Samoa

parliamentary republic

name: Apia geographic coordinates: 13 49 S, 171 46 W time difference: UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

chief of state: TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017) head of government: Prime Minister LA'AULIALEMALIETOA La'auli Leuatea Schmidt (since 16 September 2025) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the chief of state on the advice of the prime minister 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 most recent election date: 23 August 2022 election results: TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va aletoa Sualauvi II (independent) unanimously reelected by the Legislative Assembly expected date of next election: 2026

legislature name: Legislative Assembly (Fono) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 51 (all directly elected) electoral system: plurality/majority scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 8/29/2025 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) percentage of women in chamber: 9.8% expected date of next election: August 2030

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 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 subordinate courts: District Court; Magistrates' Courts; Land and Titles Courts; village chief councils

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

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

no regular military forces; Samoa Police Service (includes a maritime unit) (2025)

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)

$1.503 billion (2024 est.) $1.374 billion (2023 est.) $1.258 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$6,900 (2024 est.) $6,300 (2023 est.) $5,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

9.4% (2024 est.) 9.2% (2023 est.) -5.3% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

2.2% (2024 est.) 7.9% (2023 est.) 11% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

52.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

$369.73 million (2024 est.) $346.187 million (2023 est.) $175.377 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$575.749 million (2024 est.) $560.776 million (2023 est.) $512.021 million (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

4.6% (2024 est.) 5% (2023 est.) 5.1% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $371.764 million (2023 est.) expenditures: $326.052 million (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

food processing, building materials, auto parts

coconuts, bananas, taro, tropical fruits, pineapples, mangoes/guavas, papayas, root vegetables, milk, avocados (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 210,223 (2025 est.) male: 106,542 female: 103,681

0.66% (2025 est.)

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)

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

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

-6.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 75.7 years (2024 est.) male: 72.8 years female: 78.7 years

urban population: 17.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: -0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Samoan 96%, Samoan/New Zealander 2%, other 1.9% (2011 est.) note: data represent the population by country of citizenship

Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Samoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 0.2%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 est.)

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.)

total population: 98% (2019 est.) male: 98.3% (2019 est.) female: 97.7% (2019 est.)

hardwood forests, fish, hydropower

4 (2025)

total: 13 (2023) by type: general cargo 3, oil tanker 1, other 9

total subscriptions: 134,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 62 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 58% (2023 est.)