Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Samoa
Samoa: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 17.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
17.5%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
231st
of 236 countries
All-time high
22.0%
in 2001
All-time low
12.7%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Samoa, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Samoa stood at 17.5%.
That represents a change of down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Samoa peaked at 22.0% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 1950.
That places Samoa 231st out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in Samoa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12.7% | — |
| 1951 | 13.7% | +7.5% |
| 1952 | 15.0% | +9.5% |
| 1953 | 16.3% | +8.5% |
| 1954 | 17.4% | +6.7% |
| 1955 | 18.2% | +4.7% |
| 1956 | 18.6% | +2.4% |
| 1957 | 18.7% | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 18.8% | +0.4% |
| 1959 | 18.8% | +0.3% |
| 1960 | 18.9% | +0.2% |
| 1961 | 18.9% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 19.0% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 19.1% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 19.2% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 19.2% | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 19.3% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 19.5% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 19.7% | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 20.0% | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 20.3% | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 20.6% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 20.7% | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 20.9% | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 21.0% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 21.0% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 21.1% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 21.1% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 21.2% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 21.2% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 21.2% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 21.2% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 21.2% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 21.0% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 20.8% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 20.6% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 20.5% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 20.5% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 20.6% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 20.8% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 21.0% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 21.1% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 21.2% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 21.3% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 21.4% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 21.6% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 21.7% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 21.8% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 21.8% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 21.9% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 22.0% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 21.8% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 21.5% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 21.2% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 21.0% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 20.7% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 20.4% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 20.1% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 19.8% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 19.6% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 19.5% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 19.3% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 19.2% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 19.0% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 18.7% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 18.1% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 17.6% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 17.5% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 17.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 17.5% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 17.5% | +0.0% |
Samoa compared with similar countries
- Samoa's 17.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 27% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Samoa's 17.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 27% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 16.8% | 12.7% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.3% | 18.9% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 20.9% | 20.3% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.8% | 20.5% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.5% | 21.0% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.3% | 20.1% | 22.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.2% | 18.4% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 17.5% | 18.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Samoa
- 228 Sri Lanka 20.5% compare
- 229 Niger 18.4% compare
- 230 Malawi 17.6% compare
- 232 Papua New Guinea 15.8% compare
- 233 Liechtenstein 14.6% compare
- 234 Montserrat 9.0% compare
More population data for Samoa
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1344 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.5509 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3243 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.3% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 25,608 people (2100)
- Population density 137.97 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.3% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3812 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.35 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Samoa?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in Samoa was 17.5% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Samoa?
- The highest recorded value was 22.0% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in Samoa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 1950.
- How does Samoa rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- Samoa ranks 231st out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Samoa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Samoa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.