Solomon Islands at its true size
Solomon Islands covers 28,400 km², number 141 of 194 countries by area. Home to 838,645 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 28,400 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 838,645 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 30 per km² |
| Capital | Honiara |
| Local time in Honiara | |
| Time zone | UTC+11 IANA |
| Currency | Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) Wikidata |
| Languages | English |
| Traffic | On the left |
| Region | Melanesia, Oceania |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +677 |
| Codes | SB · SLB · 090 |
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Where Solomon Islands ranks
Among the independent states, in 38 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#160 of 194838,645 people#5 of 13 in Oceania
- Population density#152 of 19430 people per km²#9 of 13 in Oceania
- Urban population#169 of 19231% urban#8 of 13 in Oceania
- Fertility rate#44 of 1923.51 births per woman#3 of 13 in Oceania
- Population growth#32 of 192+2.35% a year#1 of 13 in Oceania
- Birth rate#44 of 19226.7 births per 1,000 people#2 of 13 in Oceania
- Death rate#168 of 1925.1 deaths per 1,000 people#12 of 13 in Oceania
- Children under 15#44 of 19236.6% under 15#4 of 13 in Oceania
- People over 65#149 of 1923.7% aged 65 and over#11 of 13 in Oceania
- Net migration#40 of 192+1.9 per 1,000 people#3 of 13 in Oceania
- Refugees abroad#119 of 1900.09 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#5 of 13 in Oceania
Health & education
Economy
- GNI per capita#149 of 185$2,020 a person#13 of 13 in Oceania
- Internet users#167 of 18429% online#10 of 11 in Oceania
- GDP per capita (PPP)#173 of 184$2,788 a person#13 of 13 in Oceania
- GDP growth#83 of 187+3.6% a year#5 of 13 in Oceania
- Inflation#78 of 176+3.4% a year#5 of 11 in Oceania
- Unemployment#170 of 1781.4% of the labour force#8 of 8 in Oceania
- Jobs in agriculture#35 of 17842.5% of jobs#2 of 8 in Oceania
- Jobs in industry#167 of 1787.6% of jobs#8 of 8 in Oceania
- Jobs in services#120 of 17850.0% of jobs#7 of 8 in Oceania
- Foreign investment#51 of 1843.8% of GDP#3 of 12 in Oceania
- Exports#69 of 16840.6% of GDP#3 of 12 in Oceania
- Mobile subscriptions#171 of 19162 subscriptions per 100 people#6 of 12 in Oceania
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#155 of 1850.38 tonnes a person#10 of 13 in Oceania
- Forest area#5 of 19290% forest#3 of 13 in Oceania
- Renewable energy#49 of 19050.1% renewable#2 of 13 in Oceania
- Access to electricity#146 of 19281.5% with electricity#11 of 13 in Oceania
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#156 of 1919.8 µg/m³#2 of 13 in Oceania
- Protected land#178 of 1912.4% of the land protected#11 of 13 in Oceania
- Arable land#173 of 1900.8% of the land arable#10 of 12 in Oceania
- Precipitation#4 of 1803,028 mm a year#2 of 7 in Oceania
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of the Solomon Islands’s area, lit up on the map →
- Albania0.99×Solomon Islands and Albania are almost exactly the same size.
- Equatorial Guinea1.01×Solomon Islands and Equatorial Guinea are almost exactly the same size.
- Burundi1.02×Solomon Islands and Burundi are almost exactly the same size.
- Haiti1.02×Solomon Islands and Haiti are almost exactly the same size.
- Armenia0.95×Solomon Islands is 5% smaller than Armenia.
- Lesotho0.94×Solomon Islands is 6% smaller than Lesotho.
How many times does Solomon Islands fit into…
- Russia: about 601 times
- Canada: about 352 times
- United States: about 346 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Solomon Islands shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Summits
- Mount Popomanaseu2,335 m
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Solomon Islands. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Questions about Solomon Islands
- How big is Solomon Islands?
- Solomon Islands covers 28,400 km², which makes it number 141 of 194 countries by area. About 838,645 people live there (2025), 30 per km².
- Is Solomon Islands bigger than Albania?
- Solomon Islands and Albania are almost exactly the same size. Solomon Islands: 28,400 km²; Albania: 28,748 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Solomon Islands?
- Solomon Islands lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Does Solomon Islands have land borders?
- No. Solomon Islands has no land neighbours; every border is a coastline.