Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Tuvalu fits inside Samoa 95 times.
Samoa: 2,840 km² (2023) · Tuvalu: 30 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Samoa’s coastline is 17 times as long as Tuvalu’s.
Samoa: 403 km (2026 edition) · Tuvalu: 24 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Samoa’s highest peak towers 1,852 m above Tuvalu’s.
Samoa: 1,857 m (2026 edition) · Tuvalu: 5 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Samoa has 23 times as many people as Tuvalu.
Samoa: 219,306 (2025) · Tuvalu: 9,492 (2025)
How crowded is it?
Tuvalu is 4 times as densely populated as Samoa.
Samoa: 79 per km² (2025) · Tuvalu: 316 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Samoa are 3.1 cm taller than in Tuvalu.
Samoa: 174.4 cm (2019) · Tuvalu: 171.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Samoa and Tuvalu are practically level.
Samoa: 163.8 cm (2019) · Tuvalu: 163.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Tuvalu is 4.4 years older than in Samoa.
Samoa: 19.9 years (2023) · Tuvalu: 24.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Samoa have 0.6 more children on average than in Tuvalu.
Samoa: 3.8 children per woman (2024) · Tuvalu: 3.17 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
7.0% of people in Tuvalu are 65 or older, versus 6.1% in Samoa.
Samoa: 6.1% (2025) · Tuvalu: 7% (2025)
How many official languages?
Samoa and Tuvalu are practically level.
Samoa: 2 (2026) · Tuvalu: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Samoa’s economy is 22 times the size of Tuvalu’s.
Samoa: $1.29 billion (2025) · Tuvalu: $57.3 million (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Samoa produces 38% more per person than Tuvalu.
Samoa: Int$9,319 (2025) · Tuvalu: Int$6,759 (2025)
How many people are looking for work?
Samoa: 5% (2025) · Tuvalu: no data
How expensive is it?
Tuvalu’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Samoa’s.
Samoa: 63% (2025) · Tuvalu: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Tuvalu spends 5.9 times as much on health per person as Samoa.
Samoa: $293 (2023) · Tuvalu: $1,724 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Samoa live 4.6 years longer than in Tuvalu.
Samoa: 71.8 years (2024) · Tuvalu: 67.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Tuvalu is 34% more likely to die before turning one than in Samoa.
Samoa: 12.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Tuvalu: 16.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Tuvalu has 2.4 times as many doctors per person as Samoa.
Samoa: 0.6 per 1,000 (2021) · Tuvalu: 1.3 per 1,000 (2020)
How common is obesity?
65% of adults in Tuvalu are obese, versus 63% in Samoa.
Samoa: 63.2% (2024) · Tuvalu: 64.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
33% of adults in Tuvalu smoke, versus 23% in Samoa.
Samoa: 23.1% (2024) · Tuvalu: 33.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Adults in Samoa drink 3.9 times as much alcohol as in Tuvalu.
Samoa: 2.9 litres (2023) · Tuvalu: 0.8 litres (2017)
How much meat is on the menu?
Samoa has 28% more meat per person than Tuvalu.
Samoa: 109 kg (2023) · Tuvalu: 85.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Tuvalu has 179 kcal more food per person per day than Samoa.
Samoa: 3,116 kcal (2023) · Tuvalu: 3,295 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Samoa went to school 0.57 years longer than in Tuvalu.
Samoa: 11.3 years (2023) · Tuvalu: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Samoa welcomed 9.4 times as many tourists per resident as Tuvalu (2019).
Samoa: 0.23 (2022) · Tuvalu: 0.02 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
35% of people in Tuvalu are online, versus 21% in Samoa.
Samoa: 21% (2014) · Tuvalu: 35% (2017)
Who has electricity at home?
Samoa and Tuvalu are practically level.
Samoa: 100% (2024) · Tuvalu: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
65% of people in Tuvalu live in cities, versus 18% in Samoa.
Samoa: 18% (2025) · Tuvalu: 65% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Tuvalu has 99 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Samoa 62.
Samoa: 62 (2022) · Tuvalu: 99 (2022)
How much do they fly?
Samoa: 0.19 (2023) · Tuvalu: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 58% of Samoa, but only 33% of Tuvalu.
Samoa: 57.6% (2023) · Tuvalu: 33.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Tuvalu emits 5% more CO₂ than someone in Samoa.
Samoa: 1.1 t (2024) · Tuvalu: 1.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
Samoa: 43.8% (2024) · Tuvalu: no data
How clean is the air?
The air in Tuvalu carries 10% more fine dust than in Samoa.
Samoa: 4.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Tuvalu: 4.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Samoa: 6.3 per 100k (2018) · Tuvalu: 0 per 100k (2019)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Tuvalu are 86% deadlier than in Samoa.
Samoa: 9.6 per 100k (2021) · Tuvalu: 17.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Samoa: 25.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · Tuvalu: no data
How much rain falls?
Samoa: 3,005 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Tuvalu: no data
Quick answers
Is Samoa bigger than Tuvalu?
Samoa is larger. Tuvalu fits inside Samoa 95 times.
Which has more people, Samoa or Tuvalu?
Samoa has 23 times as many people as Tuvalu (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Samoa or Tuvalu?
People in Samoa live 4.6 years longer than in Tuvalu. Life expectancy at birth is 71.8 years in Samoa and 67.3 in Tuvalu.
Are people taller in Samoa or Tuvalu?
Men in Samoa are 3.1 cm taller than in Tuvalu (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).