Samoa Population
Samoa had an estimated population of 219,306 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 182nd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.00% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +0.59% a year.
Samoa at a glance
How Samoa's population is changing
Samoa's population is growing: +0.59% a year, which works out to about +1,291 people per year, or +4 a day. Births (25.0 per 1,000) and deaths (6.2 per 1,000) alone would give +1.88% a year; net migration removes about 2,815 people a year (−1.28%). Roughly one in every 37,461 people on Earth lives in Samoa.
Population of Samoa since 1960
In 1960, Samoa had 112,490 people. By 2025 that was 219,306 — 1.9× larger. The fastest growth came between 1960 and 1970, when the population rose by 25%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 112,490 | — |
| 1970 | 140,400 | +24.8% |
| 1980 | 164,322 | +17.0% |
| 1990 | 169,042 | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 181,685 | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 193,023 | +6.2% |
| 2020 | 211,944 | +9.8% |
| 2025 | 219,306 | +3.5% |
Samoa from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Samoa at about 47,300 people in 1800; the UN estimates 219,315 in 2025 (5× 1800) and projects 383,564 for 2100 in its medium scenario. That is still 75% growth over the rest of this century.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 47,300 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 46,707 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 35,087 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 88,299 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 181,695 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 219,315 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 272,728 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 335,642 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 383,564 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Samoa
4 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 219,306. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apia | 40,407 | GeoNames settlement | 18.42% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 2 | Palauli | 9,300 | GeoNames settlement | 4.24% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Vaitele | 7,972 | GeoNames settlement | 3.64% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Asau | 6,643 | GeoNames settlement | 3.03% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Samoa compares
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Samoa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #180 |  French Polynesia | 282,465 | +29% | compare → |
| #181 |  São Tomé and Príncipe | 240,254 | +10% | compare → |
| #183 |  Saint Lucia | 180,149 | −18% | compare → |
| #184 |  Guam | 168,999 | −23% | compare → |
Compare Samoa with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand.
Explore around Samoa
Nearest countries
Samoa has no land border. Closest by distance:
American Samoa 46,029 · 4.8× smaller · compare
Tonga 103,742 · 2.1× smaller · compare
Tuvalu 9,492 · 23.1× smaller · compare
Fiji 933,154 · 4.3× the population · compare
In its region
Samoa is the 27th most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 0.0% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings
Largest countries, fastest-growing, oldest populations, densest — all rankings.
Cities
Apia, Palauli, Vaitele, Asau — all Samoa's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Samoa when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.