French Polynesia

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 78,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 28 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

French public overseas broadcaster R seau Outre-Mer provides 2 TV channels and 1 radio station; 1 government-owned TV station; a small number of privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.pf

Internet users

percent of population: 73% (2017 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 66,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 24 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 334,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

coconuts, fruits, cassava, sugarcane, pineapples, eggs, tropical fruits, watermelons, tomatoes, pork (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Current account balance

$411.963 million (2016 est.) $291.182 million (2015 est.) $264.32 million (2014 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

small, territorial-island tourism-based economy; large French financing; lower EU import duties; Pacific Islands Forum member; fairly resilient from COVID-19; oil-dependent infrastructure

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 110.306 (2024 est.) 110.347 (2023 est.) 113.474 (2022 est.) 100.88 (2021 est.) 104.711 (2020 est.)

Exports

$162 million (2021 est.) $94.4 million (2020 est.) $184 million (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

pearls, fish, aircraft parts, gas turbines, vanilla (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Japan 44%, USA 15%, France 12%, Netherlands 9%, China 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.563 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 70.4% (2023 est.) government consumption: 30.5% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 21.7% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 23.1% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -45.6% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.2% (2020 est.) industry: 10.6% (2020 est.) services: 75.9% (2020 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$1.66 billion (2021 est.) $1.75 billion (2020 est.) $2.24 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, packaged medicine, refined petroleum, poultry, broadcasting equipment (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

France 26%, China 11%, USA 10%, NZ 7%, Malaysia 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industries

tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.4% (2022 est.) 0.5% (2021 est.) -0.1% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

119,100 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$6.007 billion (2024 est.) $5.935 billion (2023 est.) $5.892 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

3% (2023 est.) 4.5% (2022 est.) 2.1% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$23,300 (2024 est.) $22,800 (2023 est.) $20,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars

Remittances

9.1% of GDP (2023 est.) 10% of GDP (2022 est.) 9.5% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Unemployment rate

11.8% (2024 est.) 11.8% (2023 est.) 11.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 36.9% (2024 est.) male: 33.5% (2024 est.) female: 41.5% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

imports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 345,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 669.5 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 42.663 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 66% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 27% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 7,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

1.01 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 1.01 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

tropical, but moderate

Environmental issues

sea-level rise; cyclones, storms, and tsunamis producing floods, landslides, erosion, and reef damage; droughts; fresh water scarcity

Land use

agricultural land: 8.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 7.5% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 0.5% (2023 est.) forest: 43.1% (2023 est.) other: 48.3% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 62.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 147,000 tons (2024 est.)

Area

total : 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls; 67 are inhabited) land: 3,827 sq km water: 340 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Climate

tropical, but moderate

Coastline

2,525 km

Elevation

highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

15 00 S, 140 00 W

Geography - note

includes five archipelagoes: four volcanic (Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) and one coral (Archipel des Tuamotu); the Tuamotu Archipelago forms the largest group of atolls in the world -- 78 in total, 48 inhabited; Makatea in the Tuamotu Archipelago is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean -- the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru

Irrigated land

10 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 8.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 7.5% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 0.5% (2023 est.) forest: 43.1% (2023 est.) other: 48.3% (2023 est.)

Location

Oceania, five archipelagoes (Archipel des Tuamotu, Iles Gambier, Iles Marquises, Iles Tubuai, Society Islands) in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between South America and Australia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

occasional cyclonic storms in January

Natural resources

timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

Population distribution

the majority of the population lives in the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that includes the most populous island, Tahiti, with approximately 70% of the nation's population

Terrain

mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs

Administrative divisions

5 administrative subdivisions ( subdivisions administratives , singular - subdivision administrative ): Iles Australes (Austral Islands), Iles du Vent (Windward Islands), Iles Marquises (Marquesas Islands), Iles Sous-le-Vent (Leeward Islands), Iles Tuamotu-Gambier note: the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands together make up the Society Islands (Iles de la Soci t )

Capital

name: Papeete (located on Tahiti) geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name derives from the Tahitian words pape (water) and ete (basket), referring to a place where people came to get water

Citizenship

see France

Constitution

history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) amendment process: French constitution amendment procedures apply

Country name

conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polyn sie fran aise local short form: Polyn sie Fran aise former: Establishments in Oceania, French Establishments in Oceania etymology: the term "Polynesia" is an 18th-century construct composed of two Greek words, poly (many) and nesoi (islands), and refers to the more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean

Dependency status

overseas country of France note: overseas territory of France from 1946-2003; overseas collectivity of France since 2003, but it is often referred to as an overseas country due to its degree of autonomy

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (overseas lands of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas lands of France)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Alexander ROCHATTE (since 1 September 2025) head of government: President of French Polynesia Moetai BROTHERSON (since 12 May 2023) cabinet: Council of Ministers approved by the Assembly from a list of its members submitted by the president election/appointment process: French president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; French Polynesia president indirectly elected by Assembly of French Polynesia for a 5-year term (no term limits)

Flag

description: two horizontal red bands flank a wide white band in a 1:2:1 ratio; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue-and-white wave pattern depicting the sea on the lower half and a gold-and-white ray pattern depicting the sun on the upper half; a stylized red Polynesian canoe on the disk has a crew of five, represented by five stars meaning: the stars symbolize the five island groups; red and white are traditional Polynesian colors note 1: similar to the red-white-red flag of Tahiti, the largest and most populous of the French Polynesian islands, but the Tahitian flag has no emblem on the white band note 2: the flag of France is used for official occasions

Government - note

French Polynesia has acquired autonomy from France in all areas except those relating to police, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are similar to those of the French prime minister

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Assembly of French Polynesia); an overseas collectivity of France

Independence

none (overseas land of France)

International organization participation

ITUC (NGOs), PIF, SPC, UPU, WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel (composition NA) judge selection and term of office: judges assigned from France for 3 years subordinate courts: Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premi re Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif note: appeals beyond the French Polynesia Court of Appeal are heard by the Court of Cassation (in Paris)

Legal system

the laws of France apply

Legislative branch

legislature name: Assembly of French Polynesia (Assembl e de la Polyn sie fran aise) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 57 (directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 4/30/2023 parties elected and seats per party: People's Servant People (38); List of the People (15); I Love Polynesia (3); Rally of the Mahoi People (1) percentage of women in chamber: 49.1% expected date of next election: 2028 note 1: elections held in two rounds; in the second round, 38 members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by a closed-list proportional representation vote; the party receiving the most votes gets an additional 19 seats note 2: French Polynesia indirectly elects 2 senators to the French Senate for 6-year terms with one-half the membership renewed every 3 years and directly elects 3 deputies to the French National Assembly for 5-year terms

National anthem(s)

title: "Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" (Long Live Tahiti Nui) lyrics/music: Maeva BOUGES, Irmine TEHEI, Angele TEROROTUA, Johanna NOUVEAU, Patrick AMARU, Louis MAMATUI, and Jean-Pierre CELESTIN (created both the lyrics and music) history: adopted 1993; serves as a local anthem _____ title: "La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille) lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle history: official anthem, as a French territory

National color(s)

red, white

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 cultural, 1 mixed); note - excerpted from the France entry selected World Heritage Site locales: Taputapuātea (c); Te Henua Enata The Marquesas Islands (m)

National holiday

F te de la F d ration, 14 July (1790) note 1: the local holiday is Internal Autonomy Day, 29 June (1880) note 2: often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, France's national celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are la F te nationale (National Holiday) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July)

National symbol(s)

outrigger canoe, Tahitian gardenia flower ( Gardenia taitensis )

Political parties

I Love Polynesia (A here la Porinetia) List of the People (Tapura Huiraatira) People's Servant Party (Tavini Huiraatira) Rally of the Maohi People (Amuitahiraʻa o te Nunaʻa Maohi) (formerly known as Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira))

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

French Polynesia consists of five archipelagos -- the Austral Islands, the Gambier Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands, and the Tuamotu Archipelago. The Marquesas were first settled around 200 B.C. and the Society Islands around A.D. 300. Raiatea in the Society Islands became a center for religion and culture. Exploration of the other islands emanated from Raiatea, and by 1000, there were small permanent settlements in all the island groups. Ferdinand MAGELLAN was the first European to see the islands of French Polynesia in 1520. In 1767, British explorer Samuel WALLIS was the first European to visit Tahiti, followed by French navigator Louis Antoine de BOUGAINVILLE in 1768 and British explorer James COOK in 1769. King POMARE I united Tahiti and surrounding islands into the Kingdom of Tahiti in 1788. Protestant missionaries arrived in 1797, and POMARE I s successor converted in the 1810s, along with most Tahitians. In the 1830s, Queen POMARE IV refused to allow French Catholic missionaries to operate, leading France to declare a protectorate over Tahiti and fight the French-Tahitian War of the 1840s in an attempt to annex the islands. In 1880, King POMARE V ceded Tahiti and its possessions to France, changing its status into a colony. France then claimed the Gambier Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago and by 1901 had incorporated all five island groups into its establishments in Oceania. A Tahitian nationalist movement formed in 1940, leading France to grant French citizenship to the islanders in 1946 and change it to an overseas territory. In 1957, the islands name was changed to French Polynesia, and the following year, 64% of voters chose to stay part of France when they approved a new constitution. Uninhabited Mururoa Atoll was established as a French nuclear test site in 1962, and tests were conducted between 1966 and 1992 (underground beginning in 1975). France also conducted tests at Fangataufa Atoll, including its last nuclear test in 1996. France granted French Polynesia partial internal autonomy in 1977 and expanded autonomy in 1984. French Polynesia was converted into an overseas collectivity in 2003 and renamed an overseas territory in 2004. Pro-independence politicians won a surprise majority in local elections that same year, but in subsequent elections, they have been relegated to a vocal minority. In 2013, French Polynesia was relisted on the UN List of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France, and it maintains a military garrison in French Polynesia (Forces Arm es en Polyn sie Fran aise, FAPF)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.3% (male 31,659/female 30,006) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 107,162/female 101,228) 65 years and over: 11% (2024 est.) (male 16,317/female 17,168)

Birth rate

12.7 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

66.8% (2017 est.)

Death rate

5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 46 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 29.3 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 16.8 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 6 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

total: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4%

Gross reproduction rate

0.87 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official) 73.5%, Tahitian 20.1%, Marquesan 2.6%, Austral languages 1.2%, Paumotu 1%, other 1.6% (2017 est.) major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.9 years (2024 est.) male: 76.6 years female: 81.3 years

Major urban areas - population

136,000 PAPEETE (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 35.8 years (2025 est.) male: 35 years female: 35.6 years

Nationality

noun: French Polynesian(s) adjective: French Polynesian

Net migration rate

-0.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Physician density

0.02 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

total: 305,507 (2025 est.) male: 156,084 female: 149,423

Population distribution

the majority of the population lives in the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that includes the most populous island, Tahiti, with approximately 70% of the nation's population

Population growth rate

0.63% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6%

Sanitation facility access

total: 97% of population (2022 est.) total: 3% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.78 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 62.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Airports

54 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

F-OH

Merchant marine

total: 24 (2023) by type: general cargo 14

Ports

total ports: 6 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 5 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Atuona, Baie Taiohae, Papeete, Port Rikitea, Uturoa, Vaitape