Vanuatu
Country in Oceania
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 335.2K (2025). World rank 177 of 216; in Oceania, 6 of 19. Area: 12,189 km². World rank 163 of 249; in Oceania, 7 of 27. GDP: $1.4B (2025). World rank 195 of 210; in Oceania, 9 of 19. From 2015 to 2025: population 266.1K → 335.2K, GDP $855.4M → $1.4B, and GDP per person $3,214 → $4,039.
State
- Official name
- Republic of Vanuatu
- Local name
- Vanuatu
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Region
- Oceania
- Form of government
- Parliamentary republic
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Nikenike Vurobaravu
- Head of government
- Bob Loughman
- Independence
- July 30, 1980
- Women in parliament
- 1.9% 2025
Key figures
- Population
- 335,169 2025
- Area
- 12,189 km²
- GDP
- $1.4B 2025
- GDP per person
- $4,039 2025
- Life expectancy
- 71.7 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- Bislama, English, French
- Currency
- Vanuatu Vatu (VUV)
- Time zones
- UTC+11
- Calling code
- +678
- Emergency numbers
- 11, 112, 113
- Driving side
- Right
- Plug types
- C, G, I
- Mains voltage
- 220 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 2,528
- Neighbours
- None
- Agricultural land
- 13.3% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Mount Tabwemasana, 1,877 m
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean, 0 m
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 26
- Warmest month in the capital
- February, 28°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- August, 24°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 2,000 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 27.5 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +2.2% 2025
- Living in cities
- 22.3% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -52 2025
- Born in another country
- 1% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 38% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 57.7% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 4.4% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 74.1 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 69.6 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 3.6 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 27.7 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 5 2024
Society
- Religions
- Protestant 39.9%, Catholic 12.1%, other 12%, other Christian 4.1%, and folk religions 3.1% (2020)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 67.3 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 44.4 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 37 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 49.6 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 67.8 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $4,525 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +3.1% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Lower-middle income
- Gross national income per person
- $4,410 2025
- Inflation
- +0.7% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 89 2025
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 26.6% 2024
- Industry, share of GDP
- 10.1% 2024
- Services, share of GDP
- 56.8% 2024
- Unemployment
- 5.1% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 11.3% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 53.3% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 25.4% 2024
- Imports, share of GDP
- 48% 2024
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- -11.1% 2022
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +2.4% 2025
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 17.2% 2022
- Tax revenue, share of GDP
- 16.5% 2023
Poverty and inequality
- Gini index (0 = full equality)
- 32.3 2019
- Living on under $3 a day
- 19.5% 2019
Education
- Adult literacy
- 88% 2023
- Primary school enrolment
- 112% 2024
- Secondary school enrolment
- 135% 2023
- Higher education enrolment
- 4.9% 2004
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 7.6% 2024
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 4.1% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $143 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 8.4% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 0.2 2019
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 1.5 2019
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 1.7 2008
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 61% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 14.4 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 17.1 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 100 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 0.1% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 19.7% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 51.3% 2022
- Adults who use tobacco
- 24.9% 2024
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 87.1% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 47.8% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 20% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 0.3 2020
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 14.9 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 15.7 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 82.3 2025
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and tropical cyclones
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 7 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 0.9 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 1.9 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 74.6% 2024
- Protected areas
- 0.1% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 31,944 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 22.4% 2015
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 89 2023
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 1.2 2024
- Internet domain
- .vu
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 65.5% 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 25% 2022
- Electricity from renewables
- 25.2% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 74.8% 2021
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 359,290 2023
- Airports
- 31 2025
Science and innovation
- Scientific articles per year
- 12 2023
- Patent applications by residents
- 1 2021