Solomon Islands — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Solomon Islands: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Solomon Islands is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm in Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea. It covers 28,896 sq km. Terrain: mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls. Climate: tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes.
| Capital | Honiara |
|---|---|
| Population | 738,774 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $2.07 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $2,500 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 2.5% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 5.9% (2023 est.) |
| Unemployment | 1.5% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 15.4% of GDP (2022 est.) |
| Exports | $642.877 million (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $857.128 million (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 77.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 25.5 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 26% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Independence | 7 July 1978 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Melanesian pidgin (lingua franca in much of the country), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages |
Solomon Islands’s GDP is $2.07 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $1.761 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 2.5% (2024 est.). See where Solomon Islands 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).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 15% of GDP — room to maneuver; unemployment near 1.5% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: only 9% of electricity from low-carbon sources; a current-account deficit of $0 billion (3.8% of GDP) — living beyond its means
Gold, Bauxite, Phosphates, Lead, Zinc, Nickel.
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 | 76% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 90.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 5.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 5.655 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 1.3 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 0.1 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 1,657 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Oil 90.9%, Solar 9.1% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 9.1% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 636.4 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 | $642.877 million (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $857.128 million (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $214.3 million (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | fish (tuna), mining, timber |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Matthew Wale — Prime Minister. King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General David Tiva KAPU (since 7 July 2024)
Solomon Islands maintains 10 embassies and 1 consulates abroad, hosts 8 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, UNESCO Paris, EU Brussels. 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 | 10 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 1 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 8 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, UNESCO Paris, EU Brussels |
Source: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of the Solomon Islands' / '... in the Solomon Islands'; Al Jazeera (US embassy reopened 27 Jan 2023); MFAET
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 5313 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 36 + 2 heliports (registration prefix H4) |
| Major seaports | Gizo Harbor, Honiara, Port Noro, Ringgi Cove, Tulaghi, Yandina |
Major airports
Honiara International Airport (HIR) — Honiara; Munda Airport (MUA) — Munda.
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 constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Solomon Islands.
Historical timeline of Solomon Islands
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Solomon Islands — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Solomon Islands's power score?
Solomon Islands has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.