Reuters AlertNet Lite - Solomon Islands

PEOPLE

Language
English is the official language, but most people speak English-derived pidgin or one of over 120 local languages and dialects.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population

2009	0.5 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2009)
2007	0.5 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2005	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2004	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2003	0.4 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2002	0.4 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2001	0.4 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2000	0.4 million	U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
1.0 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)

Ethnic groups
People of Melanesian origin make up 93 percent of the population, and 4 percent are Polynesians. There are also Micronesian, Chinese and European minorities.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Anglicans 45 percent, Catholic 18 percent, Methodist and Presbyterian 12 percent. There are also Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, other Protestants and followers of local beliefs.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population

2007	17.6 percent	U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006	17.3 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2005	17.0 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2004	16.7 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2003	16.4 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2002	16.2 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2001	15.9 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2000	15.7 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1974
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2007)

Percentage of population under 15

2005	40.5 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	41.0 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	41.3 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	42.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	43.3 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	44.8 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

USEFUL INFORMATION

Time zone
GMT +11

Climate description
Tropical monsoon climate, with temperature around 23-31 C throughout the year. December to March is rainier, with a greater chance of cyclones.

Currency
Solomon Islands dollar

Telephone dialling code
(+) 677

Driving (left/right)
Left

STANDARD OF LIVING

Average life expectancy

2005	63.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	62.6 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	62.3 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	69.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	68.7 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	68.3 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male

2005	62.2 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	61.9 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	61.6 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	67.8 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	67.5 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	67.2 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - female

2005	63.8 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	63.3 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	63.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	70.5 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	70.1 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	69.7 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Infant mortality

2007	53 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006	55 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005	24 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	34 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003	19 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	20 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	20 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	21 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five

2007	70 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006	73 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005	29 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	56 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2000	25 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Births attended by skilled personnel

1997-2005	85 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1996-2004	85 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1995-2003	85 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002	85 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001	85 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000	85 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Maternal mortality

2005	220 per 100,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2000	130 per 100,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)

2005	129	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	128	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	128	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	124	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	123	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	121	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
No data available percent (1996-2005)

Percentage of undernourished population

2003-2005	9 percent	U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2008
2002-2004average	21 percent	U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average	20 percent	FAO 2006
1999-2001average	No data available percent
1998-2000average	No data available percent

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water

2006	70 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004	70 percent	UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002	70 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000	71 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Population with access to improved sanitation

2006	32 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004	31 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002	31 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Literacy - average

2004	No data available percent
2003	No data available percent
2002	76.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	76.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	76.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - male
No data available percent

Literacy - female
No data available percent

Landlines telephones

2008	16 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	16 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	16 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	16 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	15 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	14 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	15 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	17 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	19 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Cellular telephone subscribers

2008	22 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	22 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	14 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	13 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	7 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	2 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	3 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Internet users

2008	18 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	18 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	16 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	8 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	6 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	6 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	5 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	5 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	5 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)

2008	109 (joint)	Transparency International 2008
2007	111 (joint)	Transparency International 2007
2006	Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
No (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
No (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

ECONOMY & AID

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent

GNI per capita, Atlas method

2007	750 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	680 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	630 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	600 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	560 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	560 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	640 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	690 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP

2007	0.4 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	0.3 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	0.3 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	0.3 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	0.2 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	0.2 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	0.3 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	0.3 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Annual GDP growth

2006	6.1 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005	5.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004	8.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003	6.4 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002	-1.6 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001	-9.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000	-14.3 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation

2007	6.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	8.5 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	7.2 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	5.7 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	6.3 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	7.9 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	3.2 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	10.7 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

HEALTH

Physicians

2000-2004	No data available per 100,000 people
1990-2004	13 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003	13 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2002	13 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent

Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year except a few eastern and southern islets. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO

TB cases

2007	128 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2006	135 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2005	142 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2004	150 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2003	158 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2002	166 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2001	175 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2000	185 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009

CONFLICT & MIGRATION

Number of refugees originating here

2008	52	UNHCR
2007	48	UNHCR
2006	38	Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005	27	UNHCR
2004	61	UNHCR
2003	No data available
2002	No data available
2001	No data available
2000	No data available

Number of refugees residing here
No data available

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate

	No data available

No data available

Landmine casualties per year

2004	0	Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003	0	Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1997 )
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on education

2002-2005	No data available percent
2002-2004	No data available percent
2000-2002	3.4 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1999-2001	3.5 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1998-2000	3.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage of GDP spent on health

2004	5.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2003-2004	4.5 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002	4.5 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001	4.7 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000	5.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003