2020 Edition

Background

Settlers from Papua arrived on the Solomon Islands around 30,000 years ago. About 6,000 years ago, Austronesian settlers came to the islands, and the two groups mixed extensively. Despite significant inter-island trade, no attempts were made to unite the islands into a single political entity. In 1568, a Spanish explorer became the first European to spot the islands. After a failed Spanish attempt at creating a permanent European settlement in the late 1500s, the Solomon Islands remained free of European contact until a British explorer arrived in 1767. European explorers and US and British whaling ships regularly visited the islands into the 1800s. Germany declared a protectorate over the northern Solomon Islands in 1885, and the UK established a protectorate over the southern islands in 1893. In 1899, Germany transferred its islands to the UK in exchange for the UK relinquishing all claims in Samoa. In 1942, Japan invaded the islands, and the Guadalcanal Campaign (August 1942-February 1943) proved a turning point in the Pacific theater of WWII. The fighting destroyed large parts of the Solomon Islands, and a nationalist movement emerged near the end of the war. By 1960, the British allowed some local autonomy. The islands were granted self-government in 1976 and independence two years later under Prime Minister Sir Peter KENILOREA. In 1999, longstanding tensions between ethnic Guale in Honiara and ethnic Malaitans in Honiara’s suburbs erupted in civil war, leading thousands of Malaitans to take refuge in Honiara and prompting Guale to flee the city. In 2000, newly elected Prime Minister Manasseh SOGAVARE focused on peace agreements and distributing resources equally among groups, but his actions bankrupted the government in 2001 and led to his ouster. In 2003, the Solomon Islands requested international assistance to reestablish law and order; the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, which ended in 2017, improved the security situation. In 2006, however, riots broke out in Honiara, and the city’s Chinatown was burned amid allegations that the prime minister took money from China. SOGAVARE was reelected prime minister for a fourth time in 2019. When a small group of protestors, mostly from the island of Malaita, approached parliament to lodge a petition calling for SOGAVARE’s removal and more development in Malaita in 2021, police fired tear gas into the crowd which sparked rioting and looting in Honiara. 

Area

land

27,986 sq km

total

28,896 sq km

water

910 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes

Coastline

5,313 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Popomanaseu 2,335 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

8 00 S, 159 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea; Rennell Island, the southernmost in the Solomon Islands chain, is one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls; the island’s Lake Tegano, formerly a lagoon on the atoll, is the largest lake in the insular Pacific (15,500 hectares; 38,300 acres)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

3.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.3% (2023 est.)

forest

89.9% (2023 est.)

other

6.2% (2023 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

tropical cyclones, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earthquakes, tremors, and volcanic activity; tsunamis volcanism: Tinakula (851 m) has frequent eruption activity, and an eruption of Savo (485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal

Natural resources

fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel

Population distribution

most of the population lives along the coastal regions; about one in five live in urban areas, and of these about two thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port

Terrain

mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls

Age structure

0-14 years

30.6% (male 114,246/female 108,020)

15-64 years

64.2% (male 238,708/female 227,636)

65 years and over

5.3% (2024 est.) (male 18,016/female 20,173)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

21.57 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

4.4% (2015)

women married by age 15

5.6% (2015)

women married by age 18

21.3% (2015)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

64.5% (2019 est.)

Death rate

3.94 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

8.4 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

12 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.1 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

46.7 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 59.4% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 73.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 40.6% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

8.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

25.2% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.33 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

4.8% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

9.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

15.2 deaths/1,000 live births

male

22.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

18.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Melanesian pidgin (lingua franca in much of the country), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

80 years

male

74.6 years

total population

77.2 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

82,000 HONIARA (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

123 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

25.4 years

male

25 years

total

25.5 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

22.6 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Solomon Islander

noun

Solomon Islander(s)

Net migration rate

-1.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.5% (2016)

Physician density

0.24 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

361,707

male

377,067

total

738,774 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

1.62% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 73.4% (Church of Melanesia 31.9%, South Sea Evangelical 17.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 11.7%, United Church 10.1%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.5%), Roman Catholic 19.6%, other Christian 2.9%, other 4%, unspecified 0.1% (2009 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 22.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 77.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 59.4% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.89 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

18.8% (2025 est.)

male

54.5% (2025 est.)

total

36.8% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.72 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

26% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western

Capital

etymology

the name derives from the local term nagho ni ara, meaning "place of the east wind" or "facing the trade winds"

geographic coordinates

9 26 S, 159 57 E

name

Honiara

time difference

UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of the Solomon Islands

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the National Parliament; passage of constitutional sections, including those on fundamental rights and freedoms, the legal system, Parliament, alteration of the constitution and the ombudsman, requires three-fourths majority vote by Parliament and assent of the governor general; passage of other amendments requires two-thirds majority vote and assent of the governor general

history

adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Solomon Islands

etymology

Spanish explorer Alvaro de MENDANA named the isles in 1568 after the wealthy biblical King SOLOMON in the mistaken belief that the islands contained great riches

former

British Solomon Islands

local long form

none

local short form

Solomon Islands

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Ann Marie YASTISHOCK (since 14 March 2024); note - also accredited to the Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

email address and website

EmbassyHoniara@state.gov https://pg.usembassy.gov/

embassy

BJS Building Commonwealth Avenue Honiara, Solomon Islands

FAX

[677] 27429

telephone

[677] 23426

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

685 Third Avenue, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Jane Mugafalu Kabui WAETARA (since 16 September 2022); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN

email address and website

simun@solomons.com

FAX

[1] (212) 661-8925

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6192

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General David Tiva KAPU (since 7 July 2024)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the National Parliament for up to 5 years (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the National Parliament usually elects the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Jeremiah MANELE (since 2 May 2024)

Flag

description: divided diagonally by a yellow stripe from the lower-left corner; the upper triangle (left side) is blue with five five-pointed white stars in an "X" pattern; the lower triangle is green meaning: blue stands for the ocean, green for the land, and yellow for sunshine; the five stars stand for the main island groups

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

7 July 1978 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, EITI (candidate country), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and ex officio members including the High Court chief justice and puisne judges); High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges)

judge selection and term of office

Court of Appeal and High Court president, chief justices, and puisne judges appointed by the governor general on recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, chaired by the chief justice and includes 5 members, mostly judicial officials and legal professionals; all judges serve until retirement at age 60

subordinate courts

Magistrates' Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court; local courts

Legal system

mixed system of English common law and customary law

Legislative branch

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

April 2028

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

National Parliament

most recent election date

4/17/2024

number of seats

50 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Ownership Unity and Responsibility (OUR Party) (15); Solomon Islands Democratic Party (SIDP) (11); Solomon Islands United Party (UP) (6); Solomon Islands People First Party (SIPFP) (3); Independents (11); Other (4)

percentage of women in chamber

6%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

in use since 1745

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National color(s)

blue, yellow, green, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

East Rennell

total World Heritage Sites

1 (natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 July (1978)

Political parties

Democratic Alliance Party or DAP Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KAD Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Party (OUR Party) Solomon Islands People First Party or SIPFP Solomon Islands Democratic Party or SIDP Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA Solomon Islands United Party or UP United for Change Party or U4C Coalition for Accountability Reform and Empowerment (CARE) (includes DAP, SIDP, and U4C)

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

oil palm fruit, coconuts, sweet potatoes, yams, taro, fruits, pulses, vegetables, cocoa beans, cassava (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$482.24 million (2022 est.)

revenues

$436.174 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$218.534 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$178.197 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$66.231 million (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$184.191 million (2023 est.)

Economic overview

lower middle-income Pacific island economy; natural resource rich but environmentally fragile; key agrarian sector; growing Chinese economic relationship; infrastructure damage due to social unrest; metal mining operations

Exchange rates

Currency

Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

8.213 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

8.03 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

8.156 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

8.376 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

8.455 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$411.359 million (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$546.025 million (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$642.877 million (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

wood, fish, gold, precious metal ore, palm oil (2023)

Exports - partners

China 56%, Australia 11%, Italy 10%, Spain 5%, Netherlands 4% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

26.3% (2022 est.)

government consumption

29.2% (2022 est.)

household consumption

61.7% (2022 est.)

imports of goods and services

-51.7% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.4% (2022 est.)

investment in inventories

-1% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

33.8% (2022 est.)

industry

18.7% (2022 est.)

services

47.3% (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.761 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$764.641 million (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$883.611 million (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$857.128 million (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, plastic products, fish, broadcasting equipment, iron structures (2023)

Imports - partners

China 42%, Singapore 13%, Australia 13%, Taiwan 5%, Malaysia 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2022 est.)

Industries

fish (tuna), mining, timber

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

-0.1% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.5% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.9% (2023 est.)

Labor force

435,600 (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2022

15.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$1.967 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.019 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$2.07 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$2,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$2,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$2,500 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

5.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

5.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$694.515 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$661.604 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$688.22 million (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.7% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

1.5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

1.5% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

1.5% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

3.4% (2024 est.)

male

2.6% (2024 est.)

total

3% (2024 est.)

Electricity

consumption

91.031 million kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

37,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

19.969 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

75.4%

electrification - total population

76% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

79%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

3.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

90.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

5.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

5.655 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total

1,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

multi-channel pay-TV is available; Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations; 2 local commercial radio stations; Radio Australia is available via satellite (2019)

Internet country code

.sb

Internet users

percent of population

43% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

7,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

62 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

485,000 (2022 est.)

Airports

36 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

H4

Heliports

2 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 8, oil tanker 1, other 16

total

25 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Gizo Harbor, Honiara, Port Noro, Ringgi Cove, Tulaghi, Yandina

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

1

small

2

total ports

6 (2024)

very small

4

Military - note

in 2017, the Solomon Islands and Australia signed a security treaty allowing Australian police, defense, and associated civilian personnel to deploy rapidly to Solomon Islands should the need arise and where both countries consent; the treaty was activated for the first time in November 2021 following civil unrest in Honiara; Australia was the first country Solomon Islands called upon for support, and from November 2021, Australia deployed police and defense personnel to work alongside partners from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand to restore law and order in Honiara in 2022, the Solomon Islands Government has also signed a police and security agreement with China (2025)

Military and security forces

Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS): the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1,638 (2023 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Solomon Islands does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards; therefore, Solomon Islands was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 and remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/solomon-islands/

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

318,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

318,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation; soil erosion; damage to coral reefs

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Particulate matter emissions

8.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

44.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

180,000 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

6.1% (2022 est.)