Population study in Samoa

Created by

Aumua

Cards (14)

Census 
A count of the population and housing carried out by the Department of Statistics every five years
The Department of Statistics uses census information to summarise patterns (based on age, gender and even location) at different scales
Population growth in the 1950s and 1960s
Natural increase was high (reaching 4% per year in the mid-1960s)
Actual percentage change in total population was lower due to emigration
Emigration from Samoa 
4500 people emigrated from Samoa to New Zealand between 1961 and 1966
3000 emigrated to American Samoa and the United States
Emigration from Samoa 
Caused national population growth rates to decrease or fall
Development of commercial banana and cocoa farming in the 1950s
Increased the chances to earn cash
Internal migration 
People often followed 'channels of kinship' to move from areas of less opportunity to places with better resources and economic prospects
Extensions to roads in the 1960s and 1970s
Reduced relative economic disadvantages, so migration between rural areas declined and migration along the road networks to Apia increased
Rural to rural migration tends to be from villages further away from Apia to the villages close to Apia
Some Faipule Districts are decreasing in population numbers due to migration
Migration to countries like New Zealand and the United States
Has had a huge impact on the population of Samoa
Population growth rate is much less than the birth rate and natural increase
In 1990–91, about 154,000 Samoans (including people originally from American Samoa) were living in New Zealand, the United States and Australia
It has been estimated that 45% of the Samoans in the world live outside of Samoa and American Samoa
Urbanisation in Samoa 
The only urban area is Apia, the capital
Apia's population grew from 18,153 in 1956 to 38,836 in 2001, but growth rate has slowed
Significant movement of people to villages close to Apia, but not counted as urban growth