Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Samoa instead of French Polynesia, you would:

Health

live 3.2 years less

In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022. In Samoa, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 16.8% less likely to be unemployed

In French Polynesia, 11.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 9.8% as of 2023.

make 67.7% less money

French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $18,600 as of 2021, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $6,000 as of 2023.

be 11.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In French Polynesia, 19.7% live below the poverty line as of 2009. In Samoa, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2018.

Life

have 39.6% more children

In French Polynesia, there are approximately 13.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Samoa, there are 18.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 3.9 times more likely to die during infancy

In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Samoa, on the other hand, 17.0 children do as of 2020.

Geography

see 84.0% less coastline

French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In Samoa, that number is 403 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Samoa: At a glance

Samoa is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 2,821 sq km. 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.
Read more

How big is Samoa compared to French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Samoa.or French Polynesia It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.