💾 Archived View for zaibatsu.circumlunar.space › ~solderpunk › cia-world-factbook › solomon-islands.… captured on 2024-06-16 at 12:49:14. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2024-05-10)
➡️ Next capture (2024-07-09)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Australia and Oceania
Page last updated: May 22, 2024
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.
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea
8 00 S, 159 00 E
Oceania
Total: 28,896 km²
Land: 27,986 km²
Water: 910 km²
Slightly smaller than Maryland
Total: 0 km
5,313 km
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm
Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes
Mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls
Highest point: Mount Popomanaseu 2,335 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel
Agricultural land: 3.9% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 2.9% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0.3% (2018 est.)
Forest: 78.9% (2018 est.)
Other: 17.2% (2018 est.)
0 km² (2022)
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
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
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)
Total: 726,799
Male: 370,970
Female: 355,829 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 167; male 167; total 167
Noun: Solomon Islander(s)
Adjective: Solomon Islander
Melanesian 95.3%, Polynesian 3.1%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 0.3% (2009 est.)
Melanesian pidgin (in much of the country is lingua franca), English (official but spoken by only 1%-2% of the population), 120 indigenous languages
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.)
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)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 74.8
Youth dependency ratio: 68.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 6
Potential support ratio: 16.5 (2021 est.)
Total: 25.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 25 years
Female: 25.4 years
1.65% (2024 est.)
22 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
3.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
-1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
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
Urban population: 26% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
82,000 HONIARA (capital) (2018)
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.)
22.6 years (2015 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29
122 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
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
Total population: 77.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 74.6 years
Female: 80 years
2.77 children born/woman (2024 est.)
1.35 (2024 est.)
29.3% (2015)
Improved: urban: 95% of population
Rural: 65.9% of population
Total: 73.1% of population
Unimproved: urban: 5% of population
Rural: 34.1% of population
Total: 26.9% of population (2020 est.)
4.4% of GDP (2020)
0.19 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
1.4 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Improved: urban: 95.6% of population
Rural: 22.6% of population
Total: 40.6% of population
Unimproved: urban: 4.4% of population
Rural: 77.4% of population
Total: 59.4% of population (2020 est.)
22.5% (2016)
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.)
Total: 36.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 53.8% (2020 est.)
Female: 19.2% (2020 est.)
16.2% (2015)
64.1% (2023 est.)
12.8% of GDP (2020 est.)
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
Deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying, exhibiting the effects of climate change and rising sea levels
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
Tropical monsoon; few temperature and weather extremes
Agricultural land: 3.9% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 2.9% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0.3% (2018 est.)
Forest: 78.9% (2018 est.)
Other: 17.2% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 26% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.57% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
20.27% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
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.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 179,972 tons (2013 est.)
44.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
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
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
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"
9 provinces and 1 city*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira and Ulawa, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western
7 July 1978 (from the UK)
Independence Day, 7 July (1978)
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
Mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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
21 years of age; universal
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General David VUNAGI (since 8 July 2019)
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
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%
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
Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Rick HOUENIPWELA]
Kadere Party of Solomon Islands or KAD [Martin HOUSANAU]
Ownership, Unity, and Responsibility Party (OUR Party) [Manasseh SOGAVARE]
People First Party or PFP [Jimmie RODGERS]
Solomon Islands Democratic Party or SIDP [Matthew WALE]
Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Gordon Darcy LILO]
Solomon Islands United Party or SIUP [Peter KENILOREA Jr]
United for Change Party or U4C [Daniel SUIDANI]
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
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
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 colors: blue, yellow, green, white
Name: "God Save Our Solomon Islands"
Lyrics/music: Panapasa BALEKANA and Matila BALEKANA/Panapasa BALEKANA
Note: adopted 1978
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: East Rennell
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
$1.628 billion (2022 est.)
$1.697 billion (2021 est.)
$1.707 billion (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
-4.06% (2022 est.)
-0.57% (2021 est.)
-3.38% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$2,200 (2022 est.)
$2,400 (2021 est.)
$2,500 (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
$1.597 billion (2022 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
5.52% (2022 est.)
-0.12% (2021 est.)
2.96% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Moody's rating: B3 (2015)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 34.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 7.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 58.1% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 136; industry 212; agriculture 14
Household consumption: NA
Government consumption: NA
Investment in fixed capital: NA
Investment in inventories: NA
Exports of goods and services: 25.8% (2011 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -49.6% (2011 est.)
Oil palm fruit, coconuts, sweet potatoes, taro, yams, fruits, pulses, vegetables, cocoa beans, cassava (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Fish (tuna), mining, timber
-3.84% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
372,000 (2022 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
1.61% (2022 est.)
0.94% (2021 est.)
0.89% (2020 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 1.9% (2021 est.)
Male: 1.6%
Female: 2.3%
12.7% (2012 est.)
37.1 (2013 est.)
5.08% of GDP (2022 est.)
3.23% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.79% of GDP (2020 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $514 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $537 million (2019 est.)
-2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
11.46% of GDP (2020 est.)
7.74% of GDP (2019 est.)
7.69% of GDP (2018 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP
20.67% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
-$218.534 million (2022 est.)
-$78.192 million (2021 est.)
-$25.06 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$411.359 million (2022 est.)
$413.657 million (2021 est.)
$428.834 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
China 51%, India 9%, Italy 8%, Australia 5%, Netherlands 4% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Wood, fish, palm oil, gold, coconut oil (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$764.641 million (2022 est.)
$619.46 million (2021 est.)
$556.26 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
China 37%, Singapore 16%, Malaysia 12%, Australia 10%, NZ 4% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Refined petroleum, plastic products, fish, iron structures, construction vehicles (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$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
$757 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$643 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Solomon Islands dollars (SBD) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
8.156 (2022 est.)
8.03 (2021 est.)
8.213 (2020 est.)
8.173 (2019 est.)
7.953 (2018 est.)
Electrification - total population: 76.3% (2021)
Electrification - urban areas: 79.2% (2021)
Electrification - rural areas: 75.3% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 40,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 93.527 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 14 million kWh (2019 est.)
Comparison rankings: imports 146; exports 133; installed generating capacity 196; transmission/distribution losses 24; consumption 196
Fossil fuels: 94.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 2.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 2,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
1,577 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
333,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 333,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
6.955 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 7,000 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2021 est.) less than 1
Total subscriptions: 474,000 (2021 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 67 (2021 est.)
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)
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)
.sb
Total: 255,600 (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 36% (2021 est.)
Total: 1,000 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.2 (2020 est.)
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
H4
35 (2024)
1 (2024)
Total: 1,390 km
Paved: 34 km
Unpaved: 1,356 km (2011)
Note: includes 920 km of private plantation roads
Total: 25 (2023)
By type: general cargo 8, oil tanker 1, other 16
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
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)
China and Australia have provided equipment to the Police Force; the maritime branch operates patrol boats provided by Australia (2023)
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; since November 2021, the Australian-led Solomon Islands Assistance Force (SIAF) has supported the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to maintain stability; the SIAF includes police and military from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea; the Solomon Islands Government has also signed police and security agreements with China and a small Chinese police liaison team is embedded with the RSIPF (2024)
Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Solomon Islands does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; these efforts included developing a communication and implementation strategy for its National Action Plan and raising awareness of trafficking; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous reporting period, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; authorities did not identify or assist victims, and protection services remained inadequate; officials did not initiate any trafficking investigations or prosecutions and, for the third consecutive year, did not convict any traffickers; the government did not conduct anti-trafficking training for its police or judicial officials who lack an understanding of trafficking; for the fourth consecutive year, authorities did not conduct systematic monitoring and inspection activities at logging sites or in the fishing or mining sectors, despite clear indicators of trafficking; therefore, Solomon Islands was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2023)
Trafficking profile: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Solomon Islands, and traffickers exploit Solomon Islanders abroad; traffickers also use Solomon Islands as a transit point to move victims to other countries; local, South Asian, and Southeast Asian men and women are exploited in labor and sex trafficking in Solomon islands; local children are especially vulnerable to labor and sex trafficking; women from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines often pay large recruitment fees for jobs in Solomon Islands but are forced or coerced into commercial sex upon arrival; men from Indonesia and Malaysia are exploited in the logging, fishing, palm oil, and mining industries, while fisherman from Fiji, Indonesia, North Korea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam are at risk of exploitation on Taiwan-flagged vessels in Solomon Islands’ territorial waters; Chinese workers may be forced to work for Chinese companies in Solomon Islands; women and girls may be at risk of debt-based coercion in sex trafficking and domestic servitude; some official corruption may facilitate trafficking through irregular migration and involvement in the fishing and forestry sectors; some boys, girls, and young women are recruited for domestic work but then exploited in commercial sex at logging camps; Solomon Islander children may be exploited in labor trafficking in the agricultural sector, forced harvesting of seafood, and forced criminality in drug production and transportation and pickpocketing; widespread social stigma against LGBTQI+ individuals increases their vulnerability to trafficking (2023)