Samoa (Independent State of Samoa)

https://www.humantruth.info/samoa.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

Samoa Independent State of Samoa
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	142nd best
Capital	Apia
Land Area	2 830km²₁
Location	Australasia, Polynesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.2m₂
Life Expectancy	72.77yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$5 308 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	WS, WSM, 882₅
Internet Domain	.ws₆
Currency	Tala (WST)₇
Telephone	+685₈

1. Overview

“New Zealand occupied the German protectorate of Western Samoa at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It continued to administer the islands as a mandate and then as a trust territory until 1962, when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The country dropped the "Western" from its name in 1997.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Anchored at the heart of Polynesia, Samoa rises languidly from the sea, draped in jungle, dotted with flower-filled villages and surrounded by iridescent lagoons. This tiny nation´s proud history spans more than 3000 years and its people were the first Polynesians to reclaim independence following European colonisation. As such, Samoans have firmly held on to their customs.
Village life is still the norm here, and traditional governance and communal ownership carry much legal weight. The result is sweet, safe and gentle; a trip to Samoa is like sipping the world´s purest water on a warm day.
If your ideal for a South Pacific holiday involves spa treatments and jet skis, Samoa may not be for you. What Samoa excels in is affordable, unpretentious beachside accommodation, friendly people and a peace and quiet rare in this world.
It´s easy to get around, everyone speaks English and political stability is almost guaranteed.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Samoa National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
108	Guyana	0.714
109	S. Africa	0.713
110	Jamaica	0.709
111	Samoa	0.707
112=	Gabon	0.706
112=	Lebanon	0.706
114	Indonesia	0.705
115	Vietnam	0.703
	Australasia Avg	0.70
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
133	Nicaragua	$5 625
134	Bangladesh	$5 472
135	Angola	$5 466
136	Samoa	$5 308
137	Honduras	$5 298
138	Ivory Coast	$5 217
139	Mauritania	$5 075
140	Djibouti	$5 025
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	28.1
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.0
	...
139	Rwanda	108.0
140	Turkmenistan	108.2
141	Lesotho	108.5
142	Samoa	108.9
143	Gabon	109.2
144	N. Korea	109.9
145	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	110.3
146	Tanzania	110.9
	Australasia Avg	100.9
	World Avg	89.4
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Samoa's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Samoa's population is predicted to rise to 200 406 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.88. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
174	Vanuatu	0.3m
175	Barbados	0.3m
176	Sao Tome & Principe	0.2m
177	Samoa	0.2m
178	St Lucia	0.2m
179	Kiribati	0.1m
180	Micronesia	0.1m
181	Grenada	0.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
83	Trinidad & Tobago	73.0
84	Colombia	72.8
85	Dominica	72.8
86	Samoa	72.8
87	Brazil	72.8
88	Dominican Rep.	72.6
89	Oman	72.5
90	Belarus	72.4
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
178=	Guinea-Bissau	3.93
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₆
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
90	Nicaragua	13.1
91	Paraguay	13.2
92	Iran	13.4
93	Samoa	13.7
94	Algeria	14.0
95	Malaysia	14.5
96	Guyana	15.0
97	Fiji	15.3
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants₁₇
Pos.		2017 %₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
111	Micronesia	2.6%
112	Azerbaijan	2.6%
113	Kiribati	2.6%
114	Samoa	2.5%
115	Zimbabwe	2.4%
116	Swaziland	2.4%
117	Ecuador	2.4%
118	Paraguay	2.4%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₈
Pos.		2010 %₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
4	Grenada	65.5%
5	St Kitts & Nevis	61.1%
6	Guyana	56.9%
7	Monaco	56.3%
8	Antigua & Barbuda	47.6%
9	Tonga	45.4%
10	Albania	45.4%
11	Barbados	41.0%
12	Suriname	39.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Samoa's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Australasia (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	New Zealand	18.9
2	Australia	22.1
3	Micronesia	59.3
	...
6	Tuvalu	83.8
7	Nauru	89.3
8	Fiji	89.5
9	Palau	91.4
10	Samoa	98.2
11	Tonga	101.0
12	Marshall Islands	102.9
13	Papua New Guinea	108.8
14	Solomon Islands	119.1
	Australasia Avg	81.74
q=14.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
104	Kosovo	96.1
105	Venezuela	96.2
106	Bhutan	97.2
107	Samoa	98.2
108	Madagascar	98.8
109	Turkey	98.8
110	St Kitts & Nevis	98.9
111	Armenia	99.1
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #politics

Press Freedom Higher is better₂₁
Pos.		2025₂₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
41	Gabon	70.65
42	Macedonia	70.44
43	Dominican Rep.	69.87
44	Samoa	69.28
45	Seychelles	68.56
46	Tonga	68.39
47	Belize	68.32
48	Italy	68.01
	Australasia Avg	70.62
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
66=	Croatia	2.0
66=	Panama	2.0
66=	Tonga	2.0
66=	Samoa	2.0
66=	Botswana	2.0
66=	Romania	2.0
66=	Trinidad & Tobago	2.0
66=	Monaco	2.0
	Australasia Avg	1.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₂
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₂
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
162=	Vietnam	10
162=	Vanuatu	10
164=	Iraq	9
164=	Samoa	9
164=	Papua New Guinea	9
164=	Oman	9
164=	Iran	9
164=	St Kitts & Nevis	9
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₃
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
176	UAE	14.81
177	Comoros	14.82
178	Fiji	14.85
179	Samoa	14.85
180	Myanmar	14.93
181	St Kitts & Nevis	15.00
182	Singapore	15.02
183	Papua New Guinea	15.23
	Australasia Avg	14.35
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #women

Samoa has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

Gender Inequality Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2022₂₄
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
101	Honduras	0.42
102	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.42
103	Guyana	0.42
104	Samoa	0.42
105	Bolivia	0.42
106	Paraguay	0.43
107	Dominican Rep.	0.44
108	Algeria	0.44
	Australasia Avg	0.37
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Data only starts in 2019, but in absence of any other data, this is still being used as the 2010s 'average'.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
179=	Djibouti	1986
179=	Central African Rep.	1986
181	Namibia	1989
182	Samoa	1990
183	Kazakhstan	1993
184=	Moldova	1994
184=	Oman	1994
186	Qatar	2003
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₂₅
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score₂₅
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
143	Palestine	-2.72
144	N. Korea	-3.05
145	Djibouti	-3.10
146	Samoa	-3.13
147	Papua New Guinea	-3.18
148=	Sierra Leone	-3.23
148=	Guyana	-3.23
150	Belarus	-3.26
	Australasia Avg	-0.93
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Samoa, like other Polynesian societies, has an ancient cultural acceptance of a fluid third gender, the fa�€�afafine. But in the Colonial era, the 1961 Crimes Ordinance targetted homosexuality. Male homosexuality is criminalized under the Crimes Act 2013 with penalties up to 7 years, while female homosexuality is no longer illegal. The law is rarely enforced, but its existence sustains stigma.

ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Samoa had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination, hate crime, .

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2021₂₆
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
151=	Thailand	3.8
151=	Myanmar	3.8
151=	Zimbabwe	3.8
151=	Samoa	3.8
151=	Sri Lanka	3.8
151=	Russia	3.8
151=	Belarus	3.8
151=	Israel	3.8
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Samoa's Health

#health

Compared to Australasia (2025)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₇
1	Australia	62.1
2	New Zealand	66.8
3	New Caledonia	68.1
	...
10	Guam	122.6
11	Vanuatu	123.4
12	Solomon Islands	123.9
13=	Samoa	124.1
14	Cook Islands	127.5
15	Micronesia	127.9
16	Papua New Guinea	133.7
17	Nauru	136.0
18	Kiribati	136.8
	Australasia Avg	110.70
q=19.

Health (2025)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₇
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
154	Vanuatu	123.4
155	Solomon Islands	123.9
156=	Bolivia	124.1
156=	Samoa	124.1
158	Namibia	125.2
159	Senegal	125.2
160	Zimbabwe	125.4
161	Haiti	126.1
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₈. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₈.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₈, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₈.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #samoa #smoking #suicide

Samoa is a pretty unhealthy country. Samoa does better than average in terms of its alcohol consumption rate₂₉ and in its average life expectancy₁₁ (one of the best in Australasia). But that's it. Samoa has problems. It does worse than average in terms of childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₀, its smoking rate₃₁, its adolescent birth rate₃₂, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₃, its suicide rate₃₄ and in its fertility rate₁₅ (amongst the highest in Australasia). And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅ (one of the worst in Australasia), delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₆ (one of the worst in Australasia) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₃₇. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Samoa improved by +4.5yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Samoa's peak fertility rate was 7.67 in 1964.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
83	Trinidad & Tobago	73.0
84	Colombia	72.8
85	Dominica	72.8
86	Samoa	72.8
87	Brazil	72.8
88	Dominican Rep.	72.6
89	Oman	72.5
90	Belarus	72.4
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₂₉
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₂₉
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
45=	Turkey	2.0
46	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.1
47	Mozambique	2.4
48=	Samoa	2.5
48=	Micronesia	2.5
48=	Guatemala	2.5
51	Congo, DR	2.6
52=	Uzbekistan	2.7
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₅
Pos.		2022₁₅
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
172	Eritrea	3.79
173	Madagascar	3.79
174	Malawi	3.85
175	Samoa	3.88
176	Sierra Leone	3.88
177	Comoros	3.91
178=	Solomon Islands	3.93
178=	Guinea-Bissau	3.93
	Australasia Avg	2.82
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better₃₁
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %₃₁
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
100	Kazakhstan	22.2%
101	Finland	22.3%
102	Italy	22.5%
103	Samoa	22.6%
104	Vietnam	22.6%
105	Sweden	22.7%
106	Afghanistan	22.7%
107	Luxembourg	23.0%
	Australasia Avg	29.2%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better₃₄
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k₃₄
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
135	Norway	12.03
136	New Zealand	12.10
137	Trinidad & Tobago	12.23
138	Samoa	12.44
139=	Iceland	12.55
139=	Botswana	12.55
141	Canada	12.58
142	Portugal	12.74
	Australasia Avg	13.23
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
143	Niger	143
144	Marshall Islands	144
145	Botswana	145
146	Samoa	146
147	Jamaica	147
148	Togo	148
149	Tonga	149
150	Nigeria	150
	Australasia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₇
Pos.		1976 %₃₇
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
184	Niue	51.7
185	Kuwait	52.2
186	Tonga	53.2
187	Samoa	54.0
188	Cook Islands	63.0
189	Marshall Islands	63.3
190	Palau	64.0
191	Nauru	78.1
	Australasia Avg	48.8
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better₃₈
Pos.		2022 %₃₈
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
189	Marshall Islands	47.3%
190	Bahamas	47.6%
191	French Polynesia	48.4%
192	Samoa	61.2%
193	Tuvalu	63.9%
194	Niue	66.5%
195	Cook Islands	68.4%
196	Tokelau	69.2%
	Australasia Avg	49.3%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₃₂
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
113	Palestine	42.9
114	Brazil	43.6
115	Egypt	43.6
116	Samoa	43.8
117	Tajikistan	44.9
118	Cambodia	45.7
119	St Vincent & Grenadines	46.5
120	Philippines	48.1
	Australasia Avg	40.2
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better₃₃
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %₃₃
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
115=	Zambia	91.6
115=	Lithuania	91.6
117	Lesotho	91.4
118	Samoa	91.3
119=	Zimbabwe	91.0
119=	Georgia	91.0
119=	Marshall Islands	91.0
122	Kosovo	90.9
	Australasia Avg	90.0
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better₃₆
Pos.		2015 Avg %₃₆
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
178	Iraq	70.7
179	Afghanistan	70.6
180	Niger	69.7
181	Samoa	68.1
182	Yemen	67.4
183	Papua New Guinea	66.3
184	Haiti	65.7
185	Vanuatu	65.5
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 1000₃₀
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
96	Tunisia	18.08
97	Peru	18.09
98	Jamaica	18.79
99	Samoa	18.81
100	Nauru	18.87
101	St Kitts & Nevis	19.01
102	Vanuatu	19.11
103	Nicaragua	19.21
	Australasia Avg	25.09
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Samoa's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #samoa #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Australasia (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	New Zealand	75.8
2	Australia	76.6
3	Fiji	89.1
4	Vanuatu	93.0
5	Tonga	96.1
6	Papua New Guinea	104.5
7	Samoa	107.0
8	Kiribati	111.4
9	Micronesia	114.6
10	Cook Islands	119.6
11	Solomon Islands	121.6
12	Marshall Islands	123.1
13	Palau	124.5
	Australasia Avg	109.27
q=16.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₉
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
163	Papua New Guinea	104.5
164	Serbia	104.8
165	Haiti	105.8
166	Samoa	107.0
167	Bahrain	107.9
168	Mongolia	108.1
169	Armenia	108.2
170	Suriname	108.5
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₀. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

With regard to its responsibility towards the environment, Samoa comes 166th in the world. This rank is derived from 21 data sets. Samoa does worse than average in its environmental performance₄₁, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₂. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in terms of reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃ (amongst the worst in Australasia).

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		Total₄₂
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
173	Laos	-4.8%
174	Zimbabwe	-5.1%
175	Panama	-5.2%
176	Samoa	-5.7%
177	Eritrea	-5.7%
178	Colombia	-5.8%
179	Cameroon	-5.9%
180	Venezuela	-6.0%
	Australasia Avg	0.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		2018₄₁
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
99	Kyrgyzstan	54.9
100	Nigeria	54.8
101	Kazakhstan	54.6
102	Samoa	54.5
103	Suriname	54.2
104	Sao Tome & Principe	54.0
105	Paraguay	53.9
106	El Salvador	53.9
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
132	Mali	53%
133	Burundi	53%
134	Iceland	53%
135	Samoa	52%
136	Zimbabwe	52%
137	Suriname	52%
138	St Vincent & Grenadines	52%
139	Saudi Arabia	52%
	Australasia Avg	48.2%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Samoa is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and was one of 19 countries that signed the Paris Agreement within the first few months in Q2 2016.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2021 kg₄₃
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
173	Chile	97.8
174	Brazil	98.8
175	Spain	100.3
176	Samoa	106.2
177	Israel	107.7
178	St Vincent & Grenadines	109.5
179	Australia	110.2
180	Bahamas	111.9
	Australasia Avg	74.2
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, Samoa's meat consumption per person was the 5th-highest in the world, putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₄₃

7. Samoa's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2025)₄₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄
1	New Zealand	18.2
2	Australia	26.8
3	Tonga	80.0
4	Fiji	82.1
5	Samoa	109.0
6	Kiribati	113.8
7	Marshall Islands	116.7
8	Nauru	123.9
9	Micronesia	124.5
10	Vanuatu	129.6
11	Tuvalu	138.6
12	Solomon Islands	149.7
13	Papua New Guinea	157.6
	Australasia Avg	105.42
q=13.

Modernity & Learning (2025)₄₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₄₄
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
127	Kenya	107.0
128	Maldives	107.2
129	Djibouti	107.9
130	Samoa	109.0
131	Ghana	111.9
132	Guyana	112.8
133	Bahamas	113.4
134	Kiribati	113.8
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₄₅. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₅. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₆.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₄₇

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₅, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₅.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
61	Japan	61
62	Malta	62
63	Ghana	63
64	Samoa	64
65	Jordan	65
66	Namibia	66
67	India	67
68	Lebanon	68
	Australasia Avg	58.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₈
Pos.		2018₄₈
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
67	Fiji	76.9%
68	S. Africa	76.5%
69	Spain	75.8%
70	Samoa	74.5%
71	Trinidad & Tobago	73.4%
72	Philippines	73.2%
73	Saudi Arabia	72.8%
74	Andorra	72.3%
	Australasia Avg	79.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2021 Years₄₉
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
127	Guyana	12.5
128	Uzbekistan	12.5
129	Bangladesh	12.4
130	Samoa	12.4
131	Congo, (Brazzaville)	12.3
132	San Marino	12.3
133	Botswana	12.3
134	Angola	12.2
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
132	Cambodia	58%
133	Tonga	58%
134	Senegal	58%
135	Samoa	56%
136	Myanmar	55%
137	Swaziland	55%
138	Honduras	53%
139	Guatemala	52%
	Australasia Avg	64.0%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₀
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₀
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
121=	Georgia	0.0
121=	Swaziland	0.0
121=	Mongolia	0.0
121=	Samoa	0.0
121=	Albania	0.0
121=	Micronesia	0.0
121=	Algeria	0.0
121=	Djibouti	0.0
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Samoa's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to Australasia (2025)₅₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
1	New Zealand	17.1
2	Australia	28.9
3	Samoa	79.1
4	Fiji	81.6
5	Vanuatu	82.1
6	Kiribati	82.7
7	Tonga	87.4
8	Marshall Islands	89.6
9	Solomon Islands	95.9
10	Papua New Guinea	116.6
	Australasia Avg	76.09
q=10.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)₅₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
1	Denmark	11.6
2	Finland	13.4
3	Netherlands	13.6
	...
75	Dominica	77.1
76	Brazil	77.9
77	Indonesia	79.1
78	Samoa	79.1
79	Turkey	80.0
80=	Kosovo	80.1
80=	St Lucia	80.1
82	Mexico	80.2
	World Avg	81.27
q=187.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#internationalism

Creativity & Culture Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
57	India	57
58	Philippines	58
59	Uruguay	59
60	Samoa	60
61	Montenegro	61
62	Ukraine	62
63	Israel	63
64	Mexico	64
	Australasia Avg	61.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better₅₂
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q₅₂
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
73	Honduras	133.0
74	Solomon Islands	132.2
75=	Colombia	131.2
75=	Samoa	131.2
77	Tonga	128.8
78	Nicaragua	127.8
79	Tuvalu	127.5
80	Venezuela	126.8
	Australasia Avg	123.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
142	Slovakia	142
143	Tanzania	143
144	St Vincent & Grenadines	144
145	Samoa	145
146	Jamaica	146
147	Syria	147
148	Iran	148
149	India	149
	Australasia Avg	91.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
6	Uruguay	6
7	Indonesia	7
8	Brunei	8
9	Moldova	9
10	Morocco	10
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
	Australasia Avg	88.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better₃₅
Pos.		2017 Rank₃₅
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
127	Benin	127
128	Yemen	128
129	Pakistan	129
130	Samoa	130
131	Antigua & Barbuda	131
132	Azerbaijan	132
133	Togo	133
134	St Vincent & Grenadines	134
	Australasia Avg	103.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₃
Pos.		2019₅₃
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
77=	Seychelles	9.60
77=	Moldova	9.60
79=	Jamaica	10.00
79=	Samoa	10.00
81	Tonga	10.40
82	Mexico	10.50
83=	St Lucia	10.60
83=	Jordan	10.60
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better₅₄
Pos.		2023 %₅₄
1	Slovakia	24.1%₅₅
2	Slovenia	24.3%₅₅
3	Belarus	24.4%₅₆
	...
106=	Togo	37.9%₅₅
107	Gabon	38.0%₅₇
108	Malawi	38.5%₅₈
109=	Samoa	38.7%₅₉
109=	Kenya	38.7%₅₅
111=	El Salvador	38.8%₆₀
111=	Gambia	38.8%₅₆
111=	Laos	38.8%₆₁
	Australasia Avg	34.8%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Samoa - only for 3 years between 1980 and 2019.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₆₂:

	2010	2020
Christian	98.6%	97.6%
Other	1.08%	2.19%
Unaffiliated	0.145%	<0.1%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Muslim	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 59.9% (Congregationalist 34.8%, Methodist 15%, Assembly of God 6.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, Mormon 12.7%, Worship Centre 1.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)₆₃.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems