Solomon Islands
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchyIndependence 7 July 1978 (from the UK)
Solomon Islands as the 2024 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 137 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 war. 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.
Geography
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
17 fieldsLand useshare of 28,896 sq km
Population distribution
- most of the population lives along the coastal regions;
- about one in five live in urban areas, and of these some two-thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port
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, while an eruption of Savo (485 m) could affect the capital Honiara on nearby Guadalcanal
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)
People and Society
35 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2024 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2024 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2009 est.)
Religions(2009 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
Population distribution
- most of the population lives along the coastal regions;
- about one in five live in urban areas, and of these some two-thirds reside in Honiara, the largest town and chief port
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 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
- total population:
- 1.04 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 19.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
- male:
- 22.7 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 15.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Alcohol consumption per capita
- total:
- 1.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- beer:
- 1.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- wine:
- 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- spirits:
- 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- other alcohols:
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Environment
10 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Environment - current issues
- deforestation;
- soil erosion;
- many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying, exhibiting the effects of climate change and rising sea levels
Environment - international 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
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 26% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
- particulate matter emissions:
- 7.83 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- carbon dioxide emissions:
- 0.17 megatons (2016 est.)
- methane emissions:
- 0.43 megatons (2020 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); Prime Minister Jeremiah MANELE (since 2 May 2024)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Parliament, 50 seats, elected 17 April 2024one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Composition: men 46, women 4, percentage women 8%
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Solomon Islands
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Solomon Islands
- former:
- British 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
Capital
- name:
- Honiara
- geographic coordinates:
- 9 26 S, 159 57 E
- time difference:
- UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- etymology:
- the name derives from "nagho ni ara," which in one of the Guadalcanal languages roughly translates as "facing the eastern wind"
Administrative divisions
9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
Constitution
- history:
- adopted 31 May 1978, effective 7 July 1978;
- note - in late 2017, provincial leaders agreed to adopt a new federal constitution;
- progress has been stalled, but as of February 2023, the draft constitution was with the Constitutional Review Unit in the prime minister's office
- amendments:
- 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;
- amended several times, last in 2018
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General David Tiva KAPU (since 7 July 2024)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Jeremiah MANELE (since 2 May 2024)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
- elections/appointments:
- 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 leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the National Parliament;
- deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among members of the National Parliament
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 17 April 2024 (next to be held in 2028)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - OUR: 24.1%, independent 21.9%, SIDP 19.3%, SIUP 13.5%, KAD 4.5%, SIPRA 4.5%, PFP 3.2%, U4C 3.0%, DAP 1.6%, others 4.0%;
- seats by party - OUR Party 15, SIDP 8, SIUP 6, DAP 4, KAD 1, SIPRA 1, PFP 3, U4C 1, independents 11;
- composition - men 46, women 4, percentage women 8%
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and ex officio members including the High Court chief justice and its puisne judges);
- High Court (consists of the chief justice and puisne judges, as prescribed by the National Parliament)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Court of Appeal and High Court president, chief justices, and puisne judges appointed by the governor general upon 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
Political parties
- Democratic Alliance Party or DAP
- Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KAD
- Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Party (OUR Party)
- People First Party or PFP
- Solomon Islands Democratic Party or SIDP
- Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA
- Solomon Islands United Party or SIUP
- United for Change Party or U4C
- Coalition for Accountability Reform and Empowerment (CARE) is comprised of DAP, SIDP, and U4C
note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Jane Mugafalu Kabui WAETARA (since 16 September 2022); note - also Permanent Representative to the UN
- chancery:
- 685 Third Avenue, 11th Floor, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10017
- telephone:
- [1] (212) 599-6192
- FAX:
- [1] (212) 661-8925
- email address and website:
- [email protected]
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
- embassy:
- BJS Building; Commonwealth Avenue; Honiara, Solomon Islands
- telephone:
- [677] 23426
- FAX:
- [677] 27429
Flag description
- divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner;
- the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern;
- the lower triangle is green;
- blue represents the ocean, green the land, and yellow sunshine;
- the five stars stand for the five main island groups of the Solomon Islands
National anthem
- name:
- "God Save Our Solomon Islands"
- lyrics/music:
- Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA
note: adopted 1978
National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites:
- 1 (natural)
- selected World Heritage Site locales:
- East Rennell
Economy
29 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2022 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Budget(2022 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
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: B3 (2015) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agricultural products
oil palm fruit, coconuts, sweet potatoes, taro, yams, fruits, pulses, vegetables, cocoa beans, cassava (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Labor force
382,000 (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Unemployment rate
1.55% (2023 est.) · 1.58% (2022 est.) · 0.87% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- total:
- 3% (2023 est.)
- male:
- 2.6% (2023 est.)
- female:
- 3.5% (2023 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Remittances
5.18% of GDP (2023 est.) · 5.18% of GDP (2022 est.) · 3.35% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Taxes and other revenues
20.67% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Current account balance
-$178.197 million (2023 est.) · -$218.534 million (2022 est.) · -$78.192 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exports
$546.025 million (2023 est.) · $411.359 million (2022 est.) · $413.657 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
wood, fish, palm oil, gold, coconut oil (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$883.611 million (2023 est.) · $764.641 million (2022 est.) · $619.46 million (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, plastic products, fish, iron structures, construction vehicles (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$661.604 million (2022 est.) · $694.515 million (2021 est.) · $660.996 million (2020 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Debt - external
$117.742 million (2022 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar - 8.376 (2023 est.) · 8.156 (2022 est.) · 8.03 (2021 est.) · 8.213 (2020 est.) · 8.173 (2019 est.)
Energy
6 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity, 37,000 kW(2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
322,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.); from petroleum and other liquids: 322,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020–21 est.)
Telephones - fixed lines
- total subscriptions:
- 7,000 (2021 est.)
- subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
- (2021 est.) less than 1
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- mobile services have continually expanded in the Solomon Islands;
- 3G services became available in 2010, leading to an increase in mobile broadband uptake;
- Solomon Islands currently host three ISPs;
- fixed broadband services are largely limited to government, corporations, and educational organizations in the Solomon Islands;
- telecommunication infrastructure in the Solomon Islands requires significant investment due to the geographical make-up of the islands;
- this presents a great challenge to rural connectivity in the country;
- although various international organizations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have taken a special interest in having communication services improved in both the Solomon Islands and the Pacific region in general, internet and broadband penetration remain low;
- the provision of broadband infrastructure, particularly to rural areas, is also hindered by land disputes;
- internet services have, improved with the build-out of the Coral Sea Cable System linking Papua New Guinea to the Solomon Islands, as also with a connecting cable to a landing station at Sydney;
- the Australian government provided most of the funding for the Coral Sea Cable System, with contributions and support from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea governments;
- the launch of the Kacific-1 satellite in late 2019 also improved broadband satellite capacity for the region, though for telcos in Solomon Islands satellite services are now largely used as backup for international traffic;
- in recent years, the country has stabilized both politically and economically and this, along with improvements to mobile infrastructure, has led to a rise in mobile services and the slow uptake of broadband services;
- while the first LTE services were launched in late 2017 in the capital Honiara, the main platform for mobile voice and data services remains 3G, while in outlying areas GSM is still an important technology for the provision of services (2022)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is less than 1 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular telephone density 67 per 100 persons (2021)
- international:
- country code - 677;
- landing points for the CSCS and ICNS2 submarine cables providing connectivity from Solomon Islands, to PNG, Vanuatu and Australia;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)
Broadcast media
- Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) does not broadcast television;
- multi-channel pay-TV is available;
- SIBC operates 2 national radio stations and 2 provincial stations;
- there are 2 local commercial radio stations;
- Radio Australia is available via satellite feed (since 2009) (2019)
Transportation
7 fieldsMerchant marine, 25 ships by typeone square, one ship · (2023)
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 427,806 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 3.84 million (2018) mt-km
Roadways
- total:
- 1,390 km
- paved:
- 34 km
- unpaved:
- 1,356 km (2011)
note: includes 920 km of private plantation roads
Ports
- total ports:
- 6 (2024)
- large:
- 0
- medium:
- 0
- small:
- 2
- very small:
- 4
- ports with oil terminals:
- 1
- key ports:
- Gizo Harbor, Honiara, Port Noro, Ringgi Cove, Tulaghi, Yandina
Military and Security
2 fieldsMilitary and security forces
no regular military forces; the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is responsible for internal and external security and reports to the Ministry of Police, National Security, and Correctional Services (2024)
Military - note
- from 2003 to 2017, at the request of the Solomon Islands Governor-General, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), consisting of police, military, and civilian advisors drawn from 15 countries, assisted in reestablishing and maintaining civil and political order while reinforcing regional stability and security;
- from November 2021 to August 2024, an Australian-led Solomon Islands Assistance Force (SIAF) provided support to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in maintaining stability;
- the SIAF also included military and police personnel from New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea;
- following the conclusion of the SIAF mission, Australia continued to provide security assistance to the Solomon Islands;
- the Solomon Islands Government has also signed police and security agreements with China (2024)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldTrafficking in persons
- tier rating:
- Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Solomon Islands remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year;
- for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/solomon-islands/
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Solomon Islands.” The World Factbook 2024. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/solomon-islands/2024.