Samoa

Samoa (former Western Samoa) is a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Population in 2009 was estimated at 220,000, with the disproportionately young age structure typical of developing nations: the median age is 20.8 years, and 37.6 percent of the population is aged 14 years or younger. Samoa has a population growth rate of 1.4 percent despite a high out-migration rate of 8.81 per 1,000, due to a high total fertility rate (an estimate of the number of children per woman) of 4.16; the birth rate is 28.2 per 1,000 population and the death rate 5.8 per 1,000. Maternal mortality remains high, although lower than in some other Pacific Island nations, at 87 per 100,000 live births in 2003.

The male/female ratio is 1.06 men per women, with an unusual migration pattern resulting in more males than females in the 15–64-year-old age group of 1.1 males per female. Life expectancy at birth is 69 years for males and 74.8 years for females. Most of the population (92.6 percent) are Polynesian, with 7 percent of mixed Polynesian and European ancestry, and 0.4 percent European. Most Samoans follow a Christian religion, with Congregationalist (34.8 percent) and Roman Catholic (19.6 percent) the most common. Samoan religious leaders are generally a conservative force, speaking out against legalizing abortion and gay marriage.

In 2003, 45 percent of women in Samoa reported using contraceptives, a substantial increase from the 27.5 percent reported in 1993. Abortion is legal in Samoa only to save the woman's life or preserve her mental or physical health. However, illegal abortions are believed to be common and are often performed outside of a hospital; for this reason, the Samoan clinical health service has spoken out in favor of legalizing abortion.

Large families are common; extended families are the traditional norm, although they are becoming less common as many younger people emigrate. The legal age for marriage is 19 for women and 21 for men; however, most marriages take place later: the average age at first marriage is 23.9 for women and 27.4 for men.

Samoa achieved independence from New Zealand in 1962, and today enjoys a high standard of living, supported in part by development aid and remittances from overseas; however, one downside of this prosperity is that many Samoans have adopted a Western diet and now suffer from a high rate of obesity and related “diseases of prosperity” such as diabetes and hypertension. Literacy is nearly universal: 99.6 percent of males and 99.7 [Page 1098]percent of females are literate. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in 2008 is estimated at $4,900, with growth in the 2–4 percent range for the last several years. The per capita expenditure on health in 2002 was $88, constituting 6.2 percent of the GDP; of that amount, $67 was provided by the government, representing 13.9 percent of total government expenditure.

Samoans use both Western and traditional medicine, and both traditional birth attendants and Western-trained midwives and physicians may assist in childbirth. Childhood immunizations rates approach 100 percent with the exception of BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin, a vaccine against tuberculosis), which was estimated at 73 percent in 2003. About 5,000 children are born in Samoa annually, and all births are attended by skilled health personnel. The stillbirth rate in 2000 was estimated at 12 per 1,000 total births, the early neonatal mortality rate at 10 per 1,000 live births, and the neonatal mortality rate at 13 per 1,000 live births.

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