Samoa
October 2024
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Estimated Australian ODA: $51.8 m (2024-25)
Gross National Income Per Capita: USD4,020 (2023)
Population: 222,382 (2022)
| Australian ODA | 2022-23 Actual ($m)* | 2023-24 Budget Estimate ($m)* | 2024-25 Budget Estimate ($m)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Programs | 26.5 | 29.0 | 29.0 |
| Regional | 30.1 | 20.9 | 19.1 |
| Global | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Other Government Departments | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Total ODA to Samoa | 60.3 | 53.5 | 51.8 |
*Due to rounding, discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items in totals.
Australia is Samoa’s largest development partner. Our development partnership is grounded in long-term, locally led programs, designed to directly respond to Samoan’s priorities.
Our development partnership operationalises commitments in the Samoa-Australia Bilateral Partnership Arrangement (signed 2023), including on climate and disaster resilience; economic growth and partnerships; human and social development; and people to people links.
Strategic direction
Our development cooperation is centred on listening, respect and genuine partnership, and advances our shared vision in the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy of a peaceful, prosperous, and resilient region. Australia is committed to supporting Samoa deliver on the Pathway for the Development of Samoa, and reach the Sustainable Development Goals. Locally-led development, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), and climate considerations are mainstreamed across the breadth of our partnership.
Program highlights
- Australia supports Samoa's development objectives through our long-term flagship partnerships: Tautua: Human Development for All ($40m, 2021-29), Tautai: Governance for Economic Growth ($45m 2022-30), and budget support ($50m 2023-31 bilaterally, plus regional program contributions including $20m in 2024).
- Australia is building Samoa's Legislative Assembly Office, with construction commencing in 2024.
- Contributions ($6m, 2022-25) to the World Bank's Health System Strengthening Program for Results helps Samoa address non-communicable diseases.
- PacificAus Sports and Team Up support activities in cricket, football, netball, rugby league and rugby union at elite and grassroots levels.
- In 2023-24, Australia provided 36 Australia Awards scholarships to Samoans, and Samoa hosted 7 Australian Volunteers.
- The Samoa-Australia Policing Partnership recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, and the Nafanua III Guardian Class Patrol Boat was officially handed over in November 2023.
- Australia and Samoa value the role of regional institutions, several of which are hosted in Samoa, for development, decision making, and collaborating on issues of regional significance.
