PRESS RELEASE: Preliminary Results of the Population and Housing Census, 2021
SAMOA, April 27 - Apia Samoa, April 28th, 2022
This report presents a preliminary count of the total population residing in Samoa as collected & compiled during the census enumeration period which was conducted from the 18th October to 6th November 2021. The preliminary count indicates a total population of 200,010 persons in which 51 percent are males and 49 percent are females. This compares with a total population count of 195,979 persons at the last census conducted in November 2016 with no changes in the gender composition. This Census is held every 5 years and the recent result indicates a net increase in Samoa’s population of 4,031 over the five year period.
The Census results have been compiled in accordance with the following geographic dimensions:
- 4 Statistical Regions ( Apia Urban Area, North West Upolu, Manono & Apolima, Rest of Upolu, and Savaii)
- 51 Political Districts ( 20 In Savaii and 31 in Upolu & Manono and Apolima)
This is the first census that the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) method was used to collect the information compared to the Paper And Pencil Interview (PAPI) method used in the previous census. It is also the first time the population has been tabulated based on the new distribution of political districts and villages used in the national election by the Office of the Electoral Commission in April 2021.
The results of this latest Census will help inform the public of the changes that are taking place in the population count of Samoa and the impact of these changes on the social and economic development within villages and communities. The next release will disseminate the final count and the analysis report of all the information collected from the census.
The support and assistance by one of our donor partners, in particular the UNFPA is acknowledged and appreciated. The strong cooperation by all the household respondents in providing the information requested is also acknowledged with appreciation.
Lastly, the dedicated and committed work by the 220 temporary workers involved in the collection o f census data deserves special mention and recognition.
Afioga Leota Laki Lamositele
Minister for Samoa Bureau of Statistics
