French Polynesia

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 64,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

French public overseas broadcaster Reseau Outre-Mer provides 2 TV channels and 1 radio station; 1 government-owned TV station; a small number of privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.pf

Internet users

total: 218,100 (2021 est.) percent of population: 72.7% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: French Polynesia has one of the most advanced telecoms infrastructures in the Pacific Islands region; the remoteness of the territory with its scattering of 130 islands and atolls has made connectivity vital for its inhabitants; the first submarine cable was deployed in 2010 and since then additional cables have been connected to the islands, vastly improving French Polynesia s international connectivity; an additional domestic submarine cable, the Natitua Sud, will connect more remote islands by the end of 2022; French Polynesia is also a hub for satellite communications in the region; a considerable number of consumers access FttP-based services; with the first data center in French Polynesia on the cards, the quality and price of broadband services is expected to improve as content will be able to be cached locally, reducing costs for consumers; for 2022, fixed broadband subscriptions reached an estimated 22%; about 43% of the territory s mobile connections are on 3G networks, while LTE accounts for 12%; by 2025, LTE is expected to account for more than half of all connections; it is also estimated that 77% of mobile subscribers will have smart phones by 2025 (2022) domestic: fixed-line subscriptions nearly 36 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular density is roughly 106 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 689; landing points for the NATITUA, Manatua, and Honotua submarine cables to other French Polynesian Islands, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 139,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 328,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

coconuts, fruits, root vegetables, pineapples, eggs, cassava, sugarcane, tropical fruits, watermelons, tomatoes (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Current account balance

$411.963 million (2016 est.) $291.182 million (2015 est.) $264.32 million (2014 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

small, territorial-island tourism-based economy; large French financing; lower EU import duties; Pacific Islands Forum member; fairly resilient from COVID-19; oil-dependent infrastructure

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 110.347 (2023 est.) 113.474 (2022 est.) 100.88 (2021 est.) 104.711 (2020 est.) 106.589 (2019 est.)

Exports

$162 million (2021 est.) $94.4 million (2020 est.) $184 million (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

pearls, fish, aircraft parts, coconut oil, electrical power accessories (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

France 18%, US 18%, Hong Kong 18%, Japan 13%, Netherlands 9% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.815 billion (2022 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 71.5% (2022 est.) government consumption: 31.7% (2022 est.) investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2022 est.) exports of goods and services: 21.1% (2022 est.) imports of goods and services: -46.1% (2022 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.3% (2019 est.) industry: 10.7% (2019 est.) services: 76.2% (2019 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$1.66 billion (2021 est.) $1.75 billion (2020 est.) $2.24 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicine, beef, plastic products (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

France 30%, China 13%, US 9%, South Korea 6%, NZ 6% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0% (2015 est.) 0.3% (2014 est.)

Labor force

137,000 (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.65 billion (2021 est.) $5.52 billion (2020 est.) $5.94 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in 2015 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

4.47% (2022 est.) 2.09% (2021 est.) -7.05% (2020 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$18,600 (2021 est.) $18,300 (2020 est.) $19,800 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2015 dollars

Remittances

10% of GDP (2022 est.) 9.46% of GDP (2021 est.) 10.04% of GDP (2020 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Unemployment rate

11.72% (2023 est.) 11.91% (2022 est.) 12.49% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 37.3% (2023 est.) male: 33.8% (2023 est.) female: 42% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Carbon dioxide emissions

929,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 929,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports: (2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 280,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 653.978 million kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 42.663 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 67.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 6.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 25.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 6,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.77 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical, but moderate

Environment - current issues

sea level rise; extreme weather events (cyclones, storms, and tsunamis producing floods, landslides, erosion, and reef damage); droughts; fresh water scarcity

Land use

agricultural land: 12.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 6.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 5.5% (2018 est.) forest: 43.7% (2018 est.) other: 43.8% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 62.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 147,000 tons (2013 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 57,330 tons (2013 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 39% (2013 est.)

Area

total : 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls; 67 are inhabited) land: 3,827 sq km water: 340 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Climate

tropical, but moderate

Coastline

2,525 km

Elevation

highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

15 00 S, 140 00 W

Geography - note

includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic (Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) and one coral (Archipel des Tuamotu); the Tuamotu Archipelago forms the largest group of atolls in the world -- 78 in total, 48 inhabited; Makatea in the Tuamotu Archipelago is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean -- the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 12.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 6.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 5.5% (2018 est.) forest: 43.7% (2018 est.) other: 43.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between South America and Australia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

occasional cyclonic storms in January

Natural resources

timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

Population distribution

the majority of the population lives in the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that includes the most populous island - Tahiti - with approximately 70% of the nation's population

Terrain

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Administrative divisions

5 administrative subdivisions (subdivisions administratives, singular - subdivision administrative): Iles Australes (Austral Islands), Iles du Vent (Windward Islands), Iles Marquises (Marquesas Islands), Iles Sous-le-Vent (Leeward Islands), Iles Tuamotu-Gambier; note - the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands together make up the Society Islands (Iles de la Societe)

Capital

name: Papeete (located on Tahiti) geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name means "water basket" and refers to the fact that the islanders originally used calabashes enclosed in baskets to fetch water at a spring in the area

Citizenship

see France

Constitution

history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) amendments: French constitution amendment procedures apply

Country name

conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polyn sie fran aise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: Establishments in Oceania, French Establishments in Oceania etymology: the term "Polynesia" is an 18th-century construct composed of two Greek words, "poly" (many) and "nesoi" (islands), and refers to the more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean

Dependency status

overseas country of France; note - overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, though it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (overseas lands of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas lands of France)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Eric SPITZ (since 23 September 2022) head of government: President of French Polynesia Moetai BROTHERSON (since 12 May 2023) cabinet: Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president elections/appointments: French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; French Polynesia president indirectly elected by Assembly of French Polynesia for a 5-year term (no term limits)

Flag description

two red horizontal bands encase a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue and white wave pattern depicting the sea on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half; a Polynesian canoe rides on the wave pattern; the canoe has a crew of five represented by five stars that symbolize the five island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors note: identical to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest and most populous of the islands in French Polynesia, but which has no emblem in the white band; the flag of France is used for official occasions

Government - note

under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Assembly of French Polynesia); an overseas collectivity of France

Independence

none (overseas land of France)

International organization participation

ITUC (NGOs), PIF, SPC, UPU, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA); note - appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris) judge selection and term of office: judges assigned from France normally for 3 years subordinate courts: Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif

Legal system

the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Assembly of French Polynesia or Assembl e de la Polyn sie fran aise (57 seats; members serve 5-year terms) elections: Assembly of French Polynesia - last held on 16 and 30 April 2023 (next to be held in 2028) French Senate - last held on 24 September 2023 (next to be held on 30 September 2026) French National Assembly - last held in 2 rounds on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held in 2027) election results: Assembly of French Polynesia - percent of vote by party - People's Servant Party 66.7%; List of the People 26.3%, I Love Polynesia 5.3%, Rally of Mahoi People 1.8%; seats by party - People's Servant People 38; List of the People 15, I Love Polynesia 3, Rally of the Mahoi People 1, composition - men 29, women 28, percentage women 49.1% French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Popular Rally 1, People's Servant Party 1; composition - NA French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Servant Party 3; composition - NA note 1: elections held in two rounds; in the second round, 38 members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by a closed-list proportional representation vote; the party receiving the most votes gets an additional 19 seats note 2: French Polynesia indirectly elects 2 senators to the French Senate for 6-year terms with one-half the membership renewed every 3 years and directly elects 3 deputies to the French National Assembly for 5-year terms

National anthem

name: "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" (Long Live Tahiti Nui) lyrics/music: Maeva BOUGES, Irmine TEHEI, Angele TEROROTUA, Johanna NOUVEAU, Patrick AMARU, Louis MAMATUI, and Jean-Pierre CELESTIN (the compositional group created both the lyrics and music) note: adopted 1993; serves as a local anthem; as a territory of France, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural); note - excerpted from the France entry selected World Heritage Site locales: Taputapuātea

National holiday

F te de la F d ration, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is Internal Autonomy Day, 29 June (1880)

National symbol(s)

outrigger canoe, Tahitian gardenia (Gardenia taitensis) flower; national colors: red, white

Political parties

I Love Polynesia (A here la Porinetia) List of the People (Tapura Huiraatira) People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) Rally of the Maohi People (Amuitahiraʻa o te Nunaʻa Maohi) (formerly known as Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira))

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

French Polynesia consists of five archipelagos -- the Austral Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago. The Marquesas were first settled around 200 B.C. and the Society Islands around A.D. 300. Raiatea in the Society Islands became a center for religion and culture. Exploration of the other islands emanated from Raiatea, and by 1000, there were small permanent settlements in all the island groups. Ferdinand MAGELLAN was the first European to see the islands of French Polynesia in 1520. In 1767, British explorer Samuel WALLIS was the first European to visit Tahiti, followed by French navigator Louis Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1768 and British explorer James COOK in 1769. King POMARE I united Tahiti and surrounding islands into the Kingdom of Tahiti in 1788. Protestant missionaries arrived in 1797, and POMARE I s successor converted in the 1810s, along with most Tahitians. In the 1830s, Queen POMARE IV refused to allow French Catholic missionaries to operate, leading France to declare a protectorate over Tahiti and fight the French-Tahitian War of the 1840s in an attempt to annex the islands. In 1880, King POMARE V ceded Tahiti and its possessions to France, changing its status into a colony. France then claimed the Gambier Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago and by 1901 had incorporated all five island groups into its establishments in Oceania. A Tahitian nationalist movement formed in 1940, leading France to grant French citizenship to the islanders in 1946 and change it to an overseas territory. In 1957, the islands name was changed to French Polynesia, and the following year, 64% of voters chose to stay part of France when they approved a new constitution. Uninhabited Mururoa Atoll was established as a French nuclear test site in 1962, and tests were conducted between 1966 and 1992 (underground beginning in 1975). France also conducted tests at Fangataufa Atoll, including its last nuclear test in 1996. France granted French Polynesia partial internal autonomy in 1977 and expanded autonomy in 1984. French Polynesia was converted into an overseas collectivity in 2003 and renamed an overseas territory in 2004. Pro-independence politicians won a surprise majority in local elections that same year, but in subsequent elections, they have been relegated to a vocal minority. In 2013, French Polynesia was relisted on the UN List of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France; France maintains forces (about 900 troops) in French Polynesia

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.3% (male 31,659/female 30,006) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 107,162/female 101,228) 65 years and over: 11% (2024 est.) (male 16,317/female 17,168)

Birth rate

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

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

27.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 45.6 youth dependency ratio: 31.6 elderly dependency ratio: 14 potential support ratio: 7.1 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%

Gross reproduction rate

0.87 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official) 73.5%, Tahitian 20.1%, Marquesan 2.6%, Austral languages 1.2%, Paumotu 1%, other 1.6% (2017 est.) major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.9 years (2024 est.) male: 76.6 years female: 81.3 years

Literacy

total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Major urban areas - population

136,000 PAPEETE (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 35.3 years (2024 est.) male: 35 years female: 35.6 years

Nationality

noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian

Net migration rate

-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

total: 303,540 male: 155,138 female: 148,402 (2024 est.)

Population distribution

the majority of the population lives in the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that includes the most populous island - Tahiti - with approximately 70% of the nation's population

Population growth rate

0.66% (2024 est.)

Religions

Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 97% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 3% of population (2020 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 62.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Airports

54 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

F-OH

Merchant marine

total: 24 (2023) by type: general cargo 14

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020) (registered in France) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 19 (registered in France)

Ports

total ports: 6 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 5 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Atuona, Baie Taiohae, Papeete, Port Rikitea, Uturoa, Vaitape

Roadways

total: 2,590 km paved: 1,735 km unpaved: 855 km (1999)