Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
(2022 est.) less than 1
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
1,000 (2022 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
multi-channel pay-TV is available; Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite (2019)
Communications: Internet country code
.sb
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
43% (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
1 (2022 est.) less than 1
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
7,000 (2021 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
62 (2022 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
485,000 (2022 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
oil palm fruit, coconuts, sweet potatoes, yams, taro, fruits, pulses, vegetables, cocoa beans, cassava (2023)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$482.24 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$436.174 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2013
-$38.5 million (2013 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2014
-$49.6 million (2014 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2015
-$36.1 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2016
-$48.8 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2017
-$62.8 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2018
-$47.8 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2019
-$154.0 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2020
-$25.1 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2021
-$78.2 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
-$218.534 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
-$178.197 million (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
-$66.231 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2022
$477.4 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2023
$184.191 million (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
8.4548 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
7.3021 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
7.3753 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
7.9147 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
7.9482 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
7.8874 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
7.9525 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
8.1734 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
8.2134 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
8.0301 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
8.1555 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
8.3756 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
8.4548 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
wood, fish, gold, precious metal ore, palm oil (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$533.6 million (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$565.4 million (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$527.9 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$548.1 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$568.5 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$680.5 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$590.9 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$429.2 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$413.8 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$411.359 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$546.025 million (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$642.877 million (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
26.3% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
29.2% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
61.7% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-51.7% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
24.4% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
-1% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
33.8% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
18.7% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
47.3% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$2,675 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$1.761 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$2.191 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, plastic products, fish, broadcasting equipment, iron structures (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$547.8 million (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$625.5 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$632.1 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$639.6 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$749.1 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$752.9 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$495.9 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$636.8 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$764.641 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$883.611 million (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$857.128 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
4.7% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
-0.57% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
0.51% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
0.49% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
3.46% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
1.63% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
2.96% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
-0.12% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
5.52% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
5.89% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
4.32% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
435,600 (2024 est.)
Economy: Population below poverty line
12.70% (2012 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2013
10.11% (2013 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2014
8.72% (2014 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
6.26% (2016 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2017
8.40% (2017 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2018
7.69% (2018 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2019
7.74% (2019 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2020
11.46% (2020 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2022
16.44% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$1.467 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$1.505 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$1.604 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$1.683 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$1.829 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$1.791 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$1.868 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$1.967 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$2.019 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$2.07 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
1.68% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
5.55% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
3.08% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
2.75% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
1.75% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
-3.38% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
-0.23% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
2.4% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
2.84% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
3.00% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$2,377 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$2,354 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$2,421 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$2,454 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$2,512 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$2,405 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$2,450 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$2,496 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$2,597 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2013
$20.6 million (2013 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2014
$16.3 million (2014 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2015
$18.6 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2020
$27.5 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
$51.0 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
5.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
5.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$519.6 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$514.0 million (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$574.2 million (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$617.1 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$571.6 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$661.0 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$694.515 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$661.604 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$688.22 million (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$685.8 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
20.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
0.75% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
0.87% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
0.88% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
1.48% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
1.44% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
1.44% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
3.4% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
2.6% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
3% (2024 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - rural areas
75.4%
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
76% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - urban areas
79%
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
3.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
90.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
5.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
91.031 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
37,000 kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
19.969 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
5.655 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
318,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
318,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes
Environment: Environmental issues
deforestation; soil erosion; damage to coral reefs
Environment: International environmental agreements: party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
3.9% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2.8% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.3% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
89.9% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
6.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
8.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
44.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
30.66% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
180,000 tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
6.1% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Maryland
Geography: Area: land
27,986 sq km
Geography: Area: water
910 sq km
Geography: Coastline
5,313 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Mount Popomanaseu 2,335 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
8 00 S, 159 00 E
Geography: Geography - note
strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; Rennell Island, the southernmost in the Solomon Islands chain, is one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls; the island’s Lake Tegano, formerly a lagoon on the atoll, is the largest lake in the insular Pacific (15,500 hectares; 38,300 acres)
Geography: Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
Geography: Land boundaries: total
0 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
3.9% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2.8% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.3% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
89.9% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
6.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Map references
Oceania
Geography: Maritime claims: continental shelf
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
tropical cyclones, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis volcanism: Tinakula (851 m) has frequent eruption activity, and an eruption of Savo (485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal
Geography: Population distribution
most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas, and of these about two thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port
Geography: Terrain
mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Government: Administrative divisions
9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Government: Capital: etymology
the name derives from the local term nagho ni ara , meaning "place of the east wind" or "facing the trade winds"
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
9 26 S, 159 57 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of the Solomon Islands
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
no
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
7 years
Government: Constitution: amendment process
proposed by the National Parliament; passage of constitutional sections, including those on fundamental rights and freedoms, the legal system, Parliament, alteration of the constitution and the ombudsman, requires three-fourths majority vote by Parliament and assent of the governor general; passage of other amendments requires two-thirds majority vote and assent of the governor general
Government: Constitution: history
adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Solomon Islands
Government: Country name: etymology
Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA named the isles in 1568 after the wealthy biblical King SOLOMON in the mistaken belief that the islands contained great riches
Government: Country name: former
British Solomon Islands
Government: Country name: local long form
none
Government: Country name: local short form
Solomon Islands
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Ann Marie YASTISHOCK (since 14 March 2024); note - also accredited to the Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
EmbassyHoniara@state.gov https://pg.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
BJS Building Commonwealth Avenue Honiara, Solomon Islands
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[677] 27429
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[677] 23426
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
685 Third Avenue, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Jane Mugafalu Kabui WAETARA (since 16 September 2022); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
simun@solomons.com
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (212) 661-8925
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (212) 599-6192
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General David Tiva KAPU (since 7 July 2024)
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Parliament for up to 5 years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the National Parliament usually elects the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Prime Minister Jeremiah MANELE (since 2 May 2024)
Government: Flag
description: divided diagonally by a yellow stripe from the lower-left corner; the upper triangle (left side) is blue with five five-pointed white stars in an "X" pattern; the lower triangle is green meaning: blue stands for the ocean, green for the land, and yellow for sunshine; the five stars stand for the main island groups
Government: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Government: International organization participation
ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and ex officio members including the High Court chief justice and puisne judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges)
Government: Judicial branch: judge selection and term of office
Court of Appeal and High Court president, chief justices, and puisne judges appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, chaired by the chief justice and includes 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges serve until retirement at age 60
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
Magistrates' Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court; local courts
Government: Legal system
mixed system of English common law and customary law
Government: Legislative branch: electoral system
plurality/majority
Government: Legislative branch: expected date of next election
April 2028
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
unicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
National Parliament
Government: Legislative branch: most recent election date
4/17/2024
Government: Legislative branch: number of seats
50 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch: parties elected and seats per party
Ownership Unity and Responsibility (OUR Party) (15); Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP) (11); Solomon Islands United Party (UP) (6); Solomon Islands People First Party (SIPFP) (3); Independents (11); Other (4)
Government: Legislative branch: percentage of women in chamber
6%
Government: Legislative branch: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch: term in office
4 years
Government: National anthem(s): history
in use since 1745
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
unknown
Government: National color(s)
blue, yellow, green, white
Government: National heritage: selected World Heritage Site locales
East Rennell
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
1 (natural)
Government: National holiday
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
Government: Political parties
Democratic Alliance Party or DAP Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KAD Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Party (OUR Party) Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP Solomon Islands Democratic Party or SIDP Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA Solomon Islands United Party or UP United for Change Party or U4C Coalition for Accountability Reform and Empowerment (CARE) (includes DAP, SIDP, and U4C)
Government: Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Introduction: Background
Settlers from Papua arrived on the Solomon Islands around 30,000 years ago. About 6,000 years ago, Austronesian settlers came to the islands, and the two groups mixed extensively. Despite significant inter-island trade, no attempts were made to unite the islands into a single political entity. In 1568, a Spanish explorer became the first European to spot the islands. After a failed Spanish attempt at creating a permanent European settlement in the late 1500s, the Solomon Islands remained free of European contact until a British explorer arrived in 1767. European explorers and US and British whaling ships regularly visited the islands into the 1800s. Germany declared a protectorate over the northern Solomon Islands in 1885, and the UK established a protectorate over the southern islands in 1893. In 1899, Germany transferred its islands to the UK in exchange for the UK relinquishing all claims in Samoa. In 1942, Japan invaded the islands, and the Guadalcanal Campaign (August 1942-February 1943) proved a turning point in the Pacific theater of WWII. The fighting destroyed large parts of the Solomon Islands, and a nationalist movement emerged near the end of the war. By 1960, the British allowed some local autonomy. The islands were granted self-government in 1976 and independence two years later under Prime Minister Sir Peter KENILOREA. In 1999, longstanding tensions between ethnic Guale in Honiara and ethnic Malaitans in Honiara’s suburbs erupted in civil war, leading thousands of Malaitans to take refuge in Honiara and prompting Guale to flee the city. In 2000, newly elected Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE focused on peace agreements and distributing resources equally among groups, but his actions bankrupted the government in 2001 and led to his ouster. In 2003, the Solomon Islands requested international assistance to reestablish law and order; the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, which ended in 2017, improved the security situation. In 2006, however, riots broke out in Honiara, and the city’s Chinatown was burned amid allegations that the prime minister took money from China. SOGAVARE was reelected prime minister for a fourth time in 2019. When a small group of protestors, mostly from the island of Malaita, approached parliament to lodge a petition calling for SOGAVARE’s removal and more development in Malaita in 2021, police fired tear gas into the crowd which sparked rioting and looting in Honiara.
Military and Security: Military - note
in 2017, the Solomon Islands and Australia signed a security treaty allowing Australian police, defense, and associated civilian personnel to deploy rapidly to Solomon Islands should the need arise and where both countries consent; the treaty was activated for the first time in November 2021 following civil unrest in Honiara; Australia was the first country Solomon Islands called upon for support, and from November 2021, Australia deployed police and defense personnel to work alongside partners from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand to restore law and order in Honiara in 2022, the Solomon Islands Government has also signed a police and security agreement with China (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security forces
Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS): the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) (2025)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
30.6% (male 114,246/female 108,020)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
64.2% (male 238,708/female 227,636)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
5.3% (2024 est.) (male 18,016/female 20,173)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
1.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
21.57 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Child marriage: men married by age 18
4.4% (2015)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 15
5.6% (2015)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 18
21.3% (2015)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
5.36% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
64.5% (2019 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
3.94 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
8.4 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
12 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
55.1 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
46.7 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 59.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 73.1% of population
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 40.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
8.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
25.2% national budget (2024 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
8.29% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
1.33 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
4.8% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
9.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.10% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
15.2 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
22.7 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
16.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
72.2 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
69.4 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
82,000 HONIARA (capital) (2018)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
123 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
25.4 years
People and Society: Median age: male
25 years
People and Society: Mother's mean age at first birth
22.6 years (2015 est.)
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Solomon Islander
People and Society: Net migration rate
-1.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
22.5% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
0.24 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
People and Society: Population
819,198 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population distribution
most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas, and of these about two thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port
People and Society: Population growth rate
1.62% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
361,707
People and Society: Population: male
377,067
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 22.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 77.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 59.4% of population
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.06 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.89 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
18.8% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
54.5% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
36.8% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
3.51 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
30.66% (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
1,638 (2023 est.)
Transnational Issues: Trafficking in persons: tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List — Solomon Islands does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards; therefore, Solomon Islands was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 and remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/solomon-islands/
Transportation: Airports
36 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
H4
Transportation: Heliports
2 (2025)
Transportation: Merchant marine: by type
general cargo 8, oil tanker 1, other 16
Transportation: Merchant marine: total
25 (2023)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Gizo Harbor, Honiara, Port Noro, Ringgi Cove, Tulaghi, Yandina
Transportation: Ports: large
0
Transportation: Ports: medium
0
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
1
Transportation: Ports: small
2
Transportation: Ports: total ports
6 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
4
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.