates "center," so the name can mean "Holy Center"; alternatively, some assertions state that it can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology; the name, however, may go back to Proto-Polynesian (PPn) times (before 1000 B.C.); a plausible PPn reconstruction has the first syllable as "sa'a" meaning "tribe or people" and "moa" meaning "deep sea or ocean" to convey the meaning "people of the deep sea"
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name:
Apia
geographic coordinates:
13 49 S, 171 46 W
time difference:
UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April
etymology: name derives from the native village around which the capital was constructed in the 1850s; the village still exists within the larger modern capital
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
Independence:
1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, but it is observed in June
Constitution:
history:
several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962
amendments:
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; amended several times, last in 2015
Legal system:
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va'aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017)
head of government:
Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi (since 23 November 1998); Deputy Prime Minister FIAME Naomi Mata'afa (since 2016)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice
elections/appointments:
chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (2- term limit); election last held on 4 July 2017 (next to be held in 2022); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state, approved by the Legislative Assembly
election results:
TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va'aletoa Sualauvi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly on 5 July 2017
Legislative branch:
description:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (50 seats for 2016-2021 term); members from 49 single-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote and 1 seat for a woman, added for the 2016 election to meet the mandated 10% representation of women in the Assembly; members serve 5-year terms)
elections:
election last held on 4 March 2016 (next election to be held on 9 April 2021)
election results:
percent of vote by party - HRPP 89.8%, Tautua Samoa 4.1%, independent 6.1%; seats by party – initial election results - HRPP 44, Tautua Samoa 2, independents 3; post-election party affiliation – HRPP 47, (informal) opposition 3; composition - men 45, women 5, percent of women 10%
Judicial branch:
highest courts:
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 upon 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 fono or village chief councils
Political parties and leaders:
Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi]
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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA (since 4 December 2003)
chancery:
800 Second Avenue, Suite 400J, New York, NY 10017
telephone:
[1] (212) 599-6196 through 6197
FAX:
[1] (212) 599-0797
consulate(s) general:
Pago Pago (American Samoa)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
the US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa
telephone:
[685] 21-631
(2018)
embassy:
Accident Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia
mailing address:
P. O. Box 3430, Matafele, Apia
FAX:
[685] 22-030
(2018)
Flag description:
red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing five white, five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross constellation; red stands for courage, blue represents freedom, and white signifies purity
note: similar to the flag of Taiwan
National symbol(s):
Southern Cross constellation (five, five-pointed stars); national colors: red, white, blue
National anthem:
name:
"O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa" (The Banner of Freedom)
lyrics/music:
Sauni Liga KURESA
note: adopted 1962; also known as "Samoa Tula'i" (Samoa Arise)
Economy
Economic overview:
The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, tourism, agriculture, and fishing. It has a nominal GDP of $844 million. Agriculture, including fishing, furnishes 90% of exports, featuring fish, coconut oil, nonu products, and taro. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. Industry accounts for nearly 22% of GDP while employing less than 6% of the work force. The service sector accounts for nearly two-thirds of GDP and employs approximately 50% of the labor force. Tourism is an expanding sector accounting for 25% of GDP; 132,000 tourists visited the islands in 2013.
++ The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. In September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami severely damaged Samoa and nearby American Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths. In December 2012, extensive flooding and wind damage from Tropical Cyclone Evan killed four people, displaced over 6,000, and damaged or destroyed an estimated 1,500 homes on Samoa's Upolu Island.
++ The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the country's financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time protecting the environment. Foreign reserves are relatively healthy and inflation is low, but external debt is approximately 45% of GDP. Samoa became the 155th member of the WTO in May 2012, and graduated from least developed country status in January 2014.
GDP real growth rate:
2.5%
(2017 est.)
7.1%
(2016 est.)
1.6%
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.3%
(2017 est.)
0.1%
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
GDP (purchasing power parity) - real:
$1.137 billion
(2017 est.)
$1.11 billion
(2016 est.)
$1.036 billion
(2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$841 million
(2017 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,700
(2017 est.)
$5,700
(2016 est.)
$5,300
(2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 153
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:
10.4%
(2017 est.)
industry:
23.6%
(2017 est.)
services:
66%
(2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:
NA
government consumption:
NA
investment in fixed capital:
NA
investment in inventories:
NA
exports of goods and services:
27.2%
(2015 est.)
imports of goods and services:
-50.5%
(2015 est.)
Ease of Doing Business Index scores:
92.6
(2020)
Agriculture - products:
coconuts, nonu, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa
Industries:
food processing, building materials, auto parts
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.8%
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Labor force:
50,700
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:
65%
industry:
6%
services:
29%
(2015 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.2%
(2017 est.)
5.5%
(2016 est.)
NA
country comparison to the world: 84
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA
highest 10%:
NA
Budget:
revenues:
237.3 million
(2017 est.)
expenditures:
276.8 million
(2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
28.2% (of GDP)
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-4.7% (of GDP)
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Public debt:
49.1% of GDP
(2017 est.)
52.6% of GDP
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
Fiscal year:
June 1 - May 31
Current account balance:
-$19 million
(2017 est.)
-$37 million
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
Exports:
$27.5 million
(2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
Exports - partners:
Australia 22.9%, NZ 22.8%, American Samoa 22.1%, Afghanistan 14.9%, US 5.9%
(2017)
Exports - commodities:
fish, coconut oil and cream, nonu, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer
Imports:
$89.29 billion
(2018 est.)
$312.6 million
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
NZ 22%, Singapore 20.7%, US 12.5%, China 10.1%, Australia 8.6%, Fiji 5.2%
(2017)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$133 million
(31 December 2017 est.)
$122.5 million
(31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Debt - external:
$447.2 million
(31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Exchange rates:
tala (SAT) per US dollar -
2.54712
(2020 est.)
2.65534
(2019 est.)
2.57069
(2018 est.)
2.5609
(2014 est.)
2.3318
(2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access:
electrification - total population:
100%
(2020)
Electricity - production:
132 million kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
Electricity - consumption:
122.8 million kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
45,000 kW
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
48% of total installed capacity
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
23% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
29% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day
(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl
(1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Refined petroleum products - production:
0 bbl/day
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
2,400 bbl/day
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Refined petroleum products - exports:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
Refined petroleum products - imports:
2,363 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m
(1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
341,100 Mt
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions:
8,770
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
4.33
(2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total subscriptions:
128,776
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
63.58
(2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Telecommunication systems:
general assessment:
most households have at least one mobile phone; all businesses in the greater Apia area have access to broadband and Wi-Fi, which is reasonably reliable and fast; in rural Upolu and on Savaii Island there is now readily available high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi; due to the establishment of a regulatory infrastructure, liberalization and competition of the mobile market the telecom market has increased coverage and reduced cost; 4G LTE services accessible to about 95% of residents; working to increase speed, reliability and connectivity
(2020)
domestic:
fixed-line 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 64 telephones per 100 persons
(2019)
international:
country code - 685; landing points for the Tui-Samo, Manatua, SAS, and Southern Cross NEXT submarine cables providing connectivity to Samoa, Fiji, Wallis & Futuna, Cook Islands, Niue, French Polynesia, American Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Los Angeles (US), and Tokelau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
(2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
Broadcast media:
state-owned TV station privatized in 2008; 4 privately owned television broadcast stations; about a half-dozen privately owned radio stations and one state-owned radio station; TV and radio broadcasts of several stations from American Samoa are available
(2019)
Internet country code:
.ws
Internet users:
total:
67,662
percent of population:
33.61%
(July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
total:
1,692
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
1
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Transportation
National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers:
1
(2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers:
4
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
137,770
(2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
5W
(2016)
Airports:
4
(2013)
country comparison to the world: 187
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
1
(2019)
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
3
(2013)
under 914 m:
3
(2013)
Roadways:
total:
1,150 km
(2018)
country comparison to the world: 181
Merchant marine:
total:
13
by type:
general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 7
(2019)
country comparison to the world: 149
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s):
Apia
Military and Security
Military and security forces:
no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force
(2019)
Military - note:
Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international:
none
