Samoa - WS - WSM - SAM - Australia and Oceania

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.gov

https://ws.usembassy.gov/

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)

13 35 S, 172 20 W

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.)

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

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.

soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

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

21.9% (2018 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

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

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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

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

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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

revenues: $342.18 million (2021 est.)

expenditures: $297.736 million (2021 est.)

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

name: Apia

geographic coordinates: 13 49 S, 171 46 W

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

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

403 km

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

tala (SAT) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
2.738 (2023 est.)
2.689 (2022 est.)
2.556 (2021 est.)
2.665 (2020 est.)
2.649 (2019 est.)

chief of state: TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017)

head of government: Prime Minister FIAME Naomi Mata’afa (since 24 May 2021)

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

elections/appointments: chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (2-term limit); election last held on 23 August 2022 (next to be held in 2026); 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 II (independent) unanimously reelected by the Legislative Assembly

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

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

food processing, building materials, auto parts

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

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 17.8% (2022 est.)

arable land: 4.1% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 11.4% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 2.3% (2022 est.)

forest: 57.8% (2022 est.)

other: 24.4% (2022 est.)

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen

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: 4/9/2021 to 11/26/2021

parties elected and seats per party: Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) (32); Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) (22)

percentage of women in chamber: 13%

expected date of next election: March 2026

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.1%

male: 99%

female: 99.3% (2021)

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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 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

noun: Samoan(s)

adjective: Samoan

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

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

Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi or FAST 
Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP 
Tautua Samoa Party or TSP 

21 years of age; universal

general assessment: Samoa was one of the first Pacific Island countries to establish a regulatory infrastructure and to liberalize its telecom market; the advent of competition in the mobile market saw prices fall by around 50% and network coverage increase to more than 90% of the population; Samoa also boasts one of the highest rates of mobile phone coverage in the Pacific region; the growth of fixed-line internet has been impeded by factors including the high costs for bandwidth, under investment in fixed-line infrastructure; Samoa’s telecoms sector has been inhibited by a lack of international connectivity; Samoa has had access to the Samoa-America-Samoa (SAS) cable laid in 2009, this cable has insufficient capacity to meet the country’s future bandwidth needs; this issue was addressed with two new submarine cables that became available in 2018 and 2019; combined with the Samoa National Broadband Highway (SNBH), have improved internet data rates and reliability, and have helped to reduce the high costs previously associated with internet access in Samoa; in April 2022, the Samoan government announced its decision to take over control of the Samoa Submarine Cable Company, looking to the cable to generate additional revenue for the state (2022)

domestic: fixed-line is 3 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity  32 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

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)

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

parliamentary republic

informal defense ties exist with New Zealand, which pledged to afford assistance to Samoa in the conduct of its international relations under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship; New Zealand naval vessels patrol Samoan waters

Samoa has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Somoa's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025)

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

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

Oceania

0 sq km (2022)

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.ws

About | Samoa Permanent Mission to the United Nations

consulate(s) general: Pago Pago (American Samoa)

percent of population: 75% (2022 est.)

.ws

$938.189 million (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

urban population: 17.5% of total population (2023)

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

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)

improved:

urban: 100% of population

rural: 98% of population

total: 98.4% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population

rural: 2% of population

total: 1.6% of population (2020 est.)

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)

36,000 APIA (capital) (2018)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

0.56 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

Southern Cross constellation (five, five-pointed stars); national colors: red, white, blue

16.6% (2019/20)

household consumption: 87.7% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 18.2% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 34.5% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: 2.6% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 28.8% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -61.9% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

total dependency ratio: 51.7 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 40.8 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 11 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 9.1 (2024 est.)

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

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

electrification - total population: 98.3% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas: 100%

electrification - rural areas: 97.9%

5W

improved:

urban: 99.5% of population

rural: 99.5% of population

total: 99.5% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.5% of population

rural: 0.5% of population

total: 0.5% of population (2020 est.)

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

note: data represent the population by country of citizenship

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.)

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

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

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

0 cubic meters (2017 est.)

highest point: Mount Silisili 1,857 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

6.8% of GDP (2021)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 27,399 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 9,864 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 36% (2013 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 7.78 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.25 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.27 megatons (2020 est.)

women married by age 15: 0.9%

women married by age 18: 7.4%

men married by age 18: 2% (2020 est.)

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.)

refined petroleum consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

1.14 (2024 est.)

61.7% (2023 est.)

28.24% of GDP (2023 est.)
33.61% of GDP (2022 est.)
29.43% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

total ports: 1 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 0

small: 0

very small: 1

ports with oil terminals: 1

key ports: Apia

72,000 (2023 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total: 19.8% (2023 est.)

male: 13.4% (2023 est.)

female: 29.9% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

-6.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 27.4 years (2024 est.)

male: 27 years

female: 27.8 years

$289.446 million (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

59 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

$447.09 million (2023 est.)
$321.163 million (2022 est.)
$294.682 million (2021 est.)

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

49.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

2.33 children born/woman (2024 est.)

9.75% (2023 est.)
9.92% (2022 est.)
10.37% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 208,853 (2024 est.)

male: 105,920

female: 102,933

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

from petroleum and other liquids: 335,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total : 2,831 sq km

land: 2,821 sq km

water: 10 sq km

25.02% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

$1.366 billion (2023 est.)
$1.258 billion (2022 est.)
$1.328 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

4 (2025)

total: 17.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 134,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (2022 est.)

8.12% (2023 est.)
10.96% (2022 est.)
3.13% (2021 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

$39.968 million (2023 est.)
-$74.107 million (2022 est.)
-$114.446 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$6,300 (2023 est.)
$5,800 (2022 est.)
$6,200 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 2,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)

total: 25.3% (2020 est.)

male: 36.1% (2020 est.)

female: 14.5% (2020 est.)

47.3% (2016)

23.476 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

18.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

installed generating capacity: 54,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 141.846 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 17.284 million kWh (2023 est.)

total: 13 (2023)

by type: general cargo 3, oil tanker 1, other 9

3.4% (2019/20)

$560.987 million (2023 est.)
$512.002 million (2022 est.)
$430.011 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

$346.189 million (2023 est.)
$175.377 million (2022 est.)
$97.774 million (2021 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

total subscriptions: 5,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)

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.)

total population: 75.7 years (2024 est.)

male: 72.8 years

female: 78.7 years

8.58% (2023 est.)
-5.31% (2022 est.)
-7.08% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

-1.9% (2023 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agriculture: 11% (2023 est.)

industry: 10.9% (2023 est.)

services: 67.7% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

0.27% of GDP (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

4.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.65% (2024 est.)