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

Health

live 12.4 years less

In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 30.8% more likely to be obese

In French Polynesia, 49.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 57.1% less likely to be unemployed

In French Polynesia, 11.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.

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make 73.8% less money

French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $22,440 as of 2024, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.3 times more children

In French Polynesia, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.8 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, 12.3 children do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 84.0% less coastline

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

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Infrastructure

find 97.5% less home broadband

French Polynesia has 35.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 53.8% less CO2

French Polynesia emits 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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

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