Government and power in the Solomon Islands
Who leads the Solomon Islands, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Who leads the Solomon Islands?
- Head of state: King Charles III (King)
- Representative of the head of state: Sir David Tiva Kapu (Governor-General of Solomon Islands)
- Head of government: Matthew Cooper Wale (Prime Minister of Solomon Islands)
- Foreign minister: Rick Nelson Houenipwela (Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Affairs of Solomon Islands)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does the Solomon Islands score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 69.1 out of 100 in 2025, 55th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 59.9.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Solomon Islands score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 78.7 out of 100 in 2025, 54th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 81.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 76.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Solomon Islands score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 35 out of 100 in 2025, 159th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 33.7.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Solomon Islands score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 39.1 out of 100 in 2025, 164th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 39.1.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Solomon Islands score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 61.6 out of 100 in 2025, 80th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 55.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does the Solomon Islands score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 44.9 out of 100 in 2025, 90th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 40.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in the Solomon Islands's parliament?
Women held 6.0% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 172nd highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of the Solomon Islands's ministers are women?
Women held 9.5% of ministerial posts in 2025, 162nd highest of 190.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much does the government of the Solomon Islands spend?
Central government spending (expense) was 28.9% of GDP in 2022.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow much tax does the government of the Solomon Islands collect?
Central government tax revenue was 23.3% of GDP in 2024, 19th highest of 92.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow good are the Solomon Islands's official statistics?
The World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicator, which scores how well a country's official statistics system works, was 51 out of 100 in 2024, 159th highest of 187.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many births are registered in the Solomon Islands?
88.0% of births of children under 5 were registered with a civil authority (2015).
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many people in the Solomon Islands use the internet?
29.0% of people used the internet in 2024.
Source: World Bank · saved copyOfficial bodies that hold power in the Solomon Islands
Government
- Solomon Islands GovernmentGovernment press releases, cabinet decisions and ministry information.
Parliament
- National Parliament of Solomon IslandsHansard, bills, acts, committee reports and members of Parliament.
Elections
- Solomon Islands Electoral CommissionElection results, voter registration figures and candidate lists.
Public audit
- Office of the Auditor-GeneralAudit reports on national and provincial government accounts and state-owned enterprises, tabled in Parliament.
Ombudsman
- Office of the OmbudsmanInvestigation reports and annual reports on complaints about public bodies.
Government below the national level
- Provinces (9): Provincial assembly members elected from wards for four years; a premier chosen by the assembly
- Honiara City Council: Councillors elected from 12 wards, plus 4 members appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs; mayor chosen by the council
- Wards: Ward member elected to the provincial assembly; ward development committees
How local power works in the Solomon Islands
Places in the Solomon Islands
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Central government spending (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 808094019f50…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Tax revenue (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08c94b750f31…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Statistical Performance Indicator (overall score) (IQ.SPI.OVRL), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 08ac7cde9129…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Births registered (SP.REG.BRTH.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f8d443034ba7…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: People using the internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0d78dc658329…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.