⌘K
Overview
- Background
- 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
Area
- Land
- 2,821 sq km
- Water
- 10 sq km
- Total
- 2,831 sq km
- 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
Land Use
- Other
- 24.6% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 57.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 17.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 3.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 11.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 2.3% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
- Coastline
- 403 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- Mount Silisili 1,857 m
- Irrigated land
- 0 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Oceania
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- occasional cyclones; active volcanism
volcanism: Savai'I Island (1,858 m) is historically active - Geography note
- occupies an almost central position within Polynesia
- Natural resources
- hardwood forests, fish, hydropower
- Area comparative
- slightly smaller than Rhode Island
- Geographic coordinates
- 13 35 S, 172 20 W
- Population distribution
- about three quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 98.3% (2019 est.)
- Female
- 97.7% (2019 est.)
- Total population
- 98% (2019 est.)
- 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.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.81 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 18.53 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 5.41 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 27 years
- Total
- 27.8 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 27.8 years
Population
- Male
- 106,542
- Total
- 210,223 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 103,681
Nationality
- Noun
- Samoan(s)
- Adjective
- Samoan
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 28.6% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 20.5% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 12.3% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 17.5% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- -0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 26.9% (male 28,952/female 27,173)
- 15 64 years
- 65.9% (male 70,225/female 67,427)
- 65 years and over
- 7.2% (2024 est.) (male 6,743/female 8,333)
- Ethnic groups
- Samoan 96%, Samoan/New Zealander 2%, other 1.9% (2011 est.)
Child Marriage
- Men married BY age 18
- 2% (2020)
- Women married BY age 15
- 0.9% (2020)
- Women married BY age 18
- 7.4% (2020)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 51.6 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 40.2 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 8.8 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 11.4 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.56 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 6.8% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 15.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- -6.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 2.29 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 99% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 5.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 11.7% national budget (2025 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 17.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.66% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.12 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- about three quarters of the population lives on the island of Upolu
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 72.8 years
- Female
- 78.7 years
- Total population
- 75.7 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 101 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 98.9% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 99% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 1% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 2.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 2.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 36,000 APIA (capital) (2018)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 47.3% (2016)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 62% (2020 est.)
- Children under the age of 5 years underweight
- 3.4% (2019 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: red with a blue rectangle in the upper-left quadrant; on the rectangle are five five-pointed white stars that represent the Southern Cross constellation
meaning: red stands for courage, blue for freedom, and white for purity
Capital
- Name
- Apia
- Time difference
- UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 13 49 S, 171 46 W
- Suffrage
- 21 years of age; universal
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
- History
- several previous (pre-independence); latest 1 January 1962
- Amendment process
- proposed as an act by the Legislative Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership in the third reading, provided at least 90 days have elapsed since the second reading, and assent of the chief of state; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles on customary land or constitutional amendment procedures also requires at least two-thirds majority approval in a referendum
Country Name
- Former
- Western Samoa
- Etymology
- 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
- Local long form
- Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa
- Local short form
- Samoa
- Conventional long form
- Independent State of Samoa
- Conventional short form
- Samoa
- Independence
- 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship)
- Legal system
- mixed system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts involving fundamental citizen rights
- Government type
- parliamentary republic
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)
- Subordinate courts
- District Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village chief councils
- Judge selection and term of office
- chief justice appointed by the chief of state on 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 serve until retirement at age 68
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Cabinet appointed by the chief of state on the advice of the prime minister
- Chief of state
- TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017)
- Election results
- TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (independent) unanimously reelected by the Legislative Assembly
- Head of government
- Prime Minister LA'AULIALEMALIETOA La'auli Leuatea Schmidt (since 16 September 2025)
- Most recent election date
- 23 August 2022
- Election/appointment process
- chief of state indirectly elected by the Legislative Assembly to serve a 5-year term (2-term limit); following legislative elections, the chief of state usually appoints the leader of the majority party as prime minister, with the approval of the Legislative Assembly
- Expected date of next election
- 2026
- National holiday
- Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962)
- National color(s)
- red, white, blue
- Political parties
- Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi or FAST
Human Rights Protection Party or HRPP
Sāmoa Uniting Party (SUP)
Tautua Samoa Party or TSP
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 51 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- Legislative Assembly (Fono)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 8/29/2025
- Expected date of next election
- August 2030
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 9.8%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) (32); Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) (22), Sāmoa Uniting Party (SUP) (3), Independents (4)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "O le Fu'a o le Sa'olotoga o Samoa" (The Banner of Freedom)
- History
- adopted 1962; also known as "Samoa Tula'i" (Samoa Arise)
- Lyrics/music
- Sauni Liga KURESA
- National symbol(s)
- Southern Cross constellation (five five-pointed stars)
- 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
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (212) 599-0797
- Chancery
- 685 Third Avenue, 44th Street, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017
- Telephone
- [1] (212) 599-6196
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Pa’olelei LUTERU (since 7 July 2021); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN
- Consulate(s) general
- Pago Pago (American Samoa)
- Email address and website
samoa@samoanymission.ws
About | Samoa Permanent Mission to the United Nations
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [685] 22-030
- Embassy
- 5th Floor, Accident Corporation Building, Matafele Apia
- Telephone
- [685] 21-436
- Mailing address
- 4400 Apia Place, Washington DC 20521-4400
- Chief of mission
- the US Ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Samoa
- Email address and website
ApiaConsular@state.gov
https://ws.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
SAMOA · LEGISLATURE
Legislative Assembly
51 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
51
Majority line
27
Largest party
Human Rights Protection Party
Parties
5
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Va'aletoa Sualauvi II
- Head of State
Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $371.764 million (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $326.052 million (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $360.5M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $175.377 million (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $346.187 million (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $369.73 million (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $574.5M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $512.021 million (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $560.776 million (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $575.749 million (2024 est.)
- Industries
- food processing, building materials, auto parts
- Labor force
- 57,200 (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 52.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
- Public debt 2016
- 52.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 33.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 28.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 26.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- tala (SAT) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 2.665 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 2.556 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 2.689 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 2.738 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 2.754 (2024 est.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $269.974 million (2023 est.)
- Economic 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
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.0%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 5.1% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 5% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 4.6% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- India 26%, NZ 14%, USA 12%, American Samoa 10%, Australia 9% (2023)
- Imports partners
- NZ 20%, Singapore 19%, China 17%, Australia 10%, Fiji 9% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $8,737
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $5,800 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $6,300 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $6,900 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.7%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- -5.3% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 9.2% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 9.4% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- coconuts, bananas, taro, tropical fruits, pineapples, mangoes/guavas, papayas, root vegetables, milk, avocados (2023)
- Exports commodities
- refined petroleum, integrated circuits, coconut oil, fish, insulated wire (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, poultry, cars, plastic products, milk (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $65.6M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$74.039 million (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $40.177 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $64.616 million (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 26.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $1.068 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 80.8% (2024 est.)
- Government consumption
- 18.2% (2024 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 2.3% (2024 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 30.5% (2024 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 29.3% (2024 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -53.8% (2024 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 21.9% (2018 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.2%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 11% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 7.9% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 2.2% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 4.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.503 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $1.258 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $1.374 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $1.503 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 7.4% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 11.9% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 20.9% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $321.163 million (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $447.09 million (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $507.74 million (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 10.9% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 72.5% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 11% (2024 est.)
Energy
Petroleum
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Consumption
- 141.846 million kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 54,000 kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 17.284 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 97.9%
- Electrification urban areas
- 100%
- Electrification total population
- 98.3% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 23.476 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 15.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 59.7% 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.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 58% (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)
- Internet country code
- .ws
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 5,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 2 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 134,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 62 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 2,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 1 (2022 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 0
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Apia
- Very small
- 1
- Total ports
- 1 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 1
- Airports
- 4 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 13 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 3, oil tanker 1, other 9
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- 5W
Environment
- Climate
- tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October)
Land Use
- Other
- 24.6% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 57.8% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 17.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 3.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 11.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 2.3% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 17.5% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- -0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 27,400 tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 57.6% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- soil erosion; deforestation; invasive species; overfishing
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 335,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 335,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 7.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- informal defense ties exist with New Zealand, which pledged to afford assistance to Samoa in the conduct of its international relations under the 1962 Treaty of Friendship; New Zealand naval vessels patrol Samoan waters
Samoa has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Somoa's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025) - Military and security forces
- no regular military forces; Samoa Police Service (includes a maritime unit) (2025)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index74.0 / 100as of 2024-Q438 / 1902024-Q4
Freedom House StatusPartly Free (83/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Samoa — vintage 2026-Q1: Samoa factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/samoa
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata