According to the estimates of Gross Domestic Product for American Samoa for 2015, released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real GDP, that is GDP adjusted to remove price changes increased 1.1 percent in 2015 after increasing 1.3 percent in 2014.
Real GDP for the United States excluding the territories increased 2.6 % for the same period, after increasing 2.4% in 2014.
In its analysis, the BEA says the growth in the American Samoa economy reflects increases in export of goods and government spending.
But the increases were partly offset by an increase in imports of goods, a subtraction item in the calculation of GDP.
Exports of goods grew for a second consecutive year.
This was attributed to increased activities of the tuna canning industry which continued to increase its output after opening its Samoa Tuna Processors plant.
Government spending also increased, reflecting growth in spending by the territorial government, on projects such as rebuilding of the Satala Power Plant and the American Samoa Telecommunications Broadband Linking American Samoa or BLAST project.
The estimates of GDP by industry for American Samoa show that the private sector expanded in 2014 due to growth in non manufacturing and manufacturing industries, while the government sector contracted.
The decline in the government sector was primarily due to operating losses of territorial government enterprises.
Federal spending dropped from $17 million in 2013 to 16 million in 2014 while territorial spending slipped from $151 million to $146 million.
Compensation by industry estimates show an increase in total compensation, jumping from $279 million in 2013 to $297 in 2014.
Private industries accounted for $120 million in compensation, up from $107 in 2013.
Meanwhile government compensation, which is salaries paid to government employees, jumped from $154 million to $161.
