The Samoa Bureau of Statistics in partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC) launched its 3rd Poverty and hardship report on the 23rd of February 2023. This was based on the analysis of the 2018 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) which updates the previous analysis of the hardship indicators from the 2013/14 HIES.
Poverty as measured by the basic-needs poverty lines is here considered as a measure of the relative level of hardship or well-being experienced by households in similar circumstances within the country. It evaluates and defines hardship within the context of the costs of meeting a family’s basic-needs or a minimum standard of living in Samoa and its sub-regions of Apia, North-west Upolu, Rest of Upolu and Savaii. It is not an indicator of the existence in Samoa of absolute or extreme poverty as in other countries depicted through media. An estimation of National Food and Basic Needs Poverty Lines for Samoa is provided to enable determination of those living above and below a minimum standard of living that is appropriate to Samoa.
The report and its findings are therefore an important update on the success of previous policy initiatives and a valuable source of information to guide policies for the future. Findings recorded in this report provide invaluable insights into the impact of education, health and diet on the likelihood of a family experiencing hardship. Data collected are instrumental in identifying critical areas within the country in terms of employment opportunities and housing conditions as well as vulnerable age groups.
This report is pivotal for use by the Government, policy and decision-makers, community leaders and the business community in providing information to formulate necessary plans, policies, future developments and clear strategy that would improve the lives & wellbeing of the people of Samoa and targeting the poor in planning processes.
The Government of Samoa is grateful to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) for its support to the Bureau of Statistics in the production of this report. It is our intention that this, the third report on hardship and basic-needs poverty in Samoa, will be part of a continuing series of such reports to enable Samoa to assess and gauge the country’s progress in addressing the needs of the people and to report on the progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Read Samoa Poverty report.