Under German colonial rule, many Chinese laborers were imported to work on plantations. More recently, there has generally been a net annual loss of population through migration. Emigration (estimated at 5,278 in 1988) consists mainly of students going to New Zealand to continue their education, and Samoans seeking work there. In addition, several thousand Samoans live in American Samoa and other parts of the US. The total abroad in these countries and Australia was estimated at 76,200 in 1989.
The migration rate in 2000 was -22.8 migrants per 1,000 population.
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