Solomon Islands

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

name: Honiara geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name derives from the local term nagho ni ara , meaning "place of the east wind" or "facing the trade winds"

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General David Tiva KAPU (since 7 July 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Jeremiah MANELE (since 2 May 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Parliament for up to 5 years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the National Parliament usually elects the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

legislature name: National Parliament legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 50 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 4/17/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Ownership Unity and Responsibility (OUR Party) (15); Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP) (11); Solomon Islands United Party (UP) (6); Solomon Islands People First Party (SIPFP) (3); Independents (11); Other (4) percentage of women in chamber: 6% expected date of next election: April 2028

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and ex officio members including the High Court chief justice and puisne judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges) judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and High Court president, chief justices, and puisne judges appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, chaired by the chief justice and includes 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges serve until retirement at age 60 subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court; local courts

history: adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978 amendment process: proposed by the National Parliament; passage of constitutional sections, including those on fundamental rights and freedoms, the legal system, Parliament, alteration of the constitution and the ombudsman, requires three-fourths majority vote by Parliament and assent of the governor general; passage of other amendments requires two-thirds majority vote and assent of the governor general

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS): the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) (2025)

in 2017, the Solomon Islands and Australia signed a security treaty allowing Australian police, defense, and associated civilian personnel to deploy rapidly to Solomon Islands should the need arise and where both countries consent; the treaty was activated for the first time in November 2021 following civil unrest in Honiara; Australia was the first country Solomon Islands called upon for support, and from November 2021, Australia deployed police and defense personnel to work alongside partners from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand to restore law and order in Honiara in 2022, the Solomon Islands Government has also signed a police and security agreement with China (2025)

$2.07 billion (2024 est.) $2.019 billion (2023 est.) $1.967 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$2,500 (2024 est.) $2,500 (2023 est.) $2,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

2.5% (2024 est.) 2.7% (2023 est.) 2.4% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

5.9% (2023 est.) 5.5% (2022 est.) -0.1% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

15.4% of GDP (2022 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$642.877 million (2024 est.) $546.025 million (2023 est.) $411.359 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$857.128 million (2024 est.) $883.611 million (2023 est.) $764.641 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

1.5% (2024 est.) 1.5% (2023 est.) 1.5% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $436.174 million (2022 est.) expenditures: $482.24 million (2022 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

fish (tuna), mining, timber

oil palm fruit, coconuts, sweet potatoes, yams, taro, fruits, pulses, vegetables, cocoa beans, cassava (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 738,774 (2025 est.) male: 377,067 female: 361,707

1.62% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 30.6% (male 114,246/female 108,020) 15-64 years: 64.2% (male 238,708/female 227,636) 65 years and over: 5.3% (2024 est.) (male 18,016/female 20,173)

21.57 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

3.94 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-1.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 77.2 years (2024 est.) male: 74.6 years female: 80 years

urban population: 26% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)

Melanesian pidgin (lingua franca in much of the country), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages

Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Solomon Islands does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards; therefore, Solomon Islands was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 and remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/solomon-islands/

IDPs: 1,638 (2023 est.)

36 (2025)

total: 25 (2023) by type: general cargo 8, oil tanker 1, other 16

total subscriptions: 485,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 62 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 43% (2023 est.)