culture
Traditional Samoan tattooing, the tatau, is applied entirely by hand using ancient tools and can take days of painful sessions to complete, especially the male pe'a covering torso to knees.
Samoa
Independent State of Samoa
Population, GDP, and key facts about Samoa — updated for 2026.
Capital · APIAContinent · OCEANIAISO · WSM
Samoa quick facts
- Population
- 218,019
- Area
- 2,840 km²
- Population density
- 78 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 1.2 Billion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 5.4K
- Capital
- Apia
- Currency
- Samoan tālā (T, WST)
- Minimum wage
- US$ 302.1/month · T 832/month (2024)
- Languages
- English, Samoan
Samoa at human scale
Where does Samoa rank in the world?
Compare Samoa with other countries
🇼🇸 vs 🇵🇫Compare Samoa vs French Polynesia1.3× difference in population🇼🇸 vs 🇦🇸Compare Samoa vs American Samoa4.7× difference in population🇼🇸 vs 🇸🇹Compare Samoa vs Sao Tome and Principe1.1× difference in population
Compare Samoa with any country →Samoa's energy mix
Fossil fuels · 56%Renewables · 44%
- Oil56%
- Hydropower19%
- Solar19%
- Bioenergy6%
Share of Samoa's own electricity generation by source, 2024. Source: Our World in Data (Ember Yearly Electricity Data and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy).
Everything we know about Samoa
geography
Samoa moved to the other side of the International Date Line in 2011, skipping December 30 entirely to align its business week with Australia and New Zealand.
Countries near Samoa
How many countries do you think Samoa could fit?
Pour other countries into Samoa's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about Samoa
What is the capital of Samoa?
The capital of Samoa is Apia.
What is Samoa's population?
Samoa has a population of 218,019.
What is Samoa's GDP per capita?
Samoa's GDP per capita is US$ 5.4K.
What is the currency of Samoa?
The currency of Samoa is the Samoan tālā (WST).
What is the minimum wage in Samoa?
Samoa's statutory minimum wage is about US$ 302.1 per month (as of 2024) — T 832 per month in local currency.
Is Samoa bigger than French Polynesia?
French Polynesia is about 1.2× the size of Samoa by land area.
Data from the World Bank, updated November 2026.