THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

Background: Austronesians settled Fiji around 1000 B.C., followed by successive waves of Melanesians starting around the first century A.D. Fijians traded with Polynesian groups in Samoa and Tonga, and by about 900, much of Fiji was in the Tu’i Tongan Empire’s sphere of influence. The Tongan influence declined significantly by 1200, while Melanesian seafarers continued to periodically arrive in Fiji, further mixing Melanesian and Polynesian cultural traditions. The first European spotted Fiji in 1643 and by the 1800s, European merchants, missionaries, traders, and whalers frequented the islands. Rival kings and chiefs competed for power, at times aided by Europeans, and in 1865, Seru Epenisa CAKOBAU united many groups into the Confederacy of Independent Kingdoms of Viti. The arrangement proved weak, however, and in 1871 CAKOBAU formed the Kingdom of Fiji in an attempt to centralize power. Fearing a hostile takeover by a foreign power as the kingdom’s economy began to falter, CAKOBAU ceded Fiji to the UK in 1874.The first British governor set up a plantation-style economy and brought in more than 60,000 Indians as indentured laborers, most of whom chose to stay in Fiji rather than return to India when their contracts expired. In the early 1900s, society was divided along ethnic lines, with iTaukei (indigenous Fijians), Europeans, and Indo-Fijians living in separate areas and maintaining their own languages and traditions. ITaukei fears of an Indo-Fijian takeover of government delayed independence through the 1960s; Fiji achieved independence in 1970 with agreements to allocate parliamentary seats by ethnic groups. After two coups in 1987, a new constitution in 1990 cemented iTaukei control of politics, leading thousands of Indo-Fijians to leave. A reformed constitution in 1997 was more equitable and led to the election of an Indo-Fijian prime minister in 1999, who was ousted in a coup the following year. In 2005, the new prime minister put forward a bill that would grant pardons to the coup perpetrators, leading Josaia Voreqe "Frank" BAINIMARAMA to launch a coup in 2006. BAINIMARAMA appointed himself prime minister in 2007 and retained the position after elections in 2014 and 2018 that international observers deemed credible. BAINIMARAMA's party lost control of the prime minister position after elections in 2022 with former opposition leader Sitiveni Ligamamada RABUKA winning the office by a narrow margin.

Location: Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates: 18 00 S, 175 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 18,274 sq km
land: 18,274 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: total: 0 km
Coastline: 1,129 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Elevation: highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower
Land use: agricultural land: 17.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 4.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 9.5% (2023 est.)
forest: 61.7% (2023 est.)
other: 21.2% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land: 40 sq km (2012)
Population distribution: approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas
Natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
Geography - note: consists of 332 islands, approximately 110 of which are inhabited, and more than 500 islets

Population: total: 951,611 (2024 est.)
male: 482,304
female: 469,307
Nationality: noun: Fijian(s)
adjective: Fijian
Ethnic groups: iTaukei 56.8% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indo-Fijian 37.5%, Rotuman 1.2%, other 4.5% (European, part European, other Pacific Islanders, Chinese) (2007 est.)
Languages: English (official), iTaukei (official), Fiji Hindi (official)
Religions: Protestant 45% (Methodist 34.6%, Assembly of God 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 3.9%, and Anglican 0.8%), Hindu 27.9%, other Christian 10.4%, Roman Catholic 9.1%, Muslim 6.3%, Sikh 0.3%, other 0.3%, none 0.8% (2007 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.7% (male 119,910/female 114,904)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 323,339/female 308,921)
65 years and over: 8.9% (2024 est.) (male 39,055/female 45,482)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 50.5 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 37.1 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 13.4 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 7.5 (2024 est.)
Median age: total: 32 years (2025 est.)
male: 31.4 years
female: 31.8 years
Population growth rate: 0.38% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 15.63 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 6.58 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution: approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas
Urbanization: urban population: 58.7% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.37% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 178,000 SUVA (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 30 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 9.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.8 years (2024 est.)
male: 72.2 years
female: 77.6 years
Total fertility rate: 2.18 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.06 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 98.7% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 91.1% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 95.5% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 1.3% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 8.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 4.5% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 5.4% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 10.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density: 0.81 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
Hospital bed density: 1.9 beds/1,000 population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 30.2% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita: total: 2.71 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 1.64 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.79 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use: total: 26.8% (2025 est.)
male: 40.8% (2025 est.)
female: 12.9% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.6% (2021 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 59.2% (2021 est.)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 0.2% (2021)
women married by age 18: 4% (2021)
men married by age 18: 1.7% (2021)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 13.8% national budget (2025 est.)
Literacy: female: 92.4% (2021 est.)

Environmental issues: air pollution from waste incineration and vehicle emissions; deforestation and soil erosion; soil erosion from clearing land by bush burning
International environmental agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Land use: agricultural land: 17.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 4.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 3.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 9.5% (2023 est.)
forest: 61.7% (2023 est.)
other: 21.2% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 58.7% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.37% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions: 1.432 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 12 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 1.432 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 8.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 189,400 tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 16.1% (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 25.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial: 9.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural: 50 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 28.55 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Fiji
conventional short form: Fiji
local long form: Republic of Fiji (English)/ Matanitu ko Viti (Fijian)
local short form: Fiji (English)/ Viti (Fijian)
etymology: the Fijians called their home Viti, but the neighboring Tongans called it Fisi; in the Anglicized spelling of the Tongan pronunciation -- promulgated by explorer Captain James COOK -- the designation became Fiji
Government type: parliamentary republic
Capital: name: Suva (on Viti Levu)
geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name means "little hill" in the native Fijian language and may refer to a mound where a temple once stood
Administrative divisions: 14 provinces and 1 dependency*; Ba, Bua, Cakaudrove, Kadavu, Lau, Lomaiviti, Macuata, Nadroga and Navosa, Naitasiri, Namosi, Ra, Rewa, Rotuma*, Serua, Tailevu
Legal system: common law system based on the English model
Constitution: history: several previous; latest signed into law 6 September 2013
amendment process: proposed as a bill by Parliament and supported by at least three quarters of its members, followed by referral to the president and then to the Electoral Commission, which conducts a referendum; passage requires approval by at least three-quarters of registered voters and assent by the president
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 Fiji
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: at least 5 years residency out of the 10 years preceding application
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Ratu Naiqama LALABALAVU (since 12 November 2024)
head of government: Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada RABUKA (since 24 December 2022)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament
election/appointment process: president elected by Parliament for a 3-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister endorsed by the president
most recent election date: 31 October 2024
election results: 2024: Ratu Naiqama LALABALAVU elected president (People's Alliance) 35 votes, Meli Tora TAVAIQIA (Fiji First) 14 votes2021: Ratu Wiliame KATONIVERE elected president; Wiliame KATONIVERE (People's Alliance) 28 votes, Teimumu KEPA (SODELPA) 23 votes
expected date of next election: 2027
Legislative branch: legislature name: Parliament
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 55 (all directly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 12/14/2022
parties elected and seats per party: FijiFirst (26); People's Alliance (21); National Federation Party (NFP) (5); Social Democratic Liberal Party (Soldelpa) (3)
percentage of women in chamber: 9.1%
expected date of next election: December 2026
Judicial branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, all justices of the Court of Appeal, and judges appointed specifically as Supreme Court judges); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president, all puisne judges of the High Court, and judges specifically appointed to the Court of Appeal); High Court (chaired by the chief justice and includes a minimum of 10 puisne judges; High Court organized into civil, criminal, family, employment, and tax divisions)
judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the president of Fiji on the advice of the prime minister following consultation with the parliamentary leader of the opposition; judges of the Supreme Court, the president of the Court of Appeal, the justices of the Court of Appeal, and puisne judges of the High Court appointed by the president of Fiji on the nomination of the Judicial Service Commission after consulting with the cabinet minister and the House of Representatives committee responsible for the administration of justice; the chief justice, Supreme Court judges, and justices of Appeal generally required to retire at age 70, but this requirement may be waived for one or more sessions of the court; puisne judges appointed for not less than 4 years or more than 7 years, with mandatory retirement at age 65
subordinate courts: Magistrates' Court (organized into civil, criminal, juvenile, and small claims divisions)
Political parties: Fiji First Fiji Labor Party or FLP Freedom Alliance (formerly Fiji United Freedom Party or FUFP)National Federation Party or NFP People's Alliance Peoples Democratic Party or PDP Social Democratic Liberal Party or SODELPA Unity Fiji
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Ilisoni VUIDREKETI (since 17 June 2024)
chancery: 1707 L Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (917) 208-4560
FAX: [1] (202) 466-8325
email address and website: info@FijiEmbassyDC.comhttps://www.fijiembassydc.com/
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marie DAMOUR (since 24 November 2022); note - also accredited to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu
embassy: 158 Princes Road, Tamavua, Suva
mailing address: 4290 Suva Place, Washington DC 20521-4290
telephone: [679] 331-4466
FAX: [679] 330-2267
email address and website: SuvaACS@state.govhttps://fj.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca (suspended), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence: 10 October 1970 (from the UK)
National holiday: Fiji (Independence) Day, 10 October (1970)
Flag: description: light blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the right half of the flag; the shield shows a yellow lion holding a coconut above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George; the four quarters depict sugarcane, a palm tree, a banana bunch, and a white dovemeaning: blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean
National symbol(s): Fijian canoe
National color(s): light blue
National anthem(s): title: "God Bless Fiji" (Let Us Show Pride)
lyrics/music: Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT/C. Austin MILES (adapted by Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT)
history: adopted 1970; known in Fijian as "Meda Dau Doka" (Let Us Show Pride); adapted from the hymn, "Dwelling in Beulah Land," the anthem's English lyrics are usually used, although they differ in meaning from the official Fijian lyrics
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Levuka Historical Port Town

Economic overview: upper-middle income, tourism-based Pacific island economy; susceptible to ocean rises; key energy and infrastructure investments; post-pandemic tourism resurgence; improved debt standing; limited workforce
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $13.1 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $12.617 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $11.734 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: 3.8% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 7.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 19.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $14,100 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $13,700 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $12,800 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $5.841 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 4.5% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 2.3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 4.3% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 8.4% (2024 est.)
industry: 14.1% (2024 est.)
services: 56.2% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 71.7% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 20.8% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 18.6% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: 1.2% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 57% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -69.2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural products: sugarcane, cassava, taro, vegetables, chicken, coconuts, eggs, ginger, milk, sweet potatoes (2023)
Industries: tourism, sugar processing, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber
Industrial production growth rate: 7.3% (2024 est.)
Labor force: 387,800 (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 4.4% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 4.4% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 4.5% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 15.5% (2024 est.)
male: 11.8% (2024 est.)
female: 22.5% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 24.1% (2019 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019: 30.7 (2019 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% (2019 est.)
highest 10%: 24.2% (2019 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2023: 9.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 9.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2021: 9.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.345 billion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $1.562 billion (2023 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2016: 47.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 20.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2022: -$865.665 million (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2021: -$686.577 million (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2020: -$614.13 million (2020 est.)
Exports: Exports 2022: $2.376 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2021: $1.171 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2020: $1.23 billion (2020 est.)
Exports - partners: USA 32%, Australia 12%, Tonga 6%, NZ 6%, Samoa 4% (2023)
Exports - commodities: water, fish, raw sugar, refined petroleum, garments (2023)
Imports: Imports 2022: $3.434 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2021: $2.344 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2020: $1.977 billion (2020 est.)
Imports - partners: Singapore 25%, China 16%, Australia 15%, NZ 14%, USA 5% (2023)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, medical instruments, cars, broadcasting equipment, plastics (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $1.6 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $1.548 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $1.557 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external: Debt - external 2023: $1.397 billion (2023 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: Fijian dollars (FJD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 2.268 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 2.25 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 2.201 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 2.071 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 2.169 (2020 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 92% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 97.6%
electrification - rural areas: 86.8%
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 427,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 1.048 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 102.047 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 36.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 52.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 10% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal: consumption: 6 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 2 metric tons (2022 est.)
Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption: 10,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 25.375 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 49,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 5.33 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 574 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media: Fiji TV, a publicly traded company, operates a free-to-air channel; Digicel Fiji operates the Sky Fiji and Sky Pacific multi-channel pay-TV services; state-owned commercial company, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Ltd, operates 6 radio stations, including 2 public broadcasters and 4 commercial broadcasters with multiple repeaters; 5 radio stations with repeaters operated by Communications Fiji, Ltd; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available
Internet country code: .fj
Internet users: percent of population: 79% (2023 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 23,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2022 est.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: DQ
Airports: 26 (2025)
Heliports: 2 (2025)
Railways: total: 597 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 597 km (2008) 0.600-m gauge
Merchant marine: total: 74 (2023)
by type: general cargo 21, oil tanker 4, other 49
Ports: total ports: 5 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 2
very small: 3
ports with oil terminals: 4
key ports: Lautoka Harbor, Levuka, Malai, Savusavu Bay, Suva Harbor

Military and security forces: Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Force, Republic of Fiji Navy (2025)
Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024: 1.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 4,000 active Republic of Fiji Military Forces (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the RFMF is lightly armed and equipped; Australia has provided patrol boats and a few armored personnel carriers; it also provides logistical support for RFMF regional or UN operations; in recent years, China and the US have provided small amounts of equipment (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2026)
Military deployments: 170 Egypt (MFO); 160 Iraq (UNAMI); 150 Golan Heights (UNDOF) (2025)
Military - note: the Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) are responsible for external security but can be assigned some domestic security responsibilities in specific circumstances; the RFMF has a history of intervening in the country’s politics, and it continues to have significant political power; it also has a tradition of participating in UN peacekeeping operations, which have offered experience and a source of financial support; Fiji has sent troops on nearly 20 such missions since first deploying personnel to South Lebanon in 1978Fiji 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 Fiji'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)

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees: 25 (2024 est.)
IDPs: 259 (2024 est.)
Trafficking in persons: tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Fiji remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/fiji/

Fiji