🇼🇸Samoa Political Stability: 53.6/100

Samoa is located south of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and New Zealand, comprising two main islands, Upolu and Savai'i, along with eight smaller islets. The islands are volcanic in origin, with Savai'i being the largest and only currently active volcano. Samoa has an equatorial climate with an average annual temperature of 26.5 °C (79.7 °F) and a rainy season from November to April.

As of the 2021 Census, Samoa has a population of 205,557, with about 75% residing on Upolu. The population is predominantly Samoan, with Samoan and English as the official languages. The country is predominantly Christian, with various denominations represented.

World Bank governance: rule of law 59th percentile, corruption control 60th percentile, political stability 70th percentile.

Samoa's strongest governance dimension is Political Stability at 70/100, placing it in the upper half globally. This reflects a relatively low likelihood of politically motivated violence or instability.

The weakest dimension is Regulatory Quality at 22/100. Regulatory challenges may create an unpredictable environment for economic activity and daily life.

A wide 48-point gap between the highest and lowest indicators signals deeply uneven governance. Strong performance in Political Stability contrasts sharply with weakness in Regulatory Quality. This kind of imbalance often means that day-to-day experiences can vary dramatically depending on which government functions are involved.

Samoa's moderate governance scores suggest travelers should prepare for some institutional inconsistency. Public services may be unreliable in certain areas, and regulatory enforcement can be uneven. Travel insurance and advance planning are recommended.

The U.S. State Department currently rates Samoa as Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions). This aligns with a governance profile that, while not without challenges, provides a baseline of institutional functioning.