Country profile

Samoa

East Asia & PacificUpper middle income218K inhabitants

Last updated February 1, 2026

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Microstate notice: This country is classified as a microstate (population under 300,000) and is indexed but not included in GEFRI global or regional rankings.

Composite GEFRI Score

Emerging readiness

Samoa demonstrates early-stage readiness (54th percentile worldwide). Investments are generating initial gains, yet substantial gaps persist in several dimensions. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.

53.13Composite score
Global percentile
54th
Global rank
Not ranked (microstate)
Regional rank
Not ranked (microstate)
Viewing data for
Infrastructure
53.22
34th percentileGlobal avg. 56.42
Human Capital
48.09
45th percentileGlobal avg. 46.98
Innovation
31.93
31st percentileGlobal avg. 42.60
Governance
62.42
73rd percentileGlobal avg. 47.71
Access & Parity
70.00
57th percentileGlobal avg. 50.60

Country profile

Samoa performs close to the global average across all GEFRI dimensions. Progress is evident, yet stronger ambition is needed to reach futures readiness among global peers.

Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination. Low internet adoption slows digital participation and constrains system-wide modernization. Limited tertiary enrollment narrows future talent pipelines and innovation capacity.

Regulatory quality falls short of global standards, signalling structural hurdles in policy execution. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.

Infrastructure presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning. Regionally, Samoa leads most clearly in School Access and Gender Parity, sitting well above the peer average.

Note: Most indicators rely on observed data, offering a dependable evidence base for decisions.

Key insights

  • Scores range from Access & Parity (70.0) to Innovation (31.9), reflecting variation across dimensions.
  • Leads regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific

Composite GEFRI score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
21Korea, Rep.79.67
32Singapore78.66
53Hong Kong SAR, China77.89
114Japan76.54
145Australia76.14
206New Zealand73.28
497Brunei Darussalam61.59
——Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate61.59
508Thailand61.30
539Indonesia60.44
——NauruMicrostate59.98
——PalauMicrostate59.64
——American SamoaMicrostate59.46
——GuamMicrostate59.25
——New CaledoniaMicrostate59.13
5910Macao SAR, China58.49
——French PolynesiaMicrostate58.10
6611Viet Nam57.38
7112Fiji56.49
7213Mongolia56.33
7314Malaysia56.23
7515China55.15
——SamoaMicrostate53.13
8416Philippines52.72
——TuvaluFCSMicrostate51.68
——TongaMicrostate47.16
——KiribatiFCSMicrostate46.45
——Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate46.17
——Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate42.15
11017Timor-LesteFCS41.12
11218Vanuatu40.64
12419Korea, Dem. People's Rep.36.42
12920MyanmarFCS33.89
13121Cambodia33.02
13422Solomon IslandsFCS31.89
13723Lao PDR30.98
15324Papua New GuineaFCS25.55