I Lesatele
The 2021 Census Preliminary results released last week by the Samoa Bureau of Statistics show that that 4 villages have a population of less than 10 residents with one recording zero population.
All these villages are in Upolu.
The village with a zero population is Tiavi. In the preliminary figures of the Census recorded no one living at Tiavi. The 2016 census however showed that there were eight people living at Tiavi consisting of six males and two females.
The village of Olo in the political district of the Aiga I le Tai recorded a decrease in population from 32 people in the 2016 census to just 4 residents in the 2021 preliminary census results. Its current population is now all males. In 2016 Olo had a population of 18 males and 14 females.
Other villages with populations with less than ten people are Mulivai, Matafele and Solaua. Each has a population of 6 people.
Matafele is in the midst of the Apia commercial area. Its population has remained at six as in the 2016 population count but there is a difference in that in 2021 there is an equal number of males and females – 3 males and 3 females. In 2016 there were 4 males and 2 females. Matafele is usually associated with the Methodist Church and the residence of the Matafele church minister is located there just behind the church building.
Matafele’s next door neighbour Mulivai has an all male population of six. Its population in the 2016 count was a total of 9 males only. Mulivai is the location of the Catholic Marist Brothers School and the iconic town cathedral. The residence of the parish priest is located there behind the church.
Solaua is in a rural district inland from Saoluafata. It is an agricultural area and no one was recorded living there in the 2016 census. Its population comprises of 5 males and one female totalling to 6.
For the big island of Savaii the least populated village as shown in the census results 2021 is Utuloa in Vaisigano Number 1. Its population has remained at 20 people over the past 5 years.
Utuloa is followed by Vaipouli which has experienced a decline in population from 44 in the 2016 census to 33 in the recent head count.
There are many factors which contribute to the rise and decline in population. They include death rate, birth rate, immigration and emigration.
The 2021 census ( preliminary results) has recorded Samoa’s population at 200,010 which is made up of- 98,104 females and 101,906 males. The last census was in 2016 and Samoa’s total population then was 196,979 comprising of 100,892 males and 95,087 females.
The village count for the whole of Samoa is 343 and the country is divided into 51 political districts.