Communications: Broadcast media
3 TV stations; multi-channel pay TV services are available; about a dozen radio stations, some of which are repeater stations
Communications: Internet country code
.as
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
40.3% (1990 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
20 (2022 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
9,690 (2022 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
4 (2004 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
2,250 (2004 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$262.5 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$249 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
1.0000 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
1.0000 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
1.0000 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
1.0000 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
1.0000 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
1.0000 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
1.0000 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
1.0000 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
1.0000 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
1.0000 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
1.0000 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
1.0000 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
1.0000 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
animal meal, aluminum, refined petroleum, gas turbines, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$335.0 million (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$429.0 million (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$428.0 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$429.0 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$362.0 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$436.0 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$399.0 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$427 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$332 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$409 million (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$871 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, fish, paper containers, wood, construction vehicles (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$541.0 million (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$665.0 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$639.0 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$626.0 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$662.0 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$614.0 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$686 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$694 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$677 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$666.9 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$674.9 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$658 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
3.15% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
-1.68% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
-6.99% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
2.67% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
-0.49% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
4.41% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
-0.78% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
1.74% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
97.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
157.697 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
50,000 kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
13.975 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2019
89.105 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
3,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
389,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
389,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April), dry season (May to October); little seasonal temperature variation
Environment: Environmental issues
limited supply of drinking water; pollution; waste disposal; coastal and stream alteration; soil erosion
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
14.8% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 5.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 9.6% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
79.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
6% (2023 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
0.26% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
80.94% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
19,000 tons (2024 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly larger than Washington, D.C.
Geography: Area: land
224 sq km
Geography: Area: water
0 sq km
Geography: Coastline
116 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Lata Mountain 964 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
14 20 S, 170 00 W
Geography: Geography - note
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic location in the South Pacific Ocean
Geography: Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Geography: Land boundaries: total
0 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
14.8% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 5.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 9.6% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
79.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
6% (2023 est.)
Geography: Map references
Oceania
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
cyclones common from December to March volcanism: limited volcanic activity on the Ofu and Olosega Islands; neither has erupted since the 19th century
Geography: Terrain
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Atoll, Swains Island)
Government: Administrative divisions
no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US government, but 3 districts and 2 islands* are considered second-order; Eastern, Manu'a, Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
14 16 S, 170 42 W
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship
see United States note: in accordance with US Code Title 8, Section 1408, persons born in American Samoa are US nationals but not US citizens
Government: Constitution: amendment process
proposed by either house of the Legislative Assembly; passage requires three-fifths majority vote by the membership of each house, approval by simple majority vote in a referendum, approval by the US Secretary of the Interior, and only by an act of the US Congress
Government: Constitution: history
adopted 17 October 1960; revised 1 July 1967
Government: Country name: abbreviation
AS
Government: Country name: conventional short form
American Samoa
Government: Country name: etymology
the name's meaning is disputed; according to one theory, sa means "sacred" and moa means "center," so the name can mean "Holy Center"; alternatively, some assert that the name can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology; however, the name may pre-date the Polynesian era (before 1000 B.C.), with sa'a meaning "tribe or people" and moa meaning "deep sea," or "people of the deep sea"
Government: Country name: former
Eastern Samoa
Government: Dependency status
unincorporated, unorganized Territory of the US; administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
none (territory of the US)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US
none (territory of the US)
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Cabinet consists of 12 department directors appointed by the governor with the consent of the Legislature or Fono
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)
Government: Executive branch: election results
Lemanu Peleti MAUGA elected governor in first round; percent of vote - Lemanu Peleti MAUGA (independent) 60.3%, Gaoteote Palaie TOFAU (independent) 21.9%, I'aulualo Fa'afetai TALIA (independent) 12.3%
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by an Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state to serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories such as American Samoa do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; however, they may vote in Democratic and Republican presidential primary elections; governor and lieutenant governor directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)
Government: Executive branch: expected date of next election
November 2028
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Governor Nikolao PULA (since 3 January 2025)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
19 November 2024
Government: Flag
description: a large white triangle edged in red is based on the right side and extends to the left side, and it is on a dark blue field; a bald eagle holding a Samoan war club ( fa'alaufa'i ) and a coconut-fiber fly whisk ( fue ) sits on the right side of the flag meaning: the war club and fly whisk are traditional Samoan symbols of authority; the eagle carrying two objects echoes the US Great Seal and reflects the relationship between the United States and American Samoa; the red, white, and blue colors are traditionally used by both countries
Government: International organization participation
AOSIS (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, PIF (observer), SPC
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
High Court of American Samoa (consists of the chief justice, associate chief justice, and 6 Samoan associate judges and organized into trial, family, drug, and appellate divisions)
Government: Judicial branch: judge selection and term of office
chief justice and associate chief justice appointed by the US Secretary of the Interior to serve for life; Samoan associate judges appointed by the governor to serve for life
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
district and village courts
Government: Legal system
mixed legal system of US common law and customary law
Government: National anthem(s): history
official anthem, as a US territory
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH
Government: National color(s)
red, white, blue
Government: National holiday
Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
Government: National symbol(s)
a fue (coconut fiber fly whisk that represents wisdom) crossed with a to'oto'o (staff that represents authority)
Government: Political parties
Democratic Party Republican Party
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: Background
Tutuila -- the largest island in American Samoa -- was settled by 1000 B.C., and the island served as a refuge for exiled chiefs and defeated warriors from the other Samoan islands. The Manu’a Islands, which are also now part of American Samoa, developed a traditional chiefdom that maintained autonomy by controlling oceanic trade. In 1722, Dutch explorer Jacob ROGGEVEEN was the first European to sail through the Manu’a Islands, and he was followed by French explorer Louis Antoine DE BOUGAINVILLE in 1768. Whalers and missionaries arrived in American Samoa in the 1830s, but American and European traders tended to favor the port in Apia -- now in independent Samoa -- over the smaller and less-developed Pago Pago on Tutuila. In the mid-1800s, a dispute arose in Samoa over control of the Samoan archipelago, with different chiefs gaining support from Germany, the UK, and the US. In 1872, the high chief of Tutuila offered the US exclusive rights to Pago Pago in return for US protection, but the US rejected this offer. As fighting resumed, the US agreed to the chief’s request in 1878 and set up a coaling station at Pago Pago. In 1899, with continued disputes over succession, Germany and the US agreed to divide the Samoan islands, while the UK withdrew its claims in exchange for parts of the Solomon Islands. Local chiefs on Tutuila formally ceded their land to the US in 1900, followed by the chief of Manu’a in 1904. The territory was officially named “American Samoa” in 1911. The US administered the territory through the Department of the Navy. In 1949, there was an attempt to organize the territory, granting it formal self-government, but local chiefs helped defeat the measure in the US Congress. Administration was transferred to the Department of the Interior in 1951, and in 1967, American Samoa adopted a constitution that provides significant protections for traditional Samoan land-tenure rules, language, and culture. In 1977, after four attempts, voters approved a measure to directly elect their governor. Nevertheless, American Samoa officially remains an unorganized territory, and people born in American Samoa are US nationals rather than US citizens.
Military and Security: Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the US
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
25.3% (male 5,738/female 5,387)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
66% (male 14,291/female 14,679)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
8.7% (2024 est.) (male 1,775/female 2,025)
People and Society: Birth rate
15.3 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
47.4% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
13.8 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
7.2 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
51.3 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
37.5 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 99.8% of population
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 0.2% of population (2020 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Pacific Islander 88.7% (includes Samoan 83.2%, Tongan 2.2%, other 3.3%), Asian 5.8% (includes Filipino 3.4%, other 2.4%), mixed 4.4%, other 1.1% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
0.96 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
7.6 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
11.7 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
9.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
76.0 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
70.3 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
49,000 PAGO PAGO (capital) (2018)
People and Society: Median age: female
30.6 years
People and Society: Median age: male
29.4 years
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
American Samoan
People and Society: Net migration rate
-22.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Population
46,765 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population growth rate
-1.60% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
21,790
People and Society: Population: male
21,478
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 98.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 1.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.07 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
0.97 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.88 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.06 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
2.27 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
0.26% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
80.94% (2024 est.)
Transportation: Airports
3 (2025)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Pago Pago Harbor
Transportation: Ports: large
0
Transportation: Ports: medium
0
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
1
Transportation: Ports: small
1
Transportation: Ports: total ports
1 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
0
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.