Download SOLOMON ISLANDS 1. Overview The Solomon Islands is a low

SOLOMON ISLANDS
1.
Overview
The Solomon Islands is a low income country with a GNI of $US910 per capita—the lowest
in the Pacific Islands region. The country is one of five LDCs in the Pacific but its population of
553,000 is equivalent to all the other LDCs combined. Thus, of the total population living in the
Pacific’s five LDCs, about half live in the Solomon Islands. The population of the Solomon Islands is
the second largest among the 14 UN programme countries in the Pacific after Fiji.
The Solomon Islands shares with other Melanesian populations the characteristic of a very
slow demographic transition resulting in a persistently high population growth rate over the past
two decades. In the most recent intercensal period (1999-2009) the population growth rate
declined to an average annual rate of 2.3 percent. But the estimated rate of natural increase for
the current year remains at 2.7 percent, above the average intercensal growth rate.1 If the rate of
natural increase is 2.7 percent then Solomon Islands has made the least progress toward the
demographic transition of all Pacific Island countries. While Vanuatu also has a high rate of
natural increase (2.6 percent) this is based on a lower birth rate and a lower death rate than the
Solomon Islands, indicating that Vanuatu is more advanced along the transition.
The main reason for Solomon Islands slow progress is its high fertility levels. While the TFR
is 3.4 in urban areas, it is 4.8 in the rural sector, resulting in an overall TFR of 4.6—among the
highest in the Pacific. Teenage fertility is particularly high in rural areas.
It is difficult to determine the relative importance of fertility preferences and access to
reproductive health services (including family planning) in maintaining high fertility in the
Solomon Islands. The proportion of women with an unmet for family planning is relatively low at
11.1 percent, suggesting a preference for a large family. On the other hand, a high proportion of
women who are not using family planning do not explain their behaviour in terms of wanting more
children but rather because they are fearful of contraception. The ideal family size and the
wanted fertility rate is around 3.5 children, or about one child less than the actual total fertility
rate. The contraceptive prevalence rate of 27 percent would most likely rise considerably if
women’s reluctance to use contraception could be addressed.
The population of the Solomon Islands remains one of the youngest in the region with 41
percent under 15 and a median age of 20 years. Incorporating youth into the productive labour
force is consequently a major challenge. The elderly (60 and over) comprise only 5 percent of the
population but this proportion is likely to rise with improved life expectancy. Recent figures on
life expectancy are not available but in 1999 life expectancy was quite low at 61 years for both
sexes combined.
Although the Solomon Islands has relatively low life expectancy, Infant and child mortality
are not particularly high relative to other Pacific countries. It is therefore likely that low life
expectancy is a result of high adult mortality. There is uncertainty about the level of maternal
mortality. If the reported MMR of 146 per 100,000 is correct, then it is important to bring it down
to under 75 by 2015—the target specified in the ICPD programme of action. To achieve this it is
necessary to improve the reliability of data on maternal deaths and to improve access to safe
motherhood.
International migration is negligible in the Solomon Islands and is not likely to become a
factor in the country’s demographic dynamics in the near future. Urbanization is also low with
1
This is based on a Crude Birth Rate of 34.4 per 1,000 and a Crude Death Rate of 7.4 per 1,000. See SPC Pacific
Island Populations – Estimates and Projections of Demographic Indicators for Selected Years (March, 2011). There is
an inconsistency between the rate of natural increase and the rate of population growth in this data-set given that
net migration is reported as zero. A census undercount in 2009 could explain the different rates.
only 20 percent of the population classified as urban. Rural-urban migration reversed with the
ethnic crisis on the 1990s, but has again picked-up. The urban growth rate climbed to 4.7 percent
annually during the 1999-2009 intercensal period—the highest urban growth rate in the Pacific
region.
2.
Population and development challenges
•
The fertility transition in Solomon Islands is lagging behind other countries in the region,
including other Melanesian countries. Accelerating the fertility transition in the context of
a predominantly rural and widely dispersed population is one of the most daunting
population challenges facing Solomon Islands. Although fertility preferences in a rural
village setting are likely to be high, it appears that there is a gap between preferred and
actual fertility that could be narrowed with improved family planning and reproductive
health programmes.
•
There is a significant gap between teenage fertility rates in urban and rural areas, with
rural rates much higher than urban. Socio-cultural factors no doubt play a role in this but
the lack of services addressing adolescent reproductive health is also important.
•
Maternal mortality is not high by PNG standards but it remains a significant public health
issue. Improved data are needed to verify the level and the circumstances contributing to
maternal deaths. The aim should be to achieve the ICPD target as soon as possible.
•
The high urban growth rate is a cause for concern given urban instability in the past. It is
important to monitor rural-urban migration patterns to ensure that these are contributing
to, rather than detracting from, national development goals.
•
There is a wide gap between the under-five mortality rate and the infant mortality rate.
This indicates that 1-4 mortality is high relative to infant mortality. The most likely
reason for this is infectious disease which raises issues of immunization and child care.
3.
Population and development indicators
Indicator
Value
Year
515,870
553,254
2.3
4.7/1.8
2.7
0
4.6
3.4/4.8
24
37
60.6/61.6
2009
2011
2011
1999-2009
2011
2011
2004-07
2004-07
2004-07
2004-07
1999
(1)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(3)
(2)
40.6
54.1
5.2
19.7
105
2009
2009
2009
2009
2009
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
19.7/80.3
17
2009
2009
(1)
(1)
910
22.7
2.0
6.5
2009
2005-06
2009
2009
(4)
(5)
(1)
(1)
27.3
146
84.5
11.1
41/75/67
2007
2009
2007
2007
2004-07
(3)
(5)
(3)
(3)
(3)
Source
Demographic dynamics
Population last census
Current population estimate
Estimated growth rate (annual %)
Intercensal growth rate urban/rural (% annual)
Rate of natural increase (%)
Net migration rate (%)
Total fertility rate (Total population)
Total fertility rate (urban/rural)
Infant mortality rate (IMR)
Under 5 Mortality rate (U5MR)
Life expectancy at birth (M/F)
Age composition
Population 0-14 (%)
Population 15-59 (%)
Population 60 and over (%)
Median age
Sex ratio
Population geography
Urban/rural population distribution (%)
Total population density (persons per Km2)
Economic
GNI per capita ($US)
Population below the national poverty line (%)
Unemployment rate (%)
Urban unemployment rate (%)
Reproductive health
Contraceptive prevalence rate, CMW (%)2
Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000)
Births attended by skilled personnel (%)3
Unmet need for family planning (%)
Teenage fertility rate (urban/rural/national)
2
3
Refers to modern methods only
Refers to births in hospitals or other health facilities
Indicator
Value
Year
Source
Gender
Ratio of girls to boys enrolled in:
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Women in national parliament (%)
0.97
0.84
0.80
0
2007
2007
2010
2010
(5)
(5)
(5)
(5)
84.1
17.6
2007
2007
(3)
(3)
Environmental health
Population with improved water source (%)
Population with improved sanitation (%)
Sources: (1) Report on Solomon Islands Census 2009, Volume 1. (2) SPC data sheet 2011; (3)
Report on Solomon Islands DHS 2007; (4) Asian Development Bank, Basic Statistics
(http://www.adb.org/statistics/pdf/basicstatistics-2011.xls); (5) MDG Progress Report for
Solomon Islands, 2010;