Samoa — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Samoa: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Samoa is in Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. It covers 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 interior. Climate: tropical; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October).
| Capital | Apia |
|---|---|
| Population | 210,223 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $1.503 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $6,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 9.4% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.2% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 4.6% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 52.6% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $369.73 million (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $575.749 million (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 75.7 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 27.8 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 17.5% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Independence | 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship) |
| Languages | Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Samoan/English 6.7%, English (official) 0.5%, other 0.2%, unspecified 1.6% (2006 est.) |
Samoa’s GDP is $1.503 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $1.068 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 9.4% (2024 est.). See where Samoa ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
An uneventful quarter, recorded without embellishment: no breakthrough to celebrate, no setback to mourn.
The longer forces — demographics, trade routes, regional balances — kept doing what they do, and the country rode them steadily.
- What our model rewards: inflation tamed at 2.2%; unemployment near 4.6% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: few natural resources to fall back on
Hydropower.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 98.3% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | 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.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 23.476 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 1.5 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 0.1 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 6,881 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Oil 60.0%, Hydro 20.0%, Solar 13.3% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 40.0% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 400.0 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $369.73 million (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $575.749 million (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $206.0 million (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | food processing, building materials, auto parts |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt — Prime Minister. TUIMALEALI'IFANO Va’aletoa Sualauvi II (since 21 July 2017)
Samoa maintains 3 embassies and 2 consulates abroad, hosts 7 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN Geneva, UN New York. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 3 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 2 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 7 |
| Multilateral missions | UN Geneva, UN New York |
Source: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Samoa' / '... in Samoa'
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 403 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 4 (registration prefix 5W) |
| Major seaports | Apia |
Major airports
Faleolo International Airport (APW) — Apia.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Samoa.
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Samoa — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Samoa's power score?
Samoa has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.