Moving to American Samoa: visas, cost of living & immigrant guide

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Population

43,895

Population Growth Rate

-1.54%

Urban Population

• population: 87.2% of total population rate of
• urbanization: 0.26% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

49,000 PAGO PAGO (capital)

Population: Male/Female

• male: 21,804
• female: 22,091

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Age Structure

25.3% (male 5,738/female 5,387)

Median Age

• total: 30 years
• male: 29.4 years
• female: 30.6 years

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population

16

Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population

6.3

Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman

2.06

Gross reproduction rate

1

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

53.5%

Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female

• birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14
• years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64
• years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and
• over: 0.88 male(s)/female total
• population: 0.99 male(s)/female

Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population

-24.8

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%

Language Note

Samoan 87.9% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages), English 3.3%, Tongan 2.1%, other Pacific Islander 4.1%, Asian languages 2.1%, other 0.5%

Nationality Noun

• noun: American Samoan(s) (US nationals)
• adjective: American Samoan

Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)

0.000000

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Life Expectancy at Birth

• population: 75.8 years
• male: 73.4 years
• female: 78.5 years

Infant Mortality Rate

• total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births

• total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births
• female: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population

1

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

74.6%

Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved

• improved: urban: NA
• rural: NA
• total: 99.8% of population
• unimproved: urban: NA
• rural: NA
• total: 0.2% of population

Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved

• improved: 99% of population
• unimproved: 1% of population

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Economic Overview

American Samoa is a traditional Polynesian economy in which more than 90% of the land is communally owned.

Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its commerce.

Tuna fishing and processing are the backbone of the private sector with processed fish products as the primary exports.

The fish processing business accounted for 15.5% of employment in 2015.

In late September 2009, an earthquake and the resulting tsunami devastated American Samoa and nearby Samoa, disrupting transportation and power generation, and resulting in about 200 deaths.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency oversaw a relief program of nearly $25 million.

Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being.

Attempts by the government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes.

Tourism has some potential as a source of income and jobs.

Industries

Tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,000.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

-2.4%

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GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)

$658,000,000 (USD)

GDP Per Capita

$13,000.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

-2.4%

GDP - official exchange rate

$748,600,000 (USD)

GDP - composition, by end use

• Consumption: 54.6% Government
• Consumption: 52.8% Investment in Fixed
• Capital: 2.7% Investment in
• Inventories: 2.3% Exports of Goods and
• Services: 54.4% Imports of Goods and
• Services: -66.8%

GDP by Sector- agriculture

27.4%

GDP by Sector- Industry

12.4%

GDP by Sector- services

60.2%

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Inflation Rate

2.1%

Exchange Rate per US Dollar

The US dollar is used

Currency Name and Code

US Dollar (USD)

Fiscal Year

1 October - 30 September

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Labor Force

16,090

Unemployment Rate

29.8%

Major Industries

Tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels), handicrafts

Agriculture Products

Bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock

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Labor Force By Occupation- industry

13.1%

Labor Force By Occupation- services

86.9%

Annual Budget

$241,200,000 (USD)

Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP

-0.3%

Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP

32.2%

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Full Country Name

American Samoa

Country Name

American Samoa

Abbreviation

AS

Former Name

Eastern Samoa

Etymology- history of name

• the meaning of Samoa is disputed
• some modern explanations are that the "sa" connotes "sacred" and "moa" indicates "center," so the name can mean "Holy Center"
• alternatively, some assertions state that it can mean "place of the sacred moa bird" of Polynesian mythology
• the name, however, may go back to Proto-Polynesian (PPn) times (before 1000 B.C.)
• a plausible PPn reconstruction has the first syllable as "sa'a" meaning "tribe or people" and "moa" meaning "deep sea or ocean" to convey the meaning "people of the deep sea"

Independence

none (territory of the US)

National Holiday

Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

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Government Type

unincorporated, unorganized Territory of the US with local self-government; republican form of territorial government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches

Constitution

• history: adopted 17 October 1960; revised 1 July 1967
• amendments: 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; amended several times, last in 2021

Legal System:

mixed legal system of US common law and customary law

Executive Branch:

• chief of state: President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)
• head of government: Governor Nikolao PULA (since 3 January 2025)
• cabinet: Cabinet consists of 12 department directors appointed by the governor with the consent of the Legislature or Fono 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) most recent election
• date: 19 November 2024
• 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% expected date of next
• election: November 2028

Legislative Branch:

• Description: bicameral Legislature or Fono consists of: Senate (18 seats; members indirectly selected by regional governing councils to serve 4-year terms) House of Representatives (21 seats; 20 members in single- and multi-seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority popular vote and 1 decided by public meeting on Swains Island; members serve 2-year terms)
• Elections: - Senate - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2024) House of Representatives - last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)
• Election Results: - Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independent 18;
• Composition: men 17, women 1; percent of women 5.6% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA;
• Composition: men 20, women 1; percent of women 4.8% note total Legislature percent of women 5.1%
• Note: American Samoa elects 1 member by simple majority popular vote to serve a 2-year term as a delegate to the US House of Representatives; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegate last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held in November 2022); Amata Coleman RADEWAGEN elected delegate; Amata Coleman RADEWAGEN (Republican Party) 83.5%, Oreta CHRICHTON (Democratic Party) 14.4%, Meleagi SUITONU-CHAPMAN (Democratic Party) 2.1%

Judicial Branch:

• 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
• subordinate courts: district and village courts

Regions or States:

• Summary: none (territory
• of the US)
• there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government
• but there are 3 districts and 2 islands* at the second order Eastern
• Manu'a
• Rose Island*
• Swains Island*
• Western

Political Parties and Leaders:

• Democratic Party [T'ia REID, chairman]
• Republican Party [Taulapapa William SWORD, chairman]

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship Criteria:

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

Capital Name

Pago Pago (pronounced pahn-go pahn-go)

Capital - geographic coordinate

14 16 S, 170 42 W

Capital Time Difference

UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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International Organization Participation:

AOSIS (observer), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, PIF (observer), SPC

Diplomatic Representation from US:

• Embassy: none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

• none (territory of the US)

Dependency Status

unincorporated, unorganized Territory of the US

administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

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Geographic Location

Oceania

Geographic Coordinates

14 20 S, 170 00 W

Total Area

77 Square Miles 199 Square Kilometers

Land Area

77 Square Miles 199 Square Kilometers

Coastline

72 Miles 116 Kilometers

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Terrain

Five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Highest Point

964 Meters

Highest Point Location

Lata 966 m

Lowest Point Location

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Natural Resources

Pumice, pumicite

Time Zone

UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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Climate

• Tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds
• annual rainfall averages about 3 m
• rainy season from November to April, dry season from May to October
• little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

Five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Location

Oceania, a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Total Area

77 Square Miles 199 Square Kilometers

Environment - Current Issues

Limited natural freshwater resources

the water division of the government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to improve water catchments and pipelines

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Exports

$459,000,000 (USD)

Imports

$564,000,000 (USD)

Major Exports

Canned tuna 93%

Major Imports

Raw materials for canneries, food, petroleum products, machinery and parts

Top Export Partners

United States 100%

Export Partners

United States 100%

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Airports - total

3

Airports with Paved Runways

3

Roadways- total

150 Miles 241 Kilometers

Ports and Terminals

Aunu'u (new construction), Auasi, Faleosao, Ofu, Pago Pago, Ta'u

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Telephones

10,400

Cell Phones

2,200

Internet Country Code

.as

Internet Hosts

1,676

Broadcast Media

• 3 TV stations
• multi-channel pay-TV services are available
• about a dozen radio stations, some of which are repeater stations

Telephone System

• Assessment: good telex, telegraph, facsimile, and cellular telephone services
• Domestic: domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
• International: country code - 1-684; satellite earth station - 1 (Intelsat-Pacific Ocean)

Electricity Consumption- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

172,100,000

Electricity Production- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

185,000,000

Oil Consumption- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

5,115

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Anthem History

American Samoa is like other American territories (and states) in that the official anthem is the one of the parent country (the United States), but there is an official territorial anthem as well, entitled "Amerika Samoa".

The words are by Mariota Tiumalu Tuiasosopo It has been in use since 1950 The music is by Napoleon Andrew Tuiteleleapaga

Anthem Lyrics

Amerika Samoa Lo’u Atunu’u pele ‘oe Oute tiu I lou igoa O ‘oe o lo’u fa’amoemoe O ‘oe ole Penina ole Pasefika E mo’omia e motu e lima E ua ta’uta’ua au aga I fanua Ma ou tala mai anamua Tutuila ma Manu’a Ala mai ia tu I luga Tautua ma punou I lou Malo la manuia ia ulu ola Amerika Samoa Ole Malo ole sa’olotoga Tautua ma punou I lou Malo Ia manuia ia ulu ola Amerika Samoa Ole Malo ole sa’olotoga Soifua ma ia manuia, Teine Samoa Tautua ma punou I lou Malo Ia manuia ia ulu ola Amerika Samoa Ole Malo ole sa’olotoga Soifua ma ia manuia, Teine Samoa

Anthem Lyrics English

American Samoa You are my beloved Country I stand in your name You are my hope You are the Pearl of the Pacific The five islands need it Your actions are well known in the land And your stories from ancient times Tutuila and Manua Wake up and stand up Serve and bow to your Kingdom Blessed are the living heads American Samoa The Government is free Serve and bow to your Kingdom Bless the living heads American Samoa The Government is free Live and prosper, Samoan girl Serve and bow to your Kingdom Bless the living heads American Samoa The Government is free Live and prosper, Samoan girl