Photo: Neil derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 05 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Samoa: Health & Wellbeing
How long, and how well fed, do people live?
Samoa is placed 95th of 200 countries on health & wellbeing in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Life Expectancy at Birth 71.7 (2023); Under-Five Mortality Rate 14.86 (2024).
Share
Health & Wellbeing
95th
of 200 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 71.7Life Expectancy at Birth, 2023Years a newborn would live at current death rates
- 14.86Under-Five Mortality Rate, 2024Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)
- 7.293Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five, 2024Children under 5 who are stunted (%)
- 4.5Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity, 2024Population in severe food insecurity (%)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Samoa on health & wellbeing — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Life Expectancy at Birth
UN DESA Population Division
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
71.7
Years a newborn would live at current death rates
Higher is better
Samoa: 71.7. Across the 222 countries in this edition, values run from 54.46 (Nigeria) to 86.37 (Monaco); the world median is 74.63.
- World median
- 74.63
- Best in Polynesia
- 84.07 French Polynesia
Key 2 of 4
Under-Five Mortality Rate
UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
14.86
Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)
Lower is better
Samoa: 14.86. Across the 200 countries in this edition, values run from 1.26 (San Marino) to 115.65 (Nigeria); the world median is 14.54.
- World median
- 14.54
- Best in Polynesia
- 9.513 Tonga
Key 3 of 4
Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five
UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Samoa’s is from 2019 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
7.293
Children under 5 who are stunted (%)
Lower is better
Samoa: 7.293. Across the 162 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.518 (Latvia) to 52.8 (Burundi); the world median is 13.8.
- World median
- 13.8
- Best in Polynesia
- 2.177 Tonga
Key 4 of 4
Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
4.5
Population in severe food insecurity (%)
Lower is better
Samoa: 4.5. Across the 125 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Brazil) to 62.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 4.9.
- World median
- 4.9
- Best in Polynesia
- 4.5 Samoa
02Over time
Which way Samoa is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Life Expectancy at Birth
Years a newborn would live at current death rates · higher is better
SamoaWorld median
Samoa rose from 70.79 in 2000 to 71.7 in 2023; the world median went from 70.68 to 74.63.
Every year’s figures
Year Samoa World median 2023 71.698 74.630 2022 71.550 74.313 2021 71.096 72.433 2020 70.727 73.063 2019 70.270 74.196 2018 71.052 74.081 2017 70.991 74.029 2016 71.003 74.013 2015 71.060 73.783 2014 71.142 73.330 2013 71.229 73.386 2012 71.159 73.210 2011 71.393 73.003 2010 71.451 72.827 2009 69.486 72.426 2008 71.531 72.264 2007 71.605 72.113 2006 71.620 72.027 2005 71.487 71.876 2004 71.508 71.477 2003 71.441 71.409 2002 71.233 71.173 2001 71.028 70.926 2000 70.791 70.678 Under-Five Mortality Rate
Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births) · lower is better
SamoaWorld median
Samoa fell from 20.96 in 2000 to 14.86 in 2024; the world median went from 30.43 to 14.54.
Every year’s figures
Year Samoa World median 2024 14.86 14.5 2023 15.33 15.2 2022 15.78 14.7 2021 16.23 15.1 2020 16.69 15.3 2019 20.00 15.7 2018 17.49 16.3 2017 17.82 16.8 2016 18.07 17.5 2015 18.27 17.9 2014 18.47 18.3 2013 18.66 18.7 2012 18.85 18.8 2011 18.97 19.0 2010 19.05 19.2 2009 25.33 20.8 2008 19.03 20.7 2007 18.99 21.8 2006 18.96 22.8 2005 19.01 24.0 2004 19.15 25.9 2003 19.41 26.9 2002 19.78 28.0 2001 20.30 29.1 2000 20.96 30.4 Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity
Population in severe food insecurity (%) · lower is better
SamoaWorld median
Samoa rose from 3.4 in 2017 to 4.5 in 2024; the world median went from 4 to 4.9.
Every year’s figures
Year Samoa World median 2024 4.5 4.9 2023 4.5 4.7 2022 4.3 5.4 2021 4.1 5.7 2020 3.9 5.6 2019 3.6 5.0 2018 3.5 4.2 2017 3.4 4.0 2016 — 3.4 2015 — 3.4
03In context
Samoa beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 200 countries on health & wellbeing, never a place within the region.
Samoa and Polynesia
Samoa has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 200; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Life Expectancy at BirthYears a newborn would live at current death rates | Under-Five Mortality RateDeaths before age five (per 1,000 live births) | Stunting Prevalence in Children Under FiveChildren under 5 who are stunted (%) | Prevalence of Severe Food InsecurityPopulation in severe food insecurity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tonga | 64th | 72.89 | 9.513 | 2.177 | — |
| Samoa | 95th | 71.7 | 14.86 | 7.293 | 4.5 |
 Cook Islands | 98th | 75.28 | 13.34 | — | — |
 Tuvalu | 106th | 67.1 | 19.17 | 5.676 | — |
 Niue | 142nd | 69.98 | 23.79 | — | — |
 American Samoa | not placed | 72.85 | — | — | — |
 French Polynesia | not placed | 84.07 | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Polynesia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 200.
Placed either side on health & wellbeing
The countries immediately above and below Samoa in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Samoa is ahead of the world, and behind
45 more statistics filed under health & wellbeing, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median18
Statistics on which Samoa does better than the middle country measured.
PM2.5 Air Pollution ExposureAtmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis · 2023 · world median 14.453.314.45▲ Improved since 2013
Samoa: 3.3 · world median 14.45 · Population-weighted PM2.5 concentration (µg/m³). Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2.5 to 68.2; lower is better.
Position 214th of 220 · derived, 1st = worst.
Fruit Supply per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 84.83176.5384.83No real change since 2013
Samoa: 176.53 · world median 84.83 · Fruit available as food, excluding wine (kg per person per year). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.27 to 379.63; higher is better.
Days Above 35°CECMWF · 2025 · world median 3.4803.48No real change since 2015
Samoa: 0 · world median 3.48 · Days a year with a maximum temperature above 35°C, averaged over the country’s land. World Bank Group (Climate Change Knowledge Portal), from Copernicus ERA5 (ECMWF), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 222.89; lower is better.
HPV Vaccination Coverage, GirlsWUENIC · 2025 · world median 65.58765.5▲ Improved since 2022
Samoa: 87 · world median 65.5 · Girls in the target group given the final dose of HPV vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 99; higher is better.
Oral Rehydration Salts for Children with DiarrhoeaUNICEF · 2024 · world median 41.558.641.5No earlier reading
Samoa: 58.6 · world median 41.5 · Children under 5 with diarrhoea given oral rehydration salts (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 9.9 to 95.4; higher is better.
Position 28th of 127 · derived.
Exclusive Breastfeeding Under Six MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 40.7451.7440.74No earlier reading
Samoa: 51.74 · world median 40.74 · Infants under 6 months exclusively breastfed (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.497 to 83.3; higher is better.
Position 40th of 136 · derived.
Dietary Energy SupplyFAO · 2024 · world median 2,9823,2162,982▲ Improved since 2014
Samoa: 3,216 · world median 2,982 · Dietary energy supply (kcal per person per day). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1,757 to 3,962; higher is better.
Position 56th of 155 · derived.
Wasting Prevalence in Children Under FiveUNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) · 2024 · world median 3.5463.0573.546No earlier reading
Samoa: 3.057 · world median 3.546 · Children under 5 who are wasted (%). UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.1 to 22.74; lower is better.
Position 99th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
Care-Seeking for Children with Symptoms of PneumoniaUNICEF · 2024 · world median 67.772.467.7No earlier reading
Samoa: 72.4 · world median 67.7 · Children under 5 with pneumonia symptoms taken to a health provider (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 14 to 99.1; higher is better.
Position 51st of 127 · derived.
Neonatal Mortality RateUN IGME · 2024 · world median 8.1345.8398.134No real change since 2014
Samoa: 5.839 · world median 8.134 · Deaths in the first 28 days (per 1,000 live births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.544 to 39.47; lower is better.
Position 121st of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.0250.039No real change since 2022
Samoa: 0.025 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 65th of 109 · derived, 1st = worst.
Mortality Rate, Ages 5–14UN IGME · 2024 · world median 2.8582.1732.858▲ Improved since 2014
Samoa: 2.173 · world median 2.858 · Deaths between ages 5 and 14 (per 1,000 children aged 5). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.392 to 59.04; lower is better.
Position 117th of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Prevalence of UndernourishmentFAO · 2023 · world median 5.23.65.2No real change since 2013
Samoa: 3.6 · world median 5.2 · Population undernourished (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2.5 to 54.2; lower is better.
Position 95th of 104 · derived, 1st = worst.
Share of Dietary Energy Supply from Cereals, Roots and TubersFAO · 2022 · world median 413941▼ Worsened since 2012
Samoa: 39 · world median 41 · Share of dietary energy supply from cereals, roots and tubers (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 21 to 82; lower is better.
Postnatal Care for Newborns Within Two DaysUNICEF · 2025 · world median 82.98582.9No earlier reading
Samoa: 85 · world median 82.9 · Newborns with a health check within 2 days of birth (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 7.3 to 99.9; higher is better.
Position 53rd of 109 · derived.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.918.220.9▲ Improved since 2017
Samoa: 18.2 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 70th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Early Initiation of BreastfeedingUNICEF · 2024 · world median 52.9552.9852.95No earlier reading
Samoa: 52.98 · world median 52.95 · Newborns put to the breast within one hour of birth (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 7.749 to 93.1; higher is better.
Position 68th of 136 · derived.
Infant Mortality RateUN IGME · 2024 · world median 12.2612.2612.26▼ Worsened since 2014
Samoa: 12.26 · world median 12.26 · Deaths before age one (per 1,000 live births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.214 to 71.87; lower is better.
Position 101st of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median19
Statistics on which Samoa does worse than the middle country measured.
Human Capital IndexWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 0.5640.5480.564▲ Improved since 2018
Samoa: 0.548 · world median 0.564 · HCI score (0–1). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 0.292 to 0.879; higher is better.
Position 91st of 172 · derived.
Stillbirth RateUN IGME · 2023 · world median 8.1638.4358.163No real change since 2013
Samoa: 8.435 · world median 8.163 · Stillbirths (per 1,000 total births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.18 to 34.9; lower is better.
Position 95th of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 21.2622.6521.26No earlier reading
Samoa: 22.65 · world median 21.26 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at most 2 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.169 to 63.08; lower is better.
Position 50th of 113 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.4160.351▲ Improved since 2019
Samoa: 0.416 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 105th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.7620.7080.762▼ Worsened since 2013
Samoa: 0.708 · world median 0.762 · HDI score (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.388 to 0.972; higher is better.
Ranked 122nd of 193 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4643.5427.46▼ Worsened since 2013
Samoa: 43.54 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 79th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8169.881No earlier reading
Samoa: 69.8 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 100th of 153 · derived.
Adult Mortality (Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 133.7165.5133.7▼ Worsened since 2013
Samoa: 165.5 · world median 133.7 · Deaths before age 60 per 1,000 people alive at 15, at that year's death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 25.15 to 415.44; lower is better.
Position 77th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.280.25▼ Worsened since 2014
Samoa: 0.28 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.65101.4946.65▼ Worsened since 2013
Samoa: 101.49 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 65th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.988.696.9No earlier reading
Samoa: 88.6 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Life Expectancy at Age 65UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 16.3914.7416.39▼ Worsened since 2013
Samoa: 14.74 · world median 16.39 · Further years a 65-year-old would live at current death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 12.13 to 23.21; higher is better.
Position 152nd of 222 · derived.
Immunisation Coverage, DTP3WUENIC · 2025 · world median 918491▲ Improved since 2015
Samoa: 84 · world median 91 · Infants given a third dose of DTP vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 39 to 99; higher is better.
Overweight Prevalence in Children Under FiveUNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) · 2024 · world median 5.59.4475.5▼ Worsened since 2014
Samoa: 9.447 · world median 5.5 · Children under 5 who are overweight (%). UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.623 to 26.43; lower is better.
Position 44th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
Minimum Dietary Diversity, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 37.5720.0537.57No earlier reading
Samoa: 20.05 · world median 37.57 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at least 5 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 8.089 to 85.88; higher is better.
Position 89th of 115 · derived.
Immunisation Coverage, Measles First Dose (MCV1)WUENIC · 2025 · world median 907690▲ Improved since 2015
Samoa: 76 · world median 90 · Infants given a first dose of measles vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 13 to 99; higher is better.
Vegetable Supply per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 102.6922.9102.69▼ Worsened since 2013
Samoa: 22.9 · world median 102.69 · Vegetables available as food (kg per person per year). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 6.89 to 412.72; higher is better.
Violent Discipline of ChildrenUNICEF · 2025 · world median 75.890.875.8No earlier reading
Samoa: 90.8 · world median 75.8 · Children aged 1-14 experiencing violent discipline (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 37.6 to 94; lower is better.
Position 4th of 90 · derived, 1st = worst.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2531.471.25▼ Worsened since 2013
Samoa: 31.4 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 191st of 196 · derived.
No better end8
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Meat Supply per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 57.83109.0557.83Moved since 2013
Samoa: 109.05 · world median 57.83 · Meat available as food (kg per person per year, carcass weight). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 3.49 to 156.95.
Fish and Seafood Supply per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 16.1746.6216.17No real change since 2013
Samoa: 46.62 · world median 16.17 · Fish and seafood available as food (kg per person per year, live-weight equivalent). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.38 to 83.81.
Children with Functional DifficultiesUNICEF · 2024 · world median 1322.613No earlier reading
Samoa: 22.6 · world median 13 · Children aged 5-17 with a functional difficulty (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.9 to 35.2.
Average Weekly Hours WorkedILO · 2025 · world median 38.8945.1138.89Moved since 2015
Samoa: 45.11 · world median 38.89 · Average weekly hours actually worked per employed person. International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 23.64 to 54.7.
Position 21st of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Pesticide Use per HectareFAO · 2024 · world median 1.739.51.73Moved since 2014
Samoa: 9.5 · world median 1.73 · Pesticide use (kg per hectare of cropland). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 37.72.
Position 31st of 178 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.658.420.65No earlier reading
Samoa: 8.4 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Modern Contraceptive PrevalenceUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 35.413.135.4Moved since 2013
Samoa: 13.1 · world median 35.4 · Share of all women aged 15–49 using a modern contraceptive method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2 to 73.8.
Contraceptive Prevalence (Any Method)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 41.2513.841.25Moved since 2013
Samoa: 13.8 · world median 41.25 · Share of all women aged 15–49 using any contraceptive method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 6.6 to 78.7.
No current reading for Samoa
Adults Who Have Been Too Anxious or Depressed to Carry On, Agreement That Vaccines Are Safe, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff (last 2020), Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Spending, Cost of a Healthy Diet, Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Fatal Occupational Injuries, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Global Report on Food Crises, INFORM Severity Index, Insecticide-Treated Net Use, Low Birthweight Prevalence, Malaria Incidence (P. falciparum), Malaria Incidence (P. vivax), Malaria Mortality (P. falciparum) and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Health & Wellbeing among Samoa’s 15 topics
Health & Wellbeing is Samoa’s 6th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability25th of 1863/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 56th of 1832/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties67th of 1983/4 keys
- Energy68th of 1652/3 keys
- Mobility & Trade73rd of 1773/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing95th of 2004/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience94th of 1933/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge99th of 1984/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation91st of 1762/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 106th of 1942/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality99th of 1592/3 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 136th of 1963/3 keys
- Food & Agriculture128th of 1843/4 keys
- Digital & Technology152nd of 1983/4 keys
- Work & Labour152nd of 1824/4 keys
No standing on Peace & Security: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on health & wellbeing
The three countries placed highest of 200, and the leaders Samoa can most readily be measured against.
1
San MarinoSouthern Europe
1st of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Matl derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
MonacoWestern Europe
2nd of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
AndorraSouthern Europe
3rd of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Tiia Monto derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 4 keys
South Korea5th4/4 keysHighest in Oceania
Australia38th3/4 keysHighest in Polynesia
Tonga64th3/4 keysThis page
Samoa95th4/4 keys
Positions out of 200 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Samoa and health & wellbeing
On health & wellbeing
Global Hunger Index 2025: Countries with the Most Alarming Hunger Crisis
Thirteen countries scored across four editions — 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2025 — and five the report could not score at all. DR Congo and South Sudan share 121st place on 37.5.
On health & wellbeing
World Happiness Report 2025: Finland Leads Again as the US and UK Face Major Declines
The ten highest life evaluations of 2025, drawn on a world map, and the six things the report uses to explain them. Costa Rica and Mexico are the only two outside Europe and the Middle East.
08Questions
Samoa on health & wellbeing: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Samoa rank on health & wellbeing?
Samoa is placed 95th of 200 countries on Health & Wellbeing in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Life Expectancy at Birth, Under-Five Mortality Rate, Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five and Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Life Expectancy at Birth figure for Samoa?
71.7 in 2023 (years a newborn would live at current death rates), according to UN DESA Population Division. The world median in the same edition was 74.63.
What is the latest Under-Five Mortality Rate figure for Samoa?
14.86 in 2024 (deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)), according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). The world median in the same edition was 14.54.
How have Samoa’s health & wellbeing figures changed?
Life Expectancy at Birth rose from 70.79 in 2000 to 71.7 in 2023; Under-Five Mortality Rate fell from 20.96 in 2000 to 14.86 in 2024; Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity rose from 3.4 in 2017 to 4.5 in 2024.
Which health & wellbeing statistics are missing for Samoa?
No current reading is published for Samoa on Adults Who Have Been Too Anxious or Depressed to Carry On, Agreement That Vaccines Are Safe, Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff, Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Spending, Cost of a Healthy Diet, Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Fatal Occupational Injuries, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Global Report on Food Crises, INFORM Severity Index, Insecticide-Treated Net Use, Low Birthweight Prevalence, Malaria Incidence (P. falciparum), Malaria Incidence (P. vivax), Malaria Mortality (P. falciparum) and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Health spending, hospital beds and doctors per person are not measured, because more of any of them does not guarantee better outcomes. Mental health and self-reported happiness are not part of this topic. Food supply per person is measured under Food & Agriculture. Maternal mortality and many other indicators are published here as context; maternal mortality is a key in Development & Human Capital instead.
How the Health & Wellbeing standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The health & wellbeing method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Life Expectancy at Birth — UN DESA Population Division, CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Under-Five Mortality Rate — UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five — UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 45 statistics on this page come from 13 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Samoa’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Samoa (banner) — Neil derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 2.0
- San Marino — Matl derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monaco — Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Andorra — Tiia Monto derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Samoa: Health & Wellbeing — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/samoa/health