Samoa

THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF Samoa is composed of two large and seven small islands in the south Pacific Ocean. The largest islands in the chain are Upolu and Savai’i. Once known as Western Samoa, the islands were administered by New Zealand under the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific until 1962. Upon gaining independence, the country became known as Samoa. According to the United Nations, Samoa is one of the 49 least developed countries in the world.

Historically the Samoan economy has relied heavily on development aid and regular remittances from Samoans who work abroad. Two-thirds of the labor force is involved in agriculture, which provides 90 percent of all exports. The fishing industry has declined in recent years because of overfishing. Small-scale industries on the islands revolve around the processing of agricultural products. The tourist sector is rapidly growing on Samoa, and tens of thousands of visitors come to the islands each year. Economic reforms are underway that are designed to deregulate the financial sector and encourage investment. If inflation remains low, and if fiscal discipline persists, the Samoan economy has a chance for strong growth in the coming years.

Samoa is a lower-middle-income nation with substantial debts, but it has made great advances on a number of major social indicators in recent years. A 1999 study by the United Nations and the South Pacific Commission revealed that 48 percent of all families in Samoa were living in poverty on less than $1.34 a day. While poverty existed throughout Samoa, it was concentrated on the island of Savai’i. Some 55 percent of the residents of this island were poor.

Data from the study revealed that most of those living in poverty resided in large families in which the head of the household was unemployed. Conditions in those households were primitive with no access to basic necessities. Over the last few years, access to basic necessities has been expanded with the help of an improved economy and international agencies.

Life expectancy has been steadily increasing on the islands, particularly among females. In 1980 the projected life span was 63 years. Currently the Samoan population of 177,287 enjoys a life expectancy of 70.2 years. The projected life span for females is 73.65 years as compared to 67.93 percent for males. The median age is 24.59 years. Some 27 percent of the population are under the age of 14, and 6.4 percent have reached the age of 65. Approximately 99 percent of the population now have access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. There are 34 physicians for every 100,000 residents on Samoa, and only five percent lack access to affordable essential drugs.

Infant mortality has significantly diminished on Samoa over the past decades. From 1970 to 2003, infant deaths dropped from 106 to 19 deaths per 1,000 live births. Among all children under the age of 5, mortality was slashed from 160 to 24. Because of improved conditions, only two percent of all children under the age of 5 are malnourished, and four percent of infants are underweight at birth. Childhood immunization is almost [Page 950]universal among Samoan children from birth to 23 months old.

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