Note: A number in parentheses indicates how many medal events were contested in that sport (where known).

^a Attempts to reduce the size the games were not successful and more than 2,500 athletes took part in 1983.^[1]

^b Niue competed in the soccer and rugby competitions.^[5][6]

^c Tokelau competed in the rugby competition.^[7]

^d Postage stamps depicting athletics, netball, tennis, weightlifting, boxing, soccer, golf and rugby were issued by Samoa for the 1983 South Pacific Games.^[8]

^e Fiji's women's basketball team won gold in 1983.^[9]

^f Bowls: Fiji won gold in the women's pairs at Apia in 1983.^[10]

^g Cook Islands won the netball gold in 1983.^[11]

^h The South Pacific Games Council announced in 1978 that squash would be included in the Games, and it was played in 1979, 1983, 1987, and 1991.^[12] There were four gold medals on offer in 1983, for men's and women's individual and team events.^[12] The men's individual event won by Fiji's Willie Valentine, and the women's team event won by PNG.^[13] Fiji won silver in both men's and women's team events.^[12]

^i Women's volleyball was played at the 1983 South Pacific Games.^[14]