Samoa

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: 178

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

403 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm
exclusive economic zone: 200nm
contiguous zone: 24nm

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

201,316 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185

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: 30.67%(male 31,862 /female 29,875)
15-24 years: 19.76%(male 20,413 /female 19,357)
25-54 years: 36.68%(male 37,944 /female 35,893)
55-64 years: 7.05%(male 7,223 /female 6,973)
65 years and over: 5.85%(male 5,126 /female 6,650) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 74.2 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 64.9 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 9.3 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 10.8 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 24.8 years (2018 est.)
male: 24.5 years
female: 25.1 years
country comparison to the world: 159

Population growth rate

0.61% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147

Birth rate

20.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77

Death rate

5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181

Net migration rate

-8.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214

Population distribution

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

Urbanization

urban population: 18.1% of total population(2019)
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: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2018 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: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 21.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 87

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.2 years (2018 est.)
male: 71.3 years
female: 77.3 years
country comparison to the world: 129

Total fertility rate

2.64 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67

Contraceptive prevalence rate

26.9% (2014)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97.5% of population
rural: 99.3% of population
total: 99% of population
unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population
rural: 0.7% of population
total: 1% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

5.5% (2016)

Physicians density

0.34 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 93.3% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 91.1% of population (2015 est.)
total: 91.5% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 6.7% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 8.9% of population (2015 est.)
total: 8.5% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Major infectious diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

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

4.1% of GDP (2016)
country comparison to the world: 99

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.8% (2015)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 31.9%
male: 24.6%
female: 43.4% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

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 name "Samoa" is composed of two parts, "sa" meaning sacred and "moa" meaning center, so the name can mean Holy Center; alternatively, it can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology

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 (2017)

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 no later than March 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

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

Economy - 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 (purchasing power parity)

$1.137 billion (2017 est.)
$1.11 billion (2016 est.)
$1.036 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 204

GDP (official exchange rate)

$841 million (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.5% (2017 est.)
7.1% (2016 est.)
1.6% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133

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: 169

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.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 10.4% (2017 est.)
industry: 23.6% (2017 est.)
services: 66% (2017 est.)

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: 78

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (2017 est.)
0.1% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72

Commercial bank prime lending rate

8.76% (31 December 2017 est.)
9.09% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95

Stock of narrow money

$147 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$131.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

Stock of broad money

$147 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$131.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191

Stock of domestic credit

$404.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$389.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181

Market value of publicly traded shares

NA

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: 207

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: 41

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: 180

Exchange rates

tala (SAT) per US dollar -
2.566 (2017 est.)
2.565 (2016 est.)
2.565 (2015 est.)
2.5609 (2014 est.)
2.3318 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

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: 194

Electricity - from fossil fuels

48% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

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: 8,454
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 124,211
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 62 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188

Telephone system

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 (2018)
domestic: fixed-line 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 62 telephones per 100 persons (2018)
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)

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: 58,508
percent of population: 29.4% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 1,692
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

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

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 270,908 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5W (2016)

Airports

4 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 188

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 (2013)
under 914 m: 3 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 13
by type: general cargo 4, oil tanker 2, other 7 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 146

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Apia

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

none

Flag of Samoa