About Samoa
Samoan (Polynesian) - the official language, spoken by ~91.1% of the population.
English - also official, spoken alongside Samoan by many.
Samoan and English are both official languages of Samoa.
| Geography |
Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 2,831 sq km
Terrain: two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rugged mountains in the interior
| People |
Population: 206,179-210,223 (2022-2025 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.31-31.35%
65 years and over: 5.72-6.18%
Life expectancy at birth: total population 75.19 years (male 72.28, female 78.25)
Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births
Nationality:
noun/adjective: Samoan(s)
Religions: Protestant 52.6-54.9% (Congregationalist, Methodist, Assembly of God, Seventh Day Adventist), Roman Catholic 18.8%, Church of Jesus Christ (Mormon) 16.9%, other 5.7-9.1% (2016 est.)
Languages: Samoan/Polynesian (official) 91.1%, Samoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 1.8% (2006 est.)
| Government |
Country name:
conventional short form: Samoa; formerly Western Samoa until dropping "Western" from its name in 1997
Data code: WS
Government type: parliamentary republic
National capital: Apia
Independence: 1 January 1962 (from a New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship); the first Polynesian nation to reestablish its independence in the 20th century
Background: in 1886 an eight-year civil war broke out, with rival matai (chiefly) factions fighting over royal succession; 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 the 2021 elections
| Economy |
Economy - overview: lower-middle-income Pacific island economy; substantial fishing and agriculture sectors; significant remittances from Samoans abroad; growing offshore financial hub; recently hosted the Pacific Games to drive tourism and infrastructure growth; vulnerable to devastating storms, earthquakes, and tsunamis
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.62 billion (2025 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.4% (2025)
GDP - per capita: $7,620 PPP (2025 est.)
Inflation rate: 3.672% (2018)
Currency: Samoan tala (WST)
| Military |
Military - note: no standing military forces; informal defense ties exist with New Zealand, which pledged to assist Samoa in international relations under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship; also has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, allowing local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard and Navy vessels to enforce laws within Samoa's exclusive economic zone (2025)