Samoa

Broadcast media

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 (2009)

Internet country code

.ws

Internet users

total: 58,508 | percent of population: 29.4% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Telephone system

general assessment: most households have at least one mobile phone; all businesses in the greater Apia area have access to broadband and Wi-Fi, which is reasonably reliable and fast, but relatively expensive; in rural Upolu and on Savaii Island there is limited availability of high speed Internet and Wi-Fi; Samoa recently completed the installation of a National Broadband Highway that will provide fiber optic data services and 4G LTE cellular data speeds to the entire country; 4G LTE data speeds are operative and commercially available to limited areas; 3G Internet accessibility from cellular devices is currently available nationwide (2017) | domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 70 telephones per 100 persons (2016) | international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 7,192 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 134,619 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 68 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 190

Agriculture - products

coconuts, nonu, bananas, taro, yams, coffee, cocoa

Budget

revenues: $232.4 million | expenditures: $235.1 million (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.12% (31 December 2016 est.) | 9.51% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Current account balance

$-48 million (2016 est.) | $-43.6 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Debt - external

$447.2 million (31 December 2013 est.) | $437.4 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Economy - overview

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on development aid, family remittances from overseas, tourism, agriculture, and fishing. It has a nominal GDP of $830 million. Agriculture, including fishing, employs roughly two-thirds of the labor force and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring fish, coconut oil, nonu products, and taro. The manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products. One factory in the Foreign Trade Zone employs over 700 people to make automobile electrical harnesses for an assembly plant in Australia, and accounts for 65% of total exports, but it is set to close by yearend 2017. Industry accounts for nearly 24% of GDP while employing less than 6% of the work force. The service sector accounts for nearly three-quarters of GDP and employs approximately 50% of the labor force. Tourism is an expanding sector accounting for 25% of GDP; 132,000 tourists visited the islands in 2013. | The country is vulnerable to devastating storms. In September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami severely damaged Samoa and nearby American Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths. In December 2012, extensive flooding and wind damage from Tropical Cyclone Evan killed four people, displaced over 6,000, and damaged or destroyed an estimated 1,500 homes on Samoa's Upolu Island. | The Samoan Government has called for deregulation of the country's financial sector, encouragement of investment, and continued fiscal discipline, while at the same time protecting the environment. Foreign reserves are relatively healthy and inflation is low, but external debt is approximately 45% of GDP. Samoa became the 155th member of the WTO in May 2012, and graduated from least developed country status in January 2014.

Exchange rates

tala (SAT) per US dollar - | 2.565 (2016 est.) | 2.565 (2015 est.) | 2.5609 (2014 est.) | 2.3318 (2013 est.) | 2.29 (2012 est.)

Exports

$27.5 million (2014 est.) | $33.8 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Exports - commodities

fish, coconut oil and cream, nonu, copra, taro, automotive parts, garments, beer

Exports - partners

Australia 30.2%, American Samoa 21.7%, Afghanistan 11.2%, NZ 10.1%, US 5.6% (2016)

Fiscal year

June 1 - May 31

GDP (official exchange rate)

$786 million (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.087 billion (2016 est.) | $1.002 billion (2015 est.) | $975 million (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 203

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 10.3% | industry: 23.9% | services: 65.8% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,600 (2016 est.) | $5,200 (2015 est.) | $5,200 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 166

GDP - real growth rate

7.1% (2016 est.) | 1.6% (2015 est.) | 1.2% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$341.3 million (2014 est.) | $341.3 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

NZ 23%, Singapore 14%, China 13.5%, US 10.2%, Australia 9.9%, Fiji 6.3%, Japan 5% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

6.1% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34

Industries

food processing, building materials, auto parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.1% (2016 est.) | 0.7% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96

Labor force

50,700 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 193

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 65% | industry: 6% | services: 29% (2015 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

52.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | 57.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$99.31 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $122.5 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 164

Stock of broad money

$367 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $334.4 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 189

Stock of domestic credit

$380.2 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $347 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Stock of narrow money

$131.7 million (31 December 2016 est.) | $116.5 million (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 187

Taxes and other revenues

29.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

200,000 Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 200

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 213

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 213

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 214

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 214

Electricity - consumption

118.1 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 198

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 217

Electricity - from fossil fuels

66.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

26.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - from other renewable sources

15.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 219

Electricity - installed generating capacity

45,000 kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195

Electricity - production

127 million kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 196

Electricity access

population without electricity: 10,942 | electrification - total population: 94% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 93% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 149

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 212

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 214

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 es) | country comparison to the world: 209

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,100 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 204

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,688 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 215

Area

total: 2,831 sq km | land: 2,821 sq km | water: 10 sq km | country comparison to the world: 178

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Rhode Island

Climate

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

Coastline

403 km

Elevation

mean elevation: NA | elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mount Silisili 1,857 m

Environment - current issues

soil erosion, deforestation, invasive species, overfishing

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

13 35 S, 172 20 W

Geography - note

occupies an almost central position within Polynesia

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 12.4% | arable land 2.8%; permanent crops 7.8%; permanent pasture 1.8% | forest: 60.4% | other: 27.2% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

occasional cyclones; active volcanism | volcanism: Savai'I Island (1,858 m), which last erupted in 1911, is historically active

Natural resources

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

Population - distribution

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

Terrain

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

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

Capital

name: Apia | geographic coordinates: 13 49 S, 171 46 W | time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | +1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April

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

Constitution

several previous (preindependence); latest 1 January 1962; amended several times, last in 2017 (2017)

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 "Samoa" is composed of two parts, "sa" meaning sacred and "moa" meaning center, so the name can mean Holy Center; alternatively, it can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: the US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa; Ambassador Scott BROWN (since 27 June 2017) | embassy: Accident Corporation Building, 5th Floor, Matafele, Apia | mailing address: P. O. Box 3430, Matafele, Apia | telephone: [685] 21436/21631/21452/22696 | FAX: [685] 22030

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Aliioaiga Feturi ELISAIA (since 4 December 2003) | chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400J, New York, NY 10017 | telephone: [1] (212) 599-6196 through 6197 | FAX: [1] (212) 599-0797 | consulate(s) general: Pago Pago (American Samoa)

Executive branch

chief of state: TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017) | head of government: Prime Minister TUILA'EPA Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi (since 23 November 1998); Deputy Prime Minister FONOTOE Pierre Lauofo (since 2011) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief of state on the prime minister's advice | elections/appointments: chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 4 July 2017 (next to be held in 2022); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually appointed prime minister by the chief of state, approved by the Legislative Assembly | election results: TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi unanimously elected by the Legislative Assembly on 5 July 2017

Flag description

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

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

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

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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 head of state upon 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 appointed until retirement at age 68 | subordinate courts: District Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village fono or village chief councils

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fono (50 seats; 47 members - traditional family chiefs or matai, 2 members - part-Samoan or non-Samoan, and 1 woman member - added following the 2016 election - directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms) | elections: election last held on 4 March 2016 (next election to be held no later than March 2021) | election results: percent of vote by party - HRPP 57.3%, Tautua Samoa 8%, independent 34.7%; seats by party - HRPP 35, Tautua Samoa 2, independents 3

National anthem

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)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties and leaders

Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP [TUILA'EPA Sailele Malielegaoi] | Samoa Christian Party or SCP [Tuala Falenaoti Tiresa MALIETOA] | Samoa Progressive Political Party or SPPP [Toalepaiali'i Toesulusulu S'iueva POSE II] | Tautua Samoa [Palasajue FA'APO II]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Samoa Workers Congress or SWC [Gatoloa'i AFAMASAGA]

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Background

New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.

Military - note

Samoa has no formal defense structure or regular armed forces; informal defense ties exist with NZ, which is required to consider any Samoan request for assistance under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship

Military branches

no regular military forces; Samoa Police Force

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.35% (male 32,372/female 30,359) | 15-24 years: 19.82% (male 20,358/female 19,306) | 25-54 years: 36.33% (male 37,423/female 35,273) | 55-64 years: 6.78% (male 6,912/female 6,663) | 65 years and over: 5.72% (male 4,976/female 6,466) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

20.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77

Contraceptive prevalence rate

26.9% (2014)

Death rate

5.3 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 180

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 74.2 | youth dependency ratio: 64.9 | elderly dependency ratio: 9.3 | potential support ratio: 10.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 97.5% of population | rural: 99.3% of population | total: 99% of population | urban: 2.5% of population | rural: 0.7% of population | total: 1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2008) | country comparison to the world: 48

Ethnic groups

Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians (persons of European and Polynesian blood) 7%, Europeans 0.4% (2001 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

7.2% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 75

Infant mortality rate

total: 18.6 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 22 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Languages

Samoan (Polynesian) (official), English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74 years | male: 71.1 years | female: 77 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 99% | male: 99.1% | female: 98.8% (2015 est.)

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 (2016)

Major urban areas - population

APIA (capital) 37,000 (2014)

Maternal mortality rate

51 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95

Median age

total: 24.4 years | male: 24.1 years | female: 24.6 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 163

Mother's mean age at first birth

23.6 years | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2009 est.)

Nationality

noun: Samoan(s) | adjective: Samoan

Net migration rate

-9.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 211

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

47.3% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 8

Physicians density

0.46 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population

200,108 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.6% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 150

Religions

Protestant 57.4% (Congregationalist 31.8%, Methodist 13.7%, Assembly of God 8%, Seventh Day Adventist 3.9%), Roman Catholic 19.4%, Mormon 15.2%, Worship Centre 1.7%, other Christian 5.5%, other 0.7%, none 0.1%, unspecified 0.1% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 93.3% of population | rural: 91.1% of population | total: 91.5% of population | urban: 6.7% of population | rural: 8.9% of population | total: 8.5% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.07 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female | total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.7 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 19.1% | male: 15.6% | female: 25.3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Urbanization

urban population: 18.8% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0.06% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

4 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 188

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 | under 914 m: 3 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5W (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 2 | by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 | foreign-owned: 1 (NZ 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 146

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 270,908 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Apia

Roadways

total: 1,200 km | paved: 1,105 km | unpaved: 95 km (2017) | country comparison to the world: 172