Vanuatu

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 4,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station; multi-channel pay TV available; state-owned Radio Vanuatu has 2 radio stations; 2 privately owned radio broadcasters; multiple international broadcasts available (2023)

Internet country code

.vu

Internet users

percent of population: 46% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 3,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 256,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 78 (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

coconuts, oranges, yams, cabbages, taro, bananas, chillies/peppers, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, cassava (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $386.577 million (2023 est.) expenditures: $378.659 million (2023 est.) note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Current account balance

-$127.432 million (2022 est.) -$75.451 million (2021 est.) -$57.858 million (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$299.746 million (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

lower-middle income Pacific island economy; extremely reliant on subsistence agriculture and tourism; environmentally fragile; struggling post-pandemic and Tropical Cyclone Harold rebound; sizeable inflation; road infrastructure aid from Australia

Exchange rates

vatu (VUV) per US dollar - 119.167 (2024 est.) 119.112 (2023 est.) 115.354 (2022 est.) 109.452 (2021 est.) 115.38 (2020 est.)

Exports

$152.087 million (2022 est.) $82.08 million (2021 est.) $132.943 million (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

fish, ships, perfume plants, wood, copra (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Thailand 49%, Japan 19%, Cote d'Ivoire 10%, China 7%, USA 3% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.161 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 77.2% (2022 est.) government consumption: 23.9% (2022 est.) investment in fixed capital: 38.8% (2022 est.) investment in inventories: 0.4% (2022 est.) exports of goods and services: 9.6% (2022 est.) imports of goods and services: -55.5% (2022 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 24.9% (2022 est.) industry: 7.5% (2022 est.) services: 60.4% (2022 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

32.3 (2019 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3% (2019 est.) highest 10%: 24.7% (2019 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$579.347 million (2022 est.) $520.391 million (2021 est.) $438.373 million (2020 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, plastic products, poultry, trucks (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 26%, Australia 15%, Angola 11%, Fiji 9%, NZ 8% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-19.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

11.2% (2023 est.) 6.7% (2022 est.) 2.3% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

118,100 (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

15.9% (2019 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

71.7% of GDP (2023 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.039 billion (2024 est.) $999.162 million (2023 est.) $1.009 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

4% (2024 est.) -1% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$3,200 (2024 est.) $3,100 (2023 est.) $3,200 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

12.9% of GDP (2023 est.) 19.2% of GDP (2022 est.) 20.3% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$614.65 million (2024 est.) $643.768 million (2023 est.) $638.537 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

17.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

5.1% (2024 est.) 5.1% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 11.6% (2024 est.) male: 9.6% (2024 est.) female: 14% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 39,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 74.766 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 5.264 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 70% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 97% electrification - rural areas: 60.7%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 74.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 8.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 11.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

12.934 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

292,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 292,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April

Environmental issues

water pollution; limited potable water; inadequate sanitation; deforestation

International environmental agreements

party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 15.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 1.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 10.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.) forest: 74.8% (2023 est.) other: 9.8% (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

9.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

10 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 26% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.55% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 70,200 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 52.9% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 12,189 sq km land: 12,189 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Connecticut

Climate

tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be affected by cyclones from December to April

Coastline

2,528 km

Elevation

highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Geographic coordinates

16 00 S, 167 00 E

Geography - note

a Y-shaped chain of four main islands and 80 smaller islands; several of the islands have active volcanoes, including several underwater volcanoes

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 15.3% (2023 est.) arable land: 1.6% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 10.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 3.4% (2023 est.) forest: 74.8% (2023 est.) other: 9.8% (2023 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin note: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

Natural hazards

tropical cyclones (January to April); volcanic activity; volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamis volcanism: significant volcanic activity with multiple eruptions in recent years; Yasur (361 m), one of the world's most active volcanoes, has experienced continuous activity in recent centuries; other historically active volcanoes include Aoba, Ambrym, Epi, Gaua, Kuwae, Lopevi, Suretamatai, and Traitor's Head

Natural resources

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

Population distribution

three quarters of the population lives in rural areas; the urban populace lives primarily in two cities, Port-Vila and Lugenville; the three largest islands -- Espiritu Santo, Malakula, and Efate -- accommodate over half of the populace

Terrain

mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Administrative divisions

6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba

Capital

name: Port-Vila (on Efate) geographic coordinates: 17 44 S, 168 19 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the local name of Vila is sometimes used alone for the the port town; its meaning is unknown

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: both parents must be citizens of Vanuatu; in the case of only one parent, it must be the father who is a citizen dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Constitution

history: draft completed August 1979, finalized by constitution conference 19 September 1979, ratified by French and British Governments 23 October 1979, effective 30 July 1980 at independence amendment process: proposed by the prime minister or by the Parliament membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by Parliament in special session with at least three fourths of the membership; passage of amendments affecting the national and official languages, or the electoral and parliamentary system also requires approval in a referendum

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Vanuatu conventional short form: Vanuatu local long form: Ripablik blong Vanuatu local short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides etymology: the name means "Our land forever" in several of the Austronesian languages spoken on the islands; the former name, New Hebrides, was given by Captain James COOK in 1774 because he thought they looked similar to the Hebrides islands off the coast of Scotland

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ann Marie YASTISHOCK (since 16 April 2024); note - also accredited to the Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea embassy: Port Vila email address and website: https://vt.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Odo TEVI (since 8 September 2017) note - also Permanent Representative to the UN chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400B, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 661-4303 FAX: [1] (212) 422-3427 email address and website: vanunmis@aol.com https://www.un.int/vanuatu/ note: the Vanuatu Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the embassy

Executive branch

chief of state: President Nikenike VUROBARAVU (since 23 July 2022) head of government: Prime Minister Jotham NAPAT (since 11 February 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and presidents of the 6 provinces; national president serves a 5-year term; following legislative elections, the Parliament usually elects the leader of the majority party or majority coalition (who must also be a member of Parliament) as prime minister most recent election date: 23 July 2022 election results: 2022: Nikenike VUROBARAVU elected president in eighth round; electoral college vote - Nikenike VUROBARAVU (VP) 48 votes, Solas MOLISA (VP) 4 votes expected date of next election: 2027 note: the National Council of Chiefs (Malvatu Mauri) is a formal advisory body of chiefs recognized by the country's constitution; it advises the government on matters of culture and language

Flag

description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the left side); a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal "Y" faces the left side and encloses the triangle; a boar's tusk in the triangle circles two crossed namele fern fronds, all in yellow meaning: red stands for unity and the blood of men and boars, green for the richness of the islands, and black for the ni-Vanuatu people; the yellow "Y" reflects the islands' layout in the Pacific Ocean and symbolizes the light of the Gospel; the boar's tusk is a symbol of prosperity; the ferns represent peace note: one of four national flags that reflect the shape of the country in the flag design; the others are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Eritrea

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

30 July 1980 (from France and the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IOM, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of 2 or more judges of the Supreme Court designated by the chief justice); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 puisne judges -- 3 local and 3 expatriate) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition; other judges appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, a 4-member advisory body; judges serve until the age of retirement subordinate courts: Magistrates Courts; Island Courts

Legal system

mixed system of English common law, French law, and customary law

Legislative branch

legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 52 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 1/16/2025 parties elected and seats per party: Leaders Party of Vanuatu (LPV) (9); Vanua'aku Pati (VP) (7); Iauko Group (IG) (6); Union of Moderate Parties (UMP) (6); Rural Development Party (RDP) (6); Graon mo Jastis Pati (Land and Justice Party, GJP) (5); Reunification Movement for Change (RMC) (5); Other (8) percentage of women in chamber: 1.9% expected date of next election: January 2029

National anthem(s)

title: "Yumi, Yumi, Yumi" (We, We, We) lyrics/music: Francois Vincent AYSSAV history: adopted 1980; the anthem is written in the native Bislama

National color(s)

red, black, green, yellow

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Chief Roi Mata s Domain

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

National symbol(s)

boar's tusk with crossed fern fronds

Political parties

Iauko Group (Eagle Party) or IG Land and Justice Party (Graon mo Jastis Pati or GJP) Leaders Party of Vanuatu or LPV Rural Development Party or RDP Reunification of Movement for Change or RMC Union of Moderate Parties or UMP Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Austronesian speakers from the Solomon Islands first settled Vanuatu around 2000 B.C. By around 1000, localized chieftain systems began to develop on the islands. Around 1600, Melanesian Chief ROI MATA united some of the islands of modern-day Vanuatu under his rule. In 1606, a Portuguese explorer was the first European to see Vanuatu's Banks Islands and Espiritu Santo, setting up a short-lived settlement on the latter. The next European explorers arrived in the 1760s, and the islands -- then known as the New Hebrides -- were frequented by whalers in the 1800s. European interest in harvesting the islands sandalwood trees caused conflict with the inhabitants. In the 1860s, European planters in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, and Samoa needed labor and kidnapped almost half the adult males on the islands to work as indentured servants. With growing and overlapping interests in the islands, France and the UK agreed that the New Hebrides would be neutral in 1878 and established a joint naval commission in 1887. In 1906, the two countries created the UK-France condominium to jointly administer the islands, with separate laws, police forces, currencies, and education and health systems. The condominium arrangement was dysfunctional, and the UK used France s initial defeat in World War II to assert greater control over the islands. During the war, the US stationed up to 50,000 soldiers in Vanuatu. In 1945, they withdrew and sold their equipment, leading to the rise of political and religious movements known as "cargo cults," such as the John Frum movement. The UK-France condominium was reestablished after World War II. The UK was interested in moving the condominium toward independence in the 1960s, but France was hesitant. Political parties agitating for independence began to form, largely divided along linguistic lines. France eventually relented, and elections were held in 1974, with independence granted to the newly named Vanuatu in 1980 under English-speaking Prime Minister Walter LINI. The Nagriamel Movement, with support from French-speaking landowners, then declared the island of Espiritu Santo independent from Vanuatu, but the short-lived state was dissolved 12 weeks later. Linguistic divisions have lessened over time, but highly fractious political parties have led to weak coalition governments that require support from both Anglophone and Francophone parties. Since 2008, prime ministers have been ousted more than a dozen times through no-confidence motions or temporary procedural issues.

Military - note

the separate British and French police forces were unified in 1980 as the New Hebrides Constabulary, which was commanded by Ni-Vanuatu officers while retaining some British and French officers as advisors; the Constabulary was subsequently renamed the Vanuatu Police Force later in 1980 the Vanuatu Mobile Force has received training and other support from Australia, China, France, New Zealand, and the US Vanuatu has a "shiprider" agreement with the US, which allows local maritime law enforcement officers to embark on US Coast Guard (USCG) and US Navy (USN) vessels, including to board and search vessels suspected of violating laws or regulations within Vanuatu's designated exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on the high seas; "shiprider" agreements also enable USCG personnel and USN vessels with embarked USCG law enforcement personnel to work with host nations to protect critical regional resources (2025)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) note: the VPF includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) and Police Maritime Wing (VMW); the VMF has external security responsibilities

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.1% (male 50,584/female 48,475) 15-64 years: 63.8% (male 99,496/female 103,425) 65 years and over: 5% (2024 est.) (male 7,852/female 8,175)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 1.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.87 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

20.36 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

68.6% (2020 est.)

Death rate

4.02 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 56.7 (2024 est.) youth dependency ratio: 48.8 (2024 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 7.9 (2024 est.) potential support ratio: 12.7 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 99.2% of population (2022 est.) rural: 88.6% of population (2022 est.) total: 91.3% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.8% of population (2022 est.) rural: 11.4% of population (2022 est.) total: 8.7% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

7.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 20.1% national budget (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups

Ni-Vanuatu 99%, other 1% (European, Asian, other Melanesian, Polynesian, Micronesian, other) (2020 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.2 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

4.4% of GDP (2021) 3.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 13.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

indigenous languages (more than 100) 82.6%, Bislama (official; creole) 14.5%, English (official) 2.1%, French (official) 0.8% (2020 est.) note: data represent first language spoken for population aged 3 years and above

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.7 years (2024 est.) male: 74 years female: 77.4 years

Literacy

total population: 88% (2023 est.) male: 87.7% (2023 est.) female: 88.2% (2023 est.)

Major urban areas - population

53,000 PORT-VILA (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

100 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 24.9 years (2025 est.) male: 24.1 years female: 25 years

Nationality

noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural) adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Net migration rate

-1.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.2% (2016)

Physician density

0.16 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

total: 318,007 (2024 est.) male: 157,932 female: 160,075

Population distribution

three quarters of the population lives in rural areas; the urban populace lives primarily in two cities, Port-Vila and Lugenville; the three largest islands -- Espiritu Santo, Malakula, and Efate -- accommodate over half of the populace

Population growth rate

1.51% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 39.9% (Presbyterian 27.2%, Seventh Day Adventist 14.8%, Anglican 12%, Churches of Christ 5%, Assemblies of God 4.9%, Neil Thomas Ministry/Inner Life Ministry 3.2%), Roman Catholic 12.1%, Apostolic 2.3%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.8%, customary beliefs (including Jon Frum cargo cult) 3.1%, other 12%, none 1.4%, unspecified 0.1% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 94% of population (2022 est.) rural: 66.9% of population (2022 est.) total: 73.9% of population (2022 est.) urban: 6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 33.1% of population (2022 est.) total: 26.1% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 17.8% (2020 est.) male: 33% (2020 est.) female: 2.6% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.46 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 26% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.55% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 2,336 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Vanuatu does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards; therefore, Vanuatu was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 and remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/vanuatu/

Airports

31 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YJ

Merchant marine

total: 338 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 11, container ship 3, general cargo 101, other 223

Ports

total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 2 ports with oil terminals: 2 key ports: Forari Bay, Luganville, Port Vila