Solomon Islands profile

Demography and Health

Solomon Islands had an estimated population of about 819,198 in 2024, reflecting a small, dispersed nation of many islands where growth unfolds within a challenging geographic framework. Net migration in 2024 was a modest positive 1,610 people, indicating a net inflow that can influence labor supply, urbanization, and social services, even as natural population growth remains a primary driver. The birth rate stands at 26.9 births per 1,000 people (2023) while the death rate is 5.14 per 1,000, signaling ongoing natural increase but not at the scale of higher-fertility peers. Life expectancy at birth is 70.5 years (2023), suggesting modest health outcomes relative to income peers and room for health improvements, particularly in maternal and child health areas. The under-5 mortality rate is 20.6 per 1,000 live births (2023), underscoring continued child health challenges that public health programs must address to boost child survival and development. About 19.4% of the population faced undernourishment in 2022, highlighting nutrition as a persistent vulnerability with implications for growth and productivity. A suicide mortality rate of 19.6 per 100,000 (2021) points to mental health considerations that require integrated services alongside physical health care. In health financing terms, current health expenditure equals 4.82% of GDP (2022), with domestic general government health expenditure per capita (PPP) at 80.2 international dollars (2022), indicating relatively limited health resources per person despite a reasonable life expectancy. Digital access is growing, with 42.5% of the population using the Internet in 2023, a factor that can enable health information dissemination and telemedicine as infrastructure expands. Taken together, the demography and health indicators paint a portrait of a small, growing population facing nutrition, maternal and child health, and mental health challenges, while health spending remains constrained and opportunities for digital health expansion exist.

Economy

The Solomon Islands’ economy shows a low to middle-income profile with a current GDP per capita of US$2,149 in 2024 and a purchasing-power-parity GDP per capita of US$2,872 (2024). Inflation stands at 5.89% in 2023, signaling price pressures that can affect household budgets and business costs. The current account balance is negative at 3.76% of GDP in 2024, indicating a modest external deficit that may require ongoing financing or adjustments in trade and capital flows. Exports of goods and services accounted for 26.3% of GDP in 2022, while imports represented 51.7% of GDP in the same year, illustrating a substantial import reliance and a relatively narrow export base. Foreign direct investment, net inflows reached 1.87% of GDP in 2024, reflecting a modest but positive appetite from foreign capital, albeit not at levels that would dramatically accelerate growth. Overall, these indicators suggest a small, import-dependent economy with limited domestic production of tradable goods, ongoing vulnerability to external shocks, and gradual external financing needs balanced by some investment inflows. The combination of low GDP per capita and moderate inflation underlines the ongoing development challenges that constrain aggregate demand, while the modest current account deficit and FDI flows reflect a landscape with potential for improvement through structural reforms, investment in productivity, and diversification.

Trade and Investment

Trade dynamics in the Solomon Islands reveal a trade-intensive but import-heavy economy. Exports of goods and services were 26.3% of GDP in 2022, while imports climbed to 51.7% of GDP in the same year, indicating that the country relies heavily on external supplies for consumption and production, and that the trade balance is sensitive to commodity prices and exchange rate movements. Foreign direct investment (FDI), net inflows, stood at 1.87% of GDP in 2024, signaling a moderate level of investor interest but room to attract more capital, technology, and know-how. The logistics dimension of trade shows a quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure rated at 2.6 on a 1-to-5 scale in 2022, suggesting mid-range efficiency with clear opportunities to boost cost-effectiveness, reliability, and speed in moving goods domestically and internationally. Together, these indicators point to a trading regime that benefits from openness but is constrained by export diversification, infrastructure bottlenecks, and the need to enhance the business environment to attract greater investment. Efforts to improve port facilities, customs procedures, and regulatory predictability could help unlock greater export competitiveness and reduce the cost of imports critical for households and firms.

Governance and Institutions

Governance indicators show a mixed picture. Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism score 0.446 (2023) with a rank of 73 suggests a reasonably stable political backdrop relative to many peers. However, regulatory quality is notably weak at -0.78 (rank 155), and rule of law is -0.263 (rank 112), implying substantial challenges in policy formulation, enforcement, and legal processes. Control of corruption scores -0.135 (rank 92) and government effectiveness -0.734 (rank 147) indicate that, despite some stability, the public sector struggles with efficiency, accountability, and policy implementation. Taken together, governance signals imply a governance gap: stable political conditions exist, but the institutional framework for predictable regulation, contract enforcement, and public service delivery remains underdeveloped. This landscape can deter investment, complicate policy coordination, and hinder long-run development unless reforms strengthen regulatory quality, governance capacity, and transparency.

Infrastructure and Technology

Digital connectivity is expanding, with 42.5% of the population using the Internet in 2023, signaling growing access to information, services, and digital opportunities, though substantial parts of the population remain unreached. The Logistics Performance Index, measuring the quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure, stands at 2.6 in 2022, indicating mid-range capabilities with potential to rise through targeted investments in ports, roads, and hinterland connectivity to reduce costs and improve reliability. On the energy front, renewable energy accounts for 50.1% of total final energy consumption in 2022, highlighting a relatively high reliance on renewables that can reduce import bills, increase energy security, and lower emissions. Total greenhouse gas emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) are 0.901 t CO2e per person in 2023, reflecting a small-economy footprint, but ongoing energy transitions and land-use practices will shape future emission trajectories. Domestic general government health expenditure per capita, PPP, is 80.2 international dollars (2022), and current health expenditure is 4.82% of GDP (2022), illustrating constrained but functioning public-service capacity that can be bolstered through better infrastructure and digital services, including health information and remote diagnostics where feasible. Collectively, infrastructure and technology indicators reveal an economy on a path toward greater digital inclusion and greener energy, yet with clear areas—especially transport logistics and broader Internet access—that warrant investment to unlock higher productivity and resilience.

Environment and Sustainability

The environment and sustainability profile of the Solomon Islands is characterized by a substantial share of renewable energy, with renewables making up about half of total final energy consumption in 2022, suggesting significant potential for decarbonization and energy security. The per-capita emissions figure of 0.901 t CO2e in 2023 remains low, consistent with a small, less industrialized economy, but climate vulnerability remains a pressing concern for a nation comprised of many islands and coastal communities. Nutritional challenges exist, with 19.4% of the population undernourished in 2022, underscoring the need to balance conservation with improving food security and resilience. Life expectancy of 70.5 years and an under-5 mortality rate of 20.6 per 1,000 births reflect the complex interplay between environmental conditions, health outcomes, and social development. The population size of 819,198 in 2024 further emphasizes the scale at which environmental stewardship and disaster risk management must operate to protect livelihoods. A sustainability strategy for Solomon Islands should leverage the generous renewable-energy endowment, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure and health/nutrition programs, and strengthen institutions and governance to implement environmental protection, resource management, and inclusive growth that reaches the most vulnerable communities.