Curated stat
Samoa skipped Friday, December 30, 2011, when it moved west of the International Date Line.
Data as of May 5, 2026
Samoa
OceaniaLand of Contrasts
Samoa excels and struggles in equal measure. See what other surprises Samoa holds.
Samoa excels and struggles in equal measure. A top performer in high-tech exports (#2), it falls behind in urban population. See what other surprises Samoa holds.
-13.6, -172.3 - Oceania
Area
3K km²
Pop.
210.2K
Stats
106
Reality brief
Samoa is a country in Oceania with a population of 210.2K and an area of 2,842 km². Life expectancy is 71.7 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Population Density
77.94 /km²#125globally
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Human Development Index
0.71#122globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
71.7 years#137globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$8,736.82#141globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Internet Users (%)
58%#169globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Samoa
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Identity
Name origin: the name's meaning and origin are unclear.
CIA 2026
Geography
Size snapshot: slightly smaller than Rhode Island.
CIA 2026
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
High-Tech Exports (%)
76.67%#2globallyTop stat
High-tech products (like computers, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace) as a percentage of total manufactured exports.
Obesity Rate
61.24%#8globallyTop stat
Share of adults with obesity, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Dependency Ratio
79.68% of working-age pop.#19globallyTop stat
Dependents as a share of the working-age population, from World Bank Open Data.
Forest Coverage (%)
57.64%#32globallyTop stat
The percentage of land covered by forests - natural or planted trees at least 5 meters tall (excludes orchards and urban parks).
Education Spending (% GDP)
5.5% of GDP#38globally
Government education spending as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #216 in irrigated land
#2160 km²Irrigated Land
Irrigated land area from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #241 in land border length
#2410 kmLand Border Length
Total length of land borders with neighboring countries from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Only ranks #124 in domestic patents
#1241.0Domestic Patents
How many patent applications are filed by residents each year.
Only ranks #132 in foreign patents
#1322.0Foreign Patents
How many patent applications are filed by non-residents each year.
Only ranks #210 in broadband access (%)
#2101.0 per 100 peopleBroadband Access (%)
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, from World Bank Open Data.
Compared with the region
How Samoa Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Samoa
Oceania avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $8,736.82
- Region avg
- $16,069.89
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Samoa$8,736.82
Oceania$16,069.89
World$31,844.55
-73% below worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 71.7 years
- Region avg
- 72.5 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Samoa71.7 years
Oceania72.5 years
World73.7 years
-3% below worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.71
- Region avg
- 0.72
- World avg
- 0.74
Samoa0.71
Oceania0.72
World0.74
-4% below worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 58%
- Region avg
- 61.65%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Samoa58%
Oceania61.65%
World70.29%
-17% below worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Samoa
Country briefing
The first Austronesian settlers arrived in Samoa around 1000 B.C., and early Samoans traded and intermarried with Fijian and Tongan nobility.
Read the full Factbook note
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.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
- Climate
- tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
- Terrain
- two main islands (Savaii, Upolu) and several smaller islands and uninhabited islets; narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rugged mountains in interior
- Natural Resources
- hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- occasional cyclones; active volcanism volcanism: Savai'I Island (1,858 m) is historically active
- Size Comparison
- slightly smaller than Rhode Island
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Samoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 0.2%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 est.)
- Religions
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Samoan 96%, Samoan/New Zealander 2%, other 1.9% (2011 est.)
- Major Cities
- 36,000 APIA (capital) (2018)
Government & History9 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Apia
- Capital Coordinates
- 13 49 S, 171 46 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Independent State of Samoa
- Name Origin
- 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
- Independence
- 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
- National Symbols
- Southern Cross constellation (five five-pointed stars)
- National Anthem
- "O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa" (The Banner of Freedom)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- 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
- Industries
- food processing, building materials, auto parts
- Agricultural Products
- coconuts, bananas, taro, tropical fruits, pineapples, mangoes/guavas, papayas, root vegetables, milk, avocados (2023)
- Export Partners
- India 26%, NZ 14%, USA 12%, American Samoa 10%, Australia 9% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- refined petroleum, integrated circuits, coconut oil, fish, insulated wire (2023)
- Import Partners
- NZ 20%, Singapore 19%, China 17%, Australia 10%, Fiji 9% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, poultry, cars, plastic products, milk (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense3 facts
- Military Forces
- no regular military forces; Samoa Police Service (includes a maritime unit) (2025)
- Energy Mix
- 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.)
- Broadcast Media
- state-owned TV station privatized in 2008; 4 privately owned TV stations; about a half-dozen privately owned radio stations and one state-owned; TV and radio broadcasts of several stations from American Samoa are available (2019)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #2
High-Tech Exports (%)
GDP Growth Rate
Government Debt (% GDP)
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Inflation Rate
GDP Per Capita
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
GDP (Nominal)
Health & Survival8 statsBest: #8
Demographics12 statsBest: #19
Dependency Ratio
Youth Population (%)
Birth Rate
Fertility Rate
Teen Birth Rate
Population Density
Elderly Population (%)
Population
Land Area
Death Rate
Median Age
Urban Population (%)
Environment9 statsBest: #32
Forest Coverage (%)
Renewable Energy (%)
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Forest Area
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Protected Land (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
Irrigated Land
0 km²#216
Education & Future5 statsBest: #38
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #90
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #115
Coastline Length
403 km#115
Highest Elevation
1.9K m#132
Lowest Elevation
0 m#204
Land Border Length
0 km#241
Infrastructure2 statsBest: #155
Airports
Merchant Fleet Size
13#155
Society & Equality1 statsBest: #161
Women in Parliament (%)
Technology3 statsBest: #169
Energy1 statsBest: #192
Electric Generating Capacity
54.0K kW#192
Keep exploring
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Samoa
#125 in Population Density
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Top half globally
77.94 /km²
Frequently Asked Questions about Samoa
What is the population of Samoa?
Samoa has a population of 210.2K, ranking #182 globally by population.
What continent is Samoa in?
Samoa is located in Oceania. It has an area of 2,842 km².
What is the life expectancy in Samoa?
Life expectancy in Samoa is 71.7 years, ranking #137 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Samoa?
Samoa's GDP per capita (PPP) is $8,736.82, ranking #141 globally.
What is Samoa known for in global statistics?
Samoa ranks particularly high in Population Density (#125), Human Development Index (#122), Life Expectancy (#137).
What is Samoa's Human Development Index?
Samoa has an HDI of 0.708, ranking #122 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Samoa?
Samoa has a population density of 77.9 people per km², ranking #125 globally.