Fiji

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 12,135 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 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 - 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

total: 425,680 | percent of population: 46.5% (July 2016 est.)

Telephone system

general assessment: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center; subject to occasional devastating cyclones; Fiji is a leader in the Pacific region in terms of development of its ICT (Information & Communications Technology) sector and investment in telecoms infrastructure; initial progress towards 5G readiness (2018) | domestic: telephone or radio telephone links to almost all inhabited islands; most towns and large villages have automatic telephone exchanges and direct dialing; fixed-line 8 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 112 per 100 persons (2018) | international: country code - 679; landing points for the ICN1, SCCN, Southern Cross NEXT, Tonga Cable and Tui-Samoa submarine cable links to US, NZ, Australia and Pacific islands of Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Fallis & Futuna, and American Samoa; satellite earth stations - 2 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 75,952 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 1,033,915 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 112 (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, copra, ginger, tropical fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, chicken, fish

Budget

revenues: 1.454 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 1.648 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate

1.75% (31 December 2010) | 3% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.74% (31 December 2017 est.) | 5.85% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$277 million (2017 est.) | -$131 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$1.022 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $696.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Economy - overview

Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed and connected of the Pacific island economies. Earnings from the tourism industry, with an estimated 842,884 tourists visiting in 2017, and remittances from Fijian’s working abroad are the country’s largest foreign exchange earners. Bottled water exports to the US is Fiji’s largest domestic export. Fiji's sugar sector remains a significant industry and a major export, but crops and one of the sugar mills suffered damage during Cyclone Winston in 2016. Fiji’s trade imbalance continues to widen with increased imports and sluggish performance of domestic exports. The return to parliamentary democracy and successful elections in September 2014 improved investor confidence, but increasing bureaucratic regulation, new taxes, and lack of consultation with relevant stakeholders brought four consecutive years of decline for Fiji on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business index. Private sector investment in 2017 approached 20% of GDP, compared to 13% in 2013.

Exchange rates

Fijian dollars (FJD) per US dollar - | 2.075 (2017 est.) | 2.0947 (2016 est.) | 2.0947 (2015 est.) | 2.0976 (2014 est.) | 1.8874 (2013 est.)

Exports

$908.2 million (2017 est.) | $709 million (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

fuel, including oil, fish, beverages, gems, sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil, mineral water

Exports - partners

US 20.8%, Australia 14.9%, NZ 7.7%, Tonga 5%, Vanuatu 4.6%, China 4.5%, Spain 4.3%, UK 4.3%, Kiribati 4.1% (2017)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.891 billion (2017 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$8.629 billion (2017 est.) | $8.376 billion (2016 est.) | $8.321 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 81.3% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 24.4% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 16.9% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 29% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -51.6% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 13.5% (2017 est.) | industry: 17.4% (2017 est.) | services: 69.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$9,800 (2017 est.) | $9,600 (2016 est.) | $9,600 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2017 est.) | 0.7% (2016 est.) | 3.8% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving

12.7% of GDP (2017 est.) | 13.4% of GDP (2016 est.) | 16.1% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6% | highest 10%: 34.9% (2009 est.)

Imports

$1.911 billion (2017 est.) | $1.761 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food and beverages, chemicals, tobacco

Imports - partners

Australia 19.2%, NZ 17.2%, Singapore 17%, China 13.8% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, sugar processing, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.4% (2017 est.) | 3.9% (2016 est.)

Labor force

353,100 (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 44.2% | industry: 14.3% | services: 41.6% (2011)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$452.5 million (31 December 2012 est.) | $392.2 million (31 December 2011 est.) | $418.8 million (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

31% (2009 est.)

Public debt

48.9% of GDP (2017 est.) | 47.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.116 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $908.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money

$2.272 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.994 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$117.1 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $115.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$4.342 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $4.022 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$3.607 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $3.295 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$2.272 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.994 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.5% (2017 est.) | 5.5% (2016 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

2.369 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

850 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

34% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

38% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

27% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

338,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

914 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 98.6% (2016) | electrification - urban areas: 99.2% (2016) | electrification - rural areas: 98% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

16,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

17,460 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Area

total: 18,274 sq km | land: 18,274 sq km | water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

1,129 km

Elevation

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m

Environment - current issues

the widespread practice of waste incineration is a major contributor to air pollution in the country, as are vehicle emissions in urban areas; deforestation and soil erosion are significant problems; a contributory factor to erosion is clearing of land by bush burning, a widespread practie that threatens biodiversity

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

18 00 S, 175 00 E

Geography - note

includes 332 islands; approximately 110 are inhabited

Irrigated land

40 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 23.3% (2011 est.) | arable land: 9% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 4.7% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 9.6% (2011 est.) | forest: 55.7% (2011 est.) | other: 21% (2011 est.)

Location

Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation | measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

Natural hazards

cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Natural resources

timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower

Population distribution

approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas

Terrain

mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Administrative divisions

14 provinces and 1 dependency*; Ba, Bua, Cakaudrove, Kadavu, Lau, Lomaiviti, Macuata, Nadroga and Navosa, Naitasiri, Namosi, Ra, Rewa, Rotuma*, Serua, Tailevu

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) | daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in November; ends second Sunday in January

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

Constitution

history: several previous; latest signed into law 6 September 2013

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Fiji | conventional short form: Fiji | local long form: Republic of Fiji/Matanitu ko Viti | local short form: Fiji/Viti | etymology: the Fijians called their home Viti, but the neighboring Tongans called it Fisi, and in the Anglicized spelling of the Tongan pronunciation - promulgated by explorer Captain James COOK - the designation became Fiji

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph James CELLA (since 23 December 2019); note - also accredited to Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu | telephone: [679] 331-4466 | embassy: 158 Princes Rd, Tamavua | mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva | FAX: [679] 330-8685

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Solo MARA (since 28 January 2016) | chancery: 2000 M Street NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036 | telephone: [1] (202) 466-8320 | FAX: [1] (202) 466-8325

Executive branch

chief of state: President Jioji Konousi KONROTE (since 12 November 2015) | head of government: Prime Minister Voreqe "Frank" BAINIMARAMA (since 22 September 2014) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament | elections/appointments: president elected by Parliament for a 3-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 August 2018 (next to be held in 2021); prime minister endorsed by the president | election results: Jioji Konousi KONROTE reelected president (unopposed)

Flag description

light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the blue symbolizes the Pacific Ocean and the Union Jack reflects the links with Great Britain; the shield - taken from Fiji's coat of arms - depicts a yellow lion, holding a coconut pod between its paws, above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George; the four quarters depict stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, a banana bunch, and a white dove of peace

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

10 October 1970 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts: 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 upon the nomination of the Judicial Service Commission after consulting with the cabinet minister and the committee of the House of Representatives 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 nor more than 7 years, with mandatory retirement at age 65 | subordinate courts: Magistrates' Court (organized into civil, criminal, juvenile, and small claims divisions)

Legal system

common law system based on the English model

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Parliament (51 seats; members directly elected in a nationwide, multi-seat constituency by open-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 14 November 2018 (next to be held in 2022) | election results: percent of vote by party - FijiFirst 50%, SODELPA 39.6%, NFP 7.4%; seats by party - FijiFirst 27, SODELPA 21, NFP 3; composition - men 41, women 10, percent of women 19.6%

National anthem

name: God Bless Fiji | lyrics/music: Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT/C. Austin MILES (adapted by Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT) | note: 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 generally sung, although they differ in meaning from the official Fijian lyrics

National holiday

Fiji (Independence) Day, 10 October (1970)

National symbol(s)

Fijian canoe; national color: light blue

Political parties and leaders

FijiFirst [Veroqe "Frank" BAINIMARAMA] Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDHRY] Fiji United Freedon Party or FUFP [Jagath KARUNARATNE] National Federation Party or NFP [Biman PRASAD] (primarily Indian) Peoples Democratic Party or PDP [Lynda TABUYA] Social Democratic Liberal Party or SODELPA Unity Fiji [Adi QORO]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Fiji became independent in 1970 after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987 caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). The coups and a 1990 constitution that cemented native Melanesian control of Fiji led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. A new constitution enacted in 1997 was more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a civilian-led coup in 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. Reelected in May 2006, QARASE was ousted in a December 2006 military coup led by Commodore Voreqe BAINIMARAMA, who initially appointed himself acting president but in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Following years of political turmoil, long-delayed legislative elections were held in September 2014 that were deemed "credible" by international observers and that resulted in BAINIMARAMA being reelected. He was reelected in November 2018 in elections deemed free and fair.

Military and security forces

Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Force Command, Maritime Command (2019)

Military expenditures

0.92% of GDP (2018) | 0.92% of GDP (2017) | 0.98% of GDP (2016) | 1.07% of GDP (2015) | 1.03% of GDP (2014)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; mandatory retirement at age 55 (2013)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.45% (male 129,962 /female 124,305) | 15-24 years: 15.91% (male 75,165 /female 72,219) | 25-54 years: 41.05% (male 194,743 /female 185,469) | 55-64 years: 8.79% (male 41,286 /female 40,167) | 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 28,924 /female 34,036) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Australia - Oceania :: Fiji Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Fiji. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

18.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

3.5% (2016)

Death rate

6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 52.8 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 43.9 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 8.9 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 11.2 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.5% of population | rural: 91.2% of population | total: 95.7% of population | unimproved: urban: 0.5% of population | rural: 8.8% of population | total: 4.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3.9% of GDP (2013)

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.) | note: a 2010 law replaces 'Fijian' with 'iTaukei' when referring to the original and native settlers of Fiji

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<100 (2016 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

<1000 (2016 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), Fijian (official), Hindustani

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.2 years (2018 est.) | male: 70.5 years | female: 76 years

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

Major urban areas - population

178,000 SUVA (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality rate

34 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

total: 29.2 years (2018 est.) | male: 29 years | female: 29.4 years

Nationality

noun: Fijian(s) | adjective: Fijian

Net migration rate

-6.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

30.2% (2016)

Physicians density

0.84 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

926,276 (July 2018 est.)

Population distribution

approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas

Population growth rate

0.56% (2018 est.)

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 93.4% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 88.4% of population (2015 est.) | total: 91.1% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 6.6% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 11.6% of population (2015 est.) | total: 8.9% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female | total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.37 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 15.4% | male: 11.9% | female: 22.4% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 56.8% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 1.62% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

maritime boundary dispute with Tonga

Airports

28 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 24 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2013) | under 914 m: 19 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

DQ (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 60 | by type: general cargo 21, oil tanker 1, other 38 (2018)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,336,976 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 83,686,504 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Lautoka, Levuka, Suva

Railways

total: 597 km (2008) | narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge (2008) | note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December

Roadways

total: 3,440 km (2011) | paved: 1,686 km (2011) | unpaved: 1,754 km (2011)

Waterways

203 km (122 km are navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges) (2012)