Background: Austronesians settled Fiji around 1000 B.C., followed by successive waves of Melanesians starting around the first century A.D. Fijians traded with Polynesian groups in Samoa and Tonga, and by about 900, much of Fiji was in the Tu’i Tongan Empire’s sphere of influence. The Tongan influence declined significantly by 1200, while Melanesian seafarers continued to periodically arrive in Fiji, further mixing Melanesian and Polynesian cultural traditions. The first European spotted Fiji in 1643 and by the 1800s, European merchants, missionaries, traders, and whalers frequented the islands. Rival kings and chiefs competed for power, at times aided by Europeans, and in 1865, Seru Epenisa CAKOBAU united many groups into the Confederacy of Independent Kingdoms of Viti. The arrangement proved weak, however, and in 1871 CAKOBAU formed the Kingdom of Fiji in an attempt to centralize power. Fearing a hostile takeover by a foreign power as the kingdom’s economy began to falter, CAKOBAU ceded Fiji to the UK in 1874. The first British governor set up a plantation-style economy and brought in more than 60,000 Indians as indentured laborers, most of whom chose to stay in Fiji rather than return to India when their contracts expired. In the early 1900s, society was divided along ethnic lines, with iTaukei (indigenous Fijians), Europeans, and Indo-Fijians living in separate areas and maintaining their own languages and traditions. ITaukei fears of an Indo-Fijian takeover of government delayed independence through the 1960s; Fiji achieved independence in 1970 with agreements to allocate parliamentary seats by ethnic groups. After two coups in 1987, a new constitution in 1990 cemented iTaukei control of politics, leading thousands of Indo-Fijians to leave. A reformed constitution in 1997 was more equitable and led to the election of an Indo-Fijian prime minister in 1999, who was ousted in a coup the following year. In 2005, the new prime minister put forward a bill that would grant pardons to the coup perpetrators, leading Josaia Voreqe 'Frank' BAINIMARAMA to launch a coup in 2006. BAINIMARAMA appointed himself prime minister in 2007 and retained the position after elections in 2014 and 2018 that international observers deemed credible. BAINIMARAMA's party lost control of the prime minister position after elections in 2022 with former opposition leader Sitiveni Ligamamada RABUKA winning the office by a narrow margin.

Area
Total: 18,274 km²
Land: 18,274 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 1,129 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Note: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines

Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin

Elevation
Highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 17.1% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 4.2% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 3.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 9.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 61.7% (2023 est.)
Other: 21.2% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 40 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

Geography
Note: consists of 332 islands, approximately 110 of which are inhabited, and more than 500 islets

Population
Total: 951,611 (2024 est.)
Male: 482,304
Female: 469,307
Distribution: approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas
Growth rate: 0.4% (2024 est.)

Languages: English (official), iTaukei (official), Fiji Hindi (official)

Religions: Protestant 45% (Methodist 34.6%, Assembly of God 5.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 3.9%, and Anglican 0.8%), Hindu 27.9%, other Christian 10.4%, Roman Catholic 9.1%, Muslim 6.3%, Sikh 0.3%, other 0.3%, none 0.8% (2007 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.7% (male 119,910/female 114,904)
15-64 years: 66.4% (male 323,339/female 308,921)
65 years and over: 8.9% (2024 est.) (male 39,055/female 45,482)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 50.5 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 37.1 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.4 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 7.5 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 31.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 31.4 years
Female: 31.8 years

Population growth rate: 0.4% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 15.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: approximately 70% of the population lives on the island of Viti Levu; roughly half of the population lives in urban areas

Urbanization
Urban population: 58.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.37% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 178,000 SUVA (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 30 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 8.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 72.2 years
Female: 77.6 years

Total fertility rate: 2.21 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.3% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 8.9% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 4.5% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.6% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 4.4% (2024 est.); 4.4% (2023 est.); 4.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Suva (on Viti Levu)
Geographic coordinates: 18 08 S, 178 25 E
Time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name means 'little hill' in the native Fijian language and may refer to a mound where a temple once stood

Administrative divisions: 14 provinces and 1 dependency*; Ba, Bua, Cakaudrove, Kadavu, Lau, Lomaiviti, Macuata, Nadroga and Navosa, Naitasiri, Namosi, Ra, Rewa, Rotuma*, Serua, Tailevu

Legal system: common law system based on the English model

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Ratu Naiqama LALABALAVU (since 12 November 2024)
Head of government: Prime Minister Sitiveni Ligamamada RABUKA (since 24 December 2022)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament
Election/appointment process: president elected by Parliament for a 3-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister endorsed by the president
Most recent election date: 31 October 2024
2024: Ratu Naiqama LALABALAVU elected president (People's Alliance) 35 votes, Meli Tora TAVAIQIA (Fiji First) 14 votes
2021: Ratu Wiliame KATONIVERE elected president; Wiliame KATONIVERE (People's Alliance) 28 votes, Teimumu KEPA (SODELPA) 23 votes
Expected date of next election: 2,027

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 55 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years
Most recent election date: 12/14/2022
Parties elected and seats per party: FijiFirst (26); People's Alliance (21); National Federation Party (NFP) (5); Social Democratic Liberal Party (Soldelpa) (3)
Percentage of women in chamber: 9.1%
Expected date of next election: December 2026

Flag description: light blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the right half of the flag; the shield shows a yellow lion holding a coconut above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George; the four quarters depict sugarcane, a palm tree, a banana bunch, and a white dove

National anthem
Title: 'God Bless Fiji' (Let Us Show Pride)
Lyrics/music: Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT/C. Austin MILES (adapted by Michael Francis Alexander PRESCOTT)
History: adopted 1970; known in Fijian as 'Meda Dau Doka' (Let Us Show Pride); adapted from the hymn, 'Dwelling in Beulah Land,' the anthem's English lyrics are usually used, although they differ in meaning from the official Fijian lyrics

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 3.8% (2024 est.); 7.5% (2023 est.); 19.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 3.8% (2024 est.); 7.5% (2023 est.); 19.8% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 71.7% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 20.8% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 18.6% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.2% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 57% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -69.2% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.4% (2024 est.)
Industry: 14.1% (2024 est.)
Services: 56.2% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: tourism, sugar processing, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber

Industrial production growth rate: 7.3% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 387,800 (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2024 est.); 4.4% (2023 est.); 4.5% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 4.4% (2024 est.); 4.4% (2023 est.); 4.5% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $1.345 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $1.562 billion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 20.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $2.376 billion (2022 est.); $1.171 billion (2021 est.); $1.23 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: water, fish, raw sugar, refined petroleum, garments (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $3.434 billion (2022 est.); $2.344 billion (2021 est.); $1.977 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, medical instruments, cars, broadcasting equipment, plastics (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 427,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 1.048 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 102.047 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 92% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 97.6%
Access electrification - rural areas: 86.8%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 36.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 52.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 10% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 6 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 2 metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 10,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.432 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 12 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.432 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 25.375 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 49,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 992,000 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 107 (2021 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 79% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 23,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2022 est.)

Military expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (2024 est.); 1.1% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Airports: 26 (2025)

Heliports: 2 (2025)

Railways
Total: 597 km (2008)
Narrow gauge: 597 km (2008) 0.600-m gauge
Note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December

Merchant marine
Total: 74 (2023)
By type: general cargo 21, oil tanker 4, other 49