Samoa has a GDP of $1.07B compared to $1.16B for Vanuatu, ranking 187/197 and 185/197 by economy size, respectively.
Samoa has $296M in government debt (22.5% of GDP), compared to $518M (48.5% of GDP) in Vanuatu.
The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.
| Year | GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|||
| Current $ | Constant $ | Current $ | Constant $ | |
| 1970 | $45,208,338 | $340,680,798 | - | - |
| 1971 | $53,719,569 | $386,718,744 | - | - |
| 1972 | $62,566,116 | $392,857,137 | - | - |
| 1973 | $82,452,985 | $421,502,969 | - | - |
| 1974 | $93,549,611 | $376,488,089 | - | - |
| 1975 | $93,489,283 | $362,165,173 | - | - |
| 1976 | $85,003,078 | $395,926,333 | - | - |
| 1977 | $98,295,671 | $392,857,137 | - | - |
| 1978 | $108,223,444 | $417,410,708 | - | - |
| 1979 | $122,257,393 | $462,946,425 | $119,258,835 | $335,975,592 |
| 1980 | $125,747,038 | $434,275,788 | $121,185,498 | $297,675,024 |
| 1981 | $118,190,655 | $395,064,496 | $113,781,796 | $310,707,108 |
| 1982 | $121,221,652 | $391,269,846 | $114,501,913 | $316,858,745 |
| 1983 | $111,862,824 | $392,956,360 | $117,389,554 | $326,395,019 |
| 1984 | $109,200,934 | $398,015,901 | $144,482,515 | $357,647,314 |
| 1985 | $95,572,173 | $413,616,120 | $131,856,421 | $361,229,593 |
| 1986 | $100,947,849 | $436,383,943 | $126,498,935 | $360,686,075 |
| 1987 | $111,713,922 | $438,492,097 | $139,464,174 | $350,248,055 |
| 1988 | $133,016,065 | $432,167,727 | $158,351,368 | $344,318,766 |
| 1989 | $122,888,610 | $448,189,540 | $154,013,202 | $349,593,363 |
| 1990 | $125,766,270 | $428,373,059 | $168,879,207 | $390,480,753 |
| 1991 | $125,597,205 | $418,520,426 | $201,334,169 | $402,771,675 |
| 1992 | $132,303,041 | $417,683,439 | $209,088,825 | $413,184,990 |
| 1993 | $133,122,897 | $434,808,422 | $200,491,853 | $416,223,750 |
| 1994 | $221,098,107 | $423,755,155 | $233,701,301 | $454,022,969 |
| 1995 | $224,865,731 | $452,035,062 | $249,333,250 | $458,581,110 |
| 1996 | $249,907,869 | $484,486,518 | $261,370,044 | $469,253,831 |
| 1997 | $285,475,592 | $487,603,826 | $272,771,209 | $492,279,237 |
| 1998 | $269,485,244 | $498,306,192 | $262,293,411 | $498,072,647 |
| 1999 | $255,408,060 | $509,196,347 | $268,006,973 | $499,752,612 |
| 2000 | $258,856,140 | $535,129,944 | $272,014,628 | $529,362,000 |
| 2001 | $266,299,591 | $574,676,738 | $257,926,882 | $511,376,490 |
| 2002 | $281,790,134 | $607,157,233 | $262,596,536 | $484,793,510 |
| 2003 | $333,426,188 | $638,806,086 | $314,471,413 | $505,583,080 |
| 2004 | $407,747,565 | $658,527,693 | $364,996,869 | $525,742,663 |
| 2005 | $476,801,793 | $702,248,687 | $394,962,433 | $553,635,028 |
| 2006 | $499,923,758 | $717,221,522 | $439,358,587 | $600,476,413 |
| 2007 | $573,548,460 | $720,707,093 | $516,392,923 | $617,745,468 |
| 2008 | $641,346,192 | $746,336,192 | $590,748,429 | $652,345,341 |
| 2009 | $628,006,115 | $742,293,456 | $592,622,319 | $672,159,049 |
| 2010 | $680,260,907 | $787,756,851 | $670,712,980 | $680,620,639 |
| 2011 | $744,097,050 | $818,078,226 | $770,153,588 | $701,990,785 |
| 2012 | $773,141,661 | $787,546,482 | $747,839,698 | $709,081,227 |
| 2013 | $797,736,334 | $788,391,466 | $758,304,466 | $712,367,041 |
| 2014 | $796,683,520 | $793,594,249 | $773,717,011 | $730,710,780 |
| 2015 | $824,150,499 | $824,150,499 | $759,690,181 | $759,690,181 |
| 2016 | $843,924,797 | $889,949,544 | $804,323,577 | $786,063,165 |
| 2017 | $884,844,384 | $902,464,748 | $880,043,284 | $820,749,507 |
| 2018 | $878,448,433 | $896,962,898 | $914,727,908 | $844,553,133 |
| 2019 | $912,950,466 | $936,894,421 | $936,526,268 | $871,926,685 |
| 2020 | $868,898,358 | $907,771,582 | $909,421,044 | $828,395,820 |
| 2021 | $843,923,639 | $843,511,967 | $982,362,212 | $815,536,674 |
| 2022 | $832,945,206 | $798,752,768 | $1,030,654,208 | $857,832,270 |
| 2023 | $938,189,444 | $872,307,109 | $1,126,313,359 | $849,555,971 |
| 2024 | $1,068,025,244 | $954,498,941 | $1,161,251,868 | $883,260,050 |
Economic indicators
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product |
$1.07B
2024 |
$1.16B
2024 |
| GDP rank |
187/197
2024 |
185/197
2024 |
| GDP growth |
13.8%
2023-2024 |
3.1%
2023-2024 |
| GDP per capita |
$4,899
2024 |
$3,543
2024 |
| GDP per capita rank |
120/197
2024 |
133/197
2024 |
| GDP per capita, PPP |
$7,837
2024 |
$3,602
2024 |
| Government debt |
$296M
2024 |
$518M
2024 |
| Debt-to-GDP ratio |
22.5%
2025 |
48.5%
2025 |
| Government debt per person |
$1,357
2024 |
$1,580
2024 |
| Government debt per person rank |
134/185
2024 |
126/185
2024 |
| Average annual personal income after taxes |
$3,507
2025 |
$2,778
2025 |
| Income share by richest 10% |
31.3%
2013 |
24.7%
2019 |
| Income share by poorest 10% |
2.7%
2013 |
3%
2019 |
| Government expenditure, % of GDP |
33.1%
2025 |
38.6%
2025 |
| Consumer prices inflation |
2.17%
2023-2024 |
11.2%
2022-2023 |
| Central bank interest rate |
0.37%
2024 |
n/a |
| Unemployment rate |
5.05%
2022 |
4.05%
2020 |
| Population |
220288
|
341110
|
GDP per capita in Samoa vs Vanuatu
Samoa's GDP per capita is $4,899, ranking 120/197, compared to $3,543 in Vanuatu, ranking 133/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Samoa ranks 142nd at $7,837, while Vanuatu ranks 170th at $3,602.
| Year | Current $ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|||
| GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | GDP per capita | GDP per capita, PPP | |
| 1970 | $322 | - | - | - |
| 1971 | $377 | - | - | - |
| 1972 | $433 | - | - | - |
| 1973 | $563 | - | - | - |
| 1974 | $626 | - | - | - |
| 1975 | $610 | - | - | - |
| 1976 | $541 | - | - | - |
| 1977 | $615 | - | - | - |
| 1978 | $671 | - | - | - |
| 1979 | $751 | - | $1,055 | - |
| 1980 | $765 | - | $1,048 | - |
| 1981 | $713 | - | $962 | - |
| 1982 | $728 | - | $946 | - |
| 1983 | $671 | - | $947 | - |
| 1984 | $655 | - | $1,137 | - |
| 1985 | $573 | - | $1,012 | - |
| 1986 | $604 | - | $946 | - |
| 1987 | $666 | - | $1,017 | - |
| 1988 | $790 | - | $1,125 | - |
| 1989 | $728 | - | $1,067 | - |
| 1990 | $744 | $2,148 | $1,141 | $1,670 |
| 1991 | $742 | $2,166 | $1,326 | $1,737 |
| 1992 | $777 | $2,198 | $1,344 | $1,777 |
| 1993 | $775 | $2,323 | $1,257 | $1,789 |
| 1994 | $1,277 | $2,294 | $1,431 | $1,946 |
| 1995 | $1,288 | $2,478 | $1,492 | $1,961 |
| 1996 | $1,419 | $2,681 | $1,529 | $1,998 |
| 1997 | $1,608 | $2,722 | $1,562 | $2,087 |
| 1998 | $1,506 | $2,792 | $1,471 | $2,091 |
| 1999 | $1,417 | $2,871 | $1,472 | $2,084 |
| 2000 | $1,425 | $3,062 | $1,460 | $2,206 |
| 2001 | $1,454 | $3,335 | $1,350 | $2,125 |
| 2002 | $1,528 | $3,553 | $1,341 | $1,995 |
| 2003 | $1,798 | $3,792 | $1,567 | $2,070 |
| 2004 | $2,189 | $3,997 | $1,774 | $2,157 |
| 2005 | $2,550 | $4,379 | $1,874 | $2,287 |
| 2006 | $2,663 | $4,592 | $2,035 | $2,496 |
| 2007 | $3,039 | $4,713 | $2,334 | $2,573 |
| 2008 | $3,374 | $4,939 | $2,604 | $2,701 |
| 2009 | $3,279 | $4,906 | $2,546 | $2,730 |
| 2010 | $3,524 | $5,229 | $2,815 | $2,733 |
| 2011 | $3,822 | $5,494 | $3,163 | $2,816 |
| 2012 | $3,935 | $5,339 | $3,005 | $2,834 |
| 2013 | $4,024 | $5,387 | $2,980 | $2,832 |
| 2014 | $3,983 | $5,468 | $2,973 | $2,890 |
| 2015 | $4,084 | $5,682 | $2,855 | $2,966 |
| 2016 | $4,147 | $6,141 | $2,956 | $3,030 |
| 2017 | $4,308 | $6,280 | $3,160 | $3,146 |
| 2018 | $4,232 | $6,318 | $3,207 | $3,233 |
| 2019 | $4,352 | $6,638 | $3,207 | $3,315 |
| 2020 | $4,100 | $6,451 | $3,043 | $3,118 |
| 2021 | $3,948 | $6,214 | $3,212 | $3,136 |
| 2022 | $3,869 | $6,260 | $3,292 | $3,453 |
| 2023 | $4,330 | $7,037 | $3,515 | $3,461 |
| 2024 | $4,899 | $7,837 | $3,543 | $3,602 |
Spending and national debt comparison
In 2024, Samoa's government spending was $310M, accounting for 33.1% of its GDP, while Vanuatu's spent $442M, or 38.6% of GDP.
Debt-to-GDP ratio is 22.5% in Samoa and 48.5% in Vanuatu, ranking 172/185 and 113/185, respectively.
| Year | % of GDP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|||
| Government spending | Government debt | Government spending | Government debt | |
| 1991 | - | - | 33.2% | 15.9% |
| 1992 | 43.4% | - | 31.8% | 21% |
| 1993 | 49.5% | - | 26.2% | 20.3% |
| 1994 | 54.1% | - | 24.4% | 21.6% |
| 1995 | 42.2% | - | 28% | 24.1% |
| 1996 | 38.9% | - | 24.5% | 23.1% |
| 1997 | 31% | - | 22.2% | 22.9% |
| 1998 | 28.1% | 58.9% | 27.9% | 28% |
| 1999 | 33.8% | 59.4% | 23.9% | 30.6% |
| 2000 | 30.4% | 55.8% | 25.4% | 36.1% |
| 2001 | 30% | 53.8% | 22.3% | 37% |
| 2002 | 30.7% | 50.3% | 22.3% | 38.8% |
| 2003 | 28.5% | 42.8% | 18.8% | 38.3% |
| 2004 | 27.3% | 39.8% | 18.5% | 30.4% |
| 2005 | 30.6% | 34.2% | 18.3% | 26.3% |
| 2006 | 27.7% | 33.5% | 20.1% | 22.2% |
| 2007 | 31.1% | 31.5% | 22.5% | 19.5% |
| 2008 | 27.7% | 28.2% | 27.8% | 21.2% |
| 2009 | 31.5% | 33.3% | 27.6% | 21.1% |
| 2010 | 29.4% | 40.3% | 28.3% | 20.2% |
| 2011 | 33.7% | 41.5% | 25.1% | 21.3% |
| 2012 | 33.6% | 50.9% | 24.5% | 19.3% |
| 2013 | 30.7% | 54.1% | 22.9% | 18.6% |
| 2014 | 35.3% | 54.9% | 23.3% | 20.2% |
| 2015 | 30.5% | 56.4% | 42.4% | 36.3% |
| 2016 | 27.3% | 49% | 35.2% | 42.5% |
| 2017 | 30.9% | 46.7% | 37.1% | 52.6% |
| 2018 | 30% | 49.4% | 33.3% | 45.3% |
| 2019 | 31.8% | 44.3% | 39.8% | 45.1% |
| 2020 | 30.5% | 43.2% | 43.4% | 48% |
| 2021 | 34.7% | 46.3% | 44.4% | 48.5% |
| 2022 | 33.2% | 43.8% | 42% | 43.1% |
| 2023 | 32.1% | 35.4% | 41.6% | 40.6% |
| 2024 | 29% | 27.7% | 38% | 44.6% |
| 2025 | 33.1% | 22.5% | 38.6% | 48.5% |
Government deficit by year
In 2024, Samoa's government surplus, the difference between spending and revenue, was $109M, equivalent to 10.2% of GDP. This compares to Vanuatu's deficit of -$75.1M, or -6.47% of GDP.
Over the past 33 years, Samoa recorded a fiscal deficit in 20 of those years, while Vanuatu ran a deficit in 25 years. On average, Samoa posted an annual deficit equal to -1.46% of GDP, compared to deficit of -1.65% of GDP for Vanuatu.
| Year | Deficit/surplus, % of GDP | |
|---|---|---|
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|
| 1991 | - | -2.81% |
| 1992 | -9.89% | -2.32% |
| 1993 | -13.2% | -3.67% |
| 1994 | -9.51% | -1.49% |
| 1995 | -5.82% | -2.59% |
| 1996 | 1.21% | -1.78% |
| 1997 | 1.92% | -0.51% |
| 1998 | 1.64% | -6.65% |
| 1999 | 0.27% | -0.55% |
| 2000 | -0.62% | -6.28% |
| 2001 | -1.96% | -3.33% |
| 2002 | -1.77% | -3.63% |
| 2003 | -0.51% | -1.35% |
| 2004 | -0.74% | 0.8% |
| 2005 | 0.23% | 1.86% |
| 2006 | -0.44% | 0.49% |
| 2007 | 0.55% | 0.28% |
| 2008 | -0.36% | -0.04% |
| 2009 | -2.98% | -0.85% |
| 2010 | -5.49% | -2.63% |
| 2011 | -5.25% | -2.19% |
| 2012 | -7.43% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | -3.82% | -0.25% |
| 2014 | -5.38% | 1.44% |
| 2015 | -3.79% | -8.66% |
| 2016 | -0.35% | -0.72% |
| 2017 | -1.98% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 0.06% | 6.26% |
| 2019 | 1.51% | 2.81% |
| 2020 | 5.41% | -1.95% |
| 2021 | 1.74% | 2.38% |
| 2022 | 5.37% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 3.01% | -3.47% |
| 2024 | 10.2% | -6.47% |
| 2025 | -0.11% | -5.96% |
Inflation comparison by year
Over the past 28 years, Samoa has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 3.95%, compared with 2.93% in Vanuatu. In 2023, inflation was 2.17% in Samoa and 11.2% in Vanuatu.
| Year | Inflation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
| 1996 | 5.37% | 0.91% | |
| 1997 | 6.86% | 2.83% | |
| 1998 | 2.22% | 3.28% | |
| 1999 | 0.27% | 2% | |
| 2000 | 0.97% | 2.54% | |
| 2001 | 3.84% | 3.58% | |
| 2002 | 8.05% | 1.96% | |
| 2003 | 0.12% | 3.02% | |
| 2004 | 16.3% | 1.42% | |
| 2005 | 1.86% | 1.2% | |
| 2006 | 3.7% | 2.04% | |
| 2007 | 5.58% | 3.94% | |
| 2008 | 11.6% | 4.84% | |
| 2009 | 6.32% | 4.3% | |
| 2010 | 0.78% | 2.76% | |
| 2011 | 5.24% | 0.87% | |
| 2012 | 2.05% | 1.35% | |
| 2013 | 0.61% | 1.46% | |
| 2014 | -0.41% | 0.8% | |
| 2015 | 0.72% | 2.48% | |
| 2016 | 1.3% | 0.84% | |
| 2017 | 1.75% | 3.08% | |
| 2018 | 4.2% | 2.33% | |
| 2019 | 0.98% | 2.76% | |
| 2020 | -1.57% | 5.33% | |
| 2021 | 3.13% | 2.34% | |
| 2022 | 11% | 6.68% | |
| 2023 | 7.92% | 11.2% | |
| 2024 | 2.17% | - | |
Top exports between countries
Balance of trade
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
Current account balance
|
$78.8M
2024 |
-$127M
2022 |
| Current account balance ranking |
68/189
2024 |
88/189
2022 |
| Current account balance, % of GDP |
+7.38%
2024 |
-12.4%
2022 |
| Goods imports |
$448M
2024 |
$350M
2022 |
| Goods exports |
$42.2M
2024 |
$73.6M
2022 |
| Service imports |
$128M
2024 |
$230M
2022 |
| Service exports |
$327M
2024 |
$78.5M
2022 |
| Imports of goods and services, % of GDP |
53.8%
2024 |
55.5%
2022 |
| Exports of goods and services, % of GDP |
29.3%
2024 |
9.65%
2022 |
Economic freedom indices
The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Economic freedom | 66.6 | 61.8 |
| Economic freedom ranking | 56/197 | 86/197 |
| Property rights | 76.1 | 61.4 |
| Government integrity | 60.3 | 48.1 |
| Judicial effectiveness | 77.7 | 71.3 |
| Tax burden | 79 | 97.6 |
| Government spending | 67.3 | 43.1 |
| Fiscal health | 97.8 | 85.4 |
| Business freedom | 63.5 | 55.5 |
| Labor freedom | 76.2 | 48.8 |
| Monetary freedom | 64.6 | 65.7 |
| Trade freedom | 67.2 | 59.4 |
| Investment freedom | 40 | 65 |
| Financial freedom | 30 | 40 |
Economic freedom by year comparison
The Economic Freedom Index for Samoa is 66.6, ranking 56/197, compared to 61.8 for Vanuatu, ranking 86/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.
| Year | Economic freedom index | |
|---|---|---|
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|
| 1996 | 47.6 | - |
| 1997 | 51.5 | - |
| 1998 | 49.9 | - |
| 1999 | 58.7 | - |
| 2000 | 60.8 | - |
| 2001 | 63.1 | - |
| 2002 | - | - |
| 2003 | - | - |
| 2004 | - | - |
| 2005 | - | - |
| 2006 | - | - |
| 2007 | - | - |
| 2008 | - | - |
| 2009 | 59.5 | 58.4 |
| 2010 | 60.4 | 56.4 |
| 2011 | 60.6 | 56.7 |
| 2012 | 60.5 | 56.6 |
| 2013 | 57.1 | 56.6 |
| 2014 | 61.1 | 59.5 |
| 2015 | 61.9 | 61.1 |
| 2016 | 63.5 | 60.8 |
| 2017 | 58.4 | 67.4 |
| 2018 | 61.5 | 69.5 |
| 2019 | 62.2 | 56.4 |
| 2020 | 62.1 | 60.7 |
| 2021 | 61.9 | 60.5 |
| 2022 | 68.3 | 62.9 |
| 2023 | 68.3 | 62.1 |
| 2024 | 67.2 | 62.2 |
| 2025 | 66.6 | 61.8 |
More economic indicators
|
Samoa
|
Vanuatu
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Services, % of GDP |
72.5%
2024 |
60.4%
2022 |
| Industry, % of GDP |
10.9%
2024 |
7.55%
2022 |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP |
11%
2024 |
24.9%
2022 |
|
GNI, Atlas method
|
$1.01B
2024 |
$1.29B
2024 |
| GNI per capita, PPP |
$7,720
2024 |
$4,120
2024 |
| Total reserves including gold |
$508M
2024 |
$615M
2024 |
| Total reserves ranking |
155/177
2024 |
152/177
2024 |
|
Net foreign direct investment
|
-$1.69M
2024 |
-$9.21M
2022 |
|
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
|
$3.74M
2024 |
$28.9M
2024 |
|
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
|
$2.05M
2024 |
$2.79M
2024 |
|
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
|
4.23%
2023 |
1.99%
2023 |
| Poverty at national poverty lines |
21.9%
2018 |
15.9%
2020 |
|
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
|
32.8%
2024 |
39.2%
2022 |
GDP per capita map
GDP per capita
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Economy comparisons
The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.
Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.
A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.
Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.
Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.
Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.