Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Samoa: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #123 of 195).
Samoa is a parliamentary republic in Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. The country's capital is Apia; it covers 2,831 sq km. Independence: 1 January 1962 (from New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship). 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). Population: 210,000 (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.66% per year. Median age: 27.8 years. Life expectancy: 75.7 years (2024 est.). Languages: Samoan (Polynesian) (official) 91.1%, Sa…
| 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% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% |
| 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 |
| 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.) |
MCB · 45/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ 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.
Hydropower.
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 |
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. |
MCB · 45 Ranked #123 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Samoa.
