THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

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.

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
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries: total: 0 km
Coastline: 403 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: highest point: Mount Silisili 1,857 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural resources: hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
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.)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (2022)
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) is historically active
Geography - note: occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

Population: total: 210,223 (2025 est.)
male: 106,542
female: 103,681
Nationality: noun: Samoan(s)
adjective: Samoan
Ethnic groups: Samoan 96%, Samoan/New Zealander 2%, other 1.9% (2011 est.)
Languages: Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Samoan/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%, 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.)
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)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 51.6 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 40.2 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 11.4 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 8.8 (2025 est.)
Median age: total: 27.8 years (2025 est.)
male: 27 years
female: 27.8 years
Population growth rate: 0.66% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 18.53 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution: about three quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu
Urbanization: urban population: 17.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 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
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 101 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.7 years (2024 est.)
male: 72.8 years
female: 78.7 years
Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.12 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 99% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 1% of population (2022 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.)
Physician density: 0.56 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 98.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 99% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 1% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 47.3% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita: total: 2.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 2.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use: total: 20.5% (2025 est.)
male: 28.6% (2025 est.)
female: 12.3% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.4% (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 62% (2020 est.)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 0.9% (2020)
women married by age 18: 7.4% (2020)
men married by age 18: 2% (2020)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 11.7% national budget (2025 est.)
Literacy: total population: 98% (2019 est.)
male: 98.3% (2019 est.)
female: 97.7% (2019 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
Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
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.)
Urbanization: urban population: 17.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: -0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions: 335,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 335,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
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.)

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'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
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)
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
Legal system: mixed system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts involving fundamental citizen rights
Constitution: history: several previous (pre-independence); latest 1 January 1962
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
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 LA'AULIALEMALIETOA La'auli Leuatea Schmidt (since 16 September 2025)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief of state on the advice of the prime minister
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
most recent election date: 23 August 2022
election results: TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (independent) unanimously reelected by the Legislative Assembly
expected date of next election: 2026
Legislative branch: legislature name: Legislative Assembly (Fono)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 51 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 8/29/2025
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%
expected date of next election: August 2030
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
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
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Pa’olelei LUTERU (since 7 July 2021); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN
chancery: 685 Third Avenue, 44th Street, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196
FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797
email address and website: samoa@samoanymission.wsAbout | Samoa Permanent Mission to the United Nations
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
embassy: 5th Floor, Accident Corporation Building, Matafele Apia
mailing address: 4400 Apia Place, Washington DC 20521-4400
telephone: [685] 21-436
FAX: [685] 22-030
email address and website: ApiaConsular@state.govhttps://ws.usembassy.gov/
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
Independence: 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962)
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 constellationmeaning: red stands for courage, blue for freedom, and white for purity
National symbol(s): Southern Cross constellation (five five-pointed stars)
National color(s): red, white, blue
National anthem(s): title: "O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa" (The Banner of Freedom)
lyrics/music: Sauni Liga KURESA
history: adopted 1962; also known as "Samoa Tula'i" (Samoa Arise)

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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $1.503 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $1.374 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $1.258 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: 9.4% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 9.2% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: -5.3% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $6,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $6,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $5,800 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $1.068 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.2% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 7.9% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 11% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 11% (2024 est.)
industry: 10.9% (2024 est.)
services: 72.5% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 80.8% (2024 est.)
government consumption: 18.2% (2024 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 30.5% (2024 est.)
investment in inventories: 2.3% (2024 est.)
exports of goods and services: 29.3% (2024 est.)
imports of goods and services: -53.8% (2024 est.)
Agricultural products: coconuts, bananas, taro, tropical fruits, pineapples, mangoes/guavas, papayas, root vegetables, milk, avocados (2023)
Industries: food processing, building materials, auto parts
Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (2024 est.)
Labor force: 57,200 (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 4.6% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 5% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 5.1% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 11.9% (2024 est.)
male: 7.4% (2024 est.)
female: 20.9% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 21.9% (2018 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2024: 26.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 28.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 33.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget: revenues: $371.764 million (2023 est.)
expenditures: $326.052 million (2023 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2016: 52.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 26.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2024: $64.616 million (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $40.177 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$74.039 million (2022 est.)
Exports: Exports 2024: $369.73 million (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $346.187 million (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $175.377 million (2022 est.)
Exports - partners: India 26%, NZ 14%, USA 12%, American Samoa 10%, Australia 9% (2023)
Exports - commodities: refined petroleum, integrated circuits, coconut oil, fish, insulated wire (2023)
Imports: Imports 2024: $575.749 million (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $560.776 million (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $512.021 million (2022 est.)
Imports - partners: NZ 20%, Singapore 19%, China 17%, Australia 10%, Fiji 9% (2023)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, poultry, cars, plastic products, milk (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $507.74 million (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $447.09 million (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $321.163 million (2022 est.)
Debt - external: Debt - external 2023: $269.974 million (2023 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: tala (SAT) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 2.754 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 2.738 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 2.689 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 2.556 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 2.665 (2020 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 98.3% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 97.9%
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 54,000 kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 141.846 million kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 17.284 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 59.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 15.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 18.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 6.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 23.476 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 5,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 134,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 62 (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.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 2,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 5W
Airports: 4 (2025)
Merchant marine: total: 13 (2023)
by type: general cargo 3, oil tanker 1, other 9
Ports: total ports: 1 (2024)
large: 0
medium: 0
small: 0
very small: 1
ports with oil terminals: 1
key ports: Apia

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Samoa Police Service (includes a maritime unit) (2025)
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 watersSamoa 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)

Samoa