2023 Edition

Background

Vanuatu was first settled around 2000 B.C. by Austronesian speakers from Solomon Islands. By around 1000, localized chieftain systems began to develop on the islands. In the mid-1400s, the Kuwae Volcano erupted, causing frequent conflict and internal strife amid declining food availability, especially on Efate Island. Around 1600, Chief ROI MATA united Efate under his rule. In 1606, Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de QUEIROS was the first European to see the Banks Islands and Espiritu Santo, setting up a short-lived settlement on the latter. The next European explorers arrived in the 1760s, and in 1774, British navigator James COOK named the islands the New Hebrides. The islands were frequented by whalers in the 1800s and interest in harvesting the islands’ sandalwood trees caused conflict between Europeans and local Ni-Vanuatu. Catholic and Protestant missionaries arrived in the 1840s but faced difficulties converting the locals. In the 1860s, European planters in Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, and Samoa needed labor and kidnapped almost half the adult males of the islands and forced them 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 British-French Condominium to jointly administer the islands and they established separate laws, police forces, currencies, and education and health systems. The condominium arrangement was dysfunctional and the UK used France’s defeat to Germany in World War II to assert greater control over the islands. As Japan pushed into Melanesia, the US stationed up to 50,000 soldiers in Vanuatu to prevent further advances. In 1945, US troops withdrew and sold their equipment, leading to the rise of political and religious cargo cults, such as the John Frum movement.The France-UK condominium was reestablished after World War II. The UK was interested in moving the condominium toward independence in the 1960s, but France was hesitant and political parties agitating independence began to form, largely divided along linguistic lines. France eventually relented and elections were held in 1974 with independence granted in 1980 as Vanuatu under English-speaking Prime Minister Walter LINI. At independence, the Nagriamel Movement, with support from French-speaking landowners, declared Espiritu Santo independent, 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 through no-confidence motions or temporary procedural issues more than a dozen times.

Area

land

12,189 sq km

note

note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited

total

12,189 sq km

water

0 sq km

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 and there are several underwater volcanoes as well

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

15.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 10.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.4% (2018 est.)

forest

36.1% (2018 est.)

other

48.6% (2018 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

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

note

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

tropical cyclones (January to April); volcanic eruption on Aoba (Ambae) island began on 27 November 2005, volcanism also causes minor earthquakes; tsunamisvolcanism: 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; three largest islands - Espiritu Santo, Malakula, and Efate - accomodate over half of the populace

Terrain

mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains

Age structure

0-14 years

31.73% (male 50,721/female 48,607)

15-64 years

63.41% (male 97,376/female 101,135)

65 years and over

4.86% (2023 est.) (male 7,486/female 7,721)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.87 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

21.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.7% (2013)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

49% (2013)

Current health expenditure

4% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

69.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

12.3

potential support ratio

15.2 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

76.5

youth dependency ratio

69.9

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 89.7% of population

improved: total

total: 92.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 10.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 7.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

2.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

1.26 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

12.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

15.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

14 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Indigenous languages (more than 100) 82.6%, Bislama (official; creole) 14.5%, English (official) 2.1%, French (official) 0.8% (2020 est.)

note

note: data represent first language spoken for population aged 3 years and above

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.2 years

male

73.7 years

total population

75.4 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

88.4% (2021)

male

89.8%

total population

89.1%

Major urban areas - population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

94 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

24.6 years

male

23.7 years

total

24.2 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Ni-Vanuatu

noun

Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.2% (2016)

Physicians density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

313,046 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

1.59% (2023 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

improved: rural

rural: 60.4% of population

improved: total

total: 68.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 91.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 39.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 31.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 8.9% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.97 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

2.6% (2020 est.)

male

33% (2020 est.)

total

17.8% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.59 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.55% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

26% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

there are two possibilities for the origin of the name: early European settlers were Portuguese and "vila" means "village or town" in Portuguese, hence "Port-Vila" would mean "Port Town"; alternatively, the site of the capital is referred to as "Efil" or "Ifira" in native languages, "Vila" is a likely corruption of these names

geographic coordinates

17 44 S, 168 19 E

name

Port-Vila (on Efate)

time difference

UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

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; amended several times, last in 2013

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

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Vanuatu

conventional short form

Vanuatu

etymology

derived from the words "vanua" (home or land) and "tu" (stand) that occur in several of the Austonesian languages spoken on the islands and which provide a meaning of "the land remains" but which also convey a sense of "independence" or "our land"

former

New Hebrides

local long form

Ripablik blong Vanuatu

local short form

Vanuatu

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

800 Second Avenue, Suite 400B, New York, NY 10017

chief of mission

Ambassador Odo TEVI (since 8 September 2017)note - also Permanent Representative to the UN

email address and website

vanunmis@aol.comhttps://www.un.int/vanuatu/

FAX

[1] (212) 422-3427

note

note - the Vanuatu Permanent Mission to the UN serves as the embassy

telephone

[1] (212) 661-4323

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament

chief of state

President Nikenike VUROBARAVU (since 23 July 2022)

election results

Nikenike VUROBARAVU elected president in eighth round on 23 July 2022 with 48 votes;Sato KILMAN defeated as prime minister in no-confidence vote on 6 October 2023; Charlot SALWAI  elected prime minister on 6 October 2023,  29 votes for - 0 against

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and presidents of the 6 provinces; Vanuatu president serves a 5-year term; election last held on 23 July 2022 (next to be held in 2027); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held on 20 April 2020 (next to be held following general elections in 2024)

head of government

Prime Minister Charlot SALWAI (since 6 October 2023)

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele fern fronds, all in yellow; red represents the blood of boars and men, as well as unity, green the richness of the islands, and black the ni-Vanuatu people; the yellow Y-shape - which reflects the pattern of the islands in the Pacific Ocean - symbolizes the light of the Gospel spreading through the islands; the boar's tusk is a symbol of prosperity frequently worn as a pendant on the islands; the fern fronds represent peace

note

note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of 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 legal system of English common law, French law, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members directly elected in 8 single-seat and 9 multi-seat constituencies by single non-transferable vote to serve 4-year terms (candidates in multi-seat constituencies can be elected with only 4% of the vote)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 7, VP 7, LPV 5, RMC 5, GJP 4, NUP 4, RDP 4, IG 3, PPP 2, VNDP 2, NAG 1, VLM 1, other 6, independent 1; composition - men 51, women 1; percent of women 2%; note - political party associations are fluid

elections

last held on 13 October 2022 (next to be held in 2026)

note

note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of culture and language

National anthem

lyrics/music

Francois Vincent AYSSAV

name

"Yumi, Yumi, Yumi" (We, We, We)

note

note: adopted 1980; the anthem is written in Bislama, a Creole language that mixes Pidgin English and French

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Chief Roi Mata’s Domain

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 July (1980)

National symbol(s)

boar's tusk with crossed fern fronds; national colors: red, black, green, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Green Confederation or GC [Moana CARCASSES Kalosil]Iauko Group or IG [Tony NARI]Land and Justice Party (Graon mo Jastis Pati) or GJP [Ralph REGENVANU]Leaders Party of Vanuatu or LVP [Nikenike VUROBARAVU] Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]Nagriamel Movement or NAG [Frankie STEVENS]Natatok Indigenous People's Democratic Party or NATATOK or NIPDP [Alfred Roland CARLOT]National United Party or NUP [Ham LINI]People's Progressive Party or PPP [Sato KILMAN]People's Service Party or PSP [Don KEN]Reunification of Movement for Change or RMC [Charlot SALWAI]Rural Development Party or RDP [Jay NGWELE, spokesman]Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Alatoi Ishmael KALSAKAU]Vanua'aku Pati (Our Land Party) or VP [Bob LOUGHMAN]Vanuatu Democratic Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN]Vanuatu First or Vanuatu [Russel NARI]Vanuatu Liberal Democratic Party or VLDP [Tapangararua WILLIE]Vanuatu Liberal Movement or VLM [Gaetan PIKIOUNE]Vanuatu National Development Party or VNDP [Robert Bohn SIKOL]Vanuatu National Party or VNP [Issac HAMARILIU]Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP [Marcellino PIPITE]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, roots/tubers, bananas, vegetables, pork, fruit, milk, beef, groundnuts, cocoa

Budget

expenditures

$355 million (2019 est.)

revenues

$398 million (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$215.521 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$60.619 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$1.893 million (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$182.5 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$200.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)

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

Currency

vatu (VUV) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

107.821 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

110.165 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

114.733 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

115.38 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

109.453 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$372.711 million (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$141.534 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$88.805 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

tuna, floating platforms, cargo ships, perfume plants, mollusks, copra (2021)

Exports - partners

Thailand 54%, Japan 18%, South Korea 6%, Cyprus 5%, China 4% (2021)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

42.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

17.4% (2017 est.)

household consumption

59.9% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-48.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

28.7% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

27.3% (2017 est.)

industry

11.8% (2017 est.)

services

60.8% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$870 million (2017 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

32.3 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2019

$488.795 million (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$429.601 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$495.858 million (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, fishing ships, poultry meats, delivery trucks, lumber, rice, broadcasting equipment (2021)

Imports - partners

China 26%, Australia 16%, New Zealand 15%, Fiji 8%, Singapore 7% (2021)

Industrial production growth rate

4.92% (2018 est.)

Industries

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.76% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

5.33% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.34% (2021 est.)

Labor force

132,700 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2016

46.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

48.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$934.627 million (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$884.192 million (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$888.165 million (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

3.24% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-5.4% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

0.45% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$3,100 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$2,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$2,800 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$511.546 million (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$613.637 million (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$664.751 million (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

14.24% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

1.8% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

2.12% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

2.18% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

5.6%

male

5.2%

total

5.4% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

225,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

225,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

62.926 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

35,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

5 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

60.7% (2021)

electrification - total population

70% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

97% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

84.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

8.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

7.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

10.878 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,073 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2020 est.)

total

2,785 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station; multi-channel pay TV is available; state-owned Radio Vanuatu operates 2 radio stations; 2 privately owned radio broadcasters; programming from multiple international broadcasters is available

Internet country code

.vu

Internet users

percent of population

66% (2021 est.)

total

211,200 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity is 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular 78 per 100 (2021)

general assessment

for many years, 2G Global System for Mobile Communications was the primary mobile technology for Vanuatu’s 300,000 people; recent infrastructure projects have improved access technologies, with a transition to 3G and, to a limited degree, to LTE; Vanuatu has also benefited from the ICN1 submarine cable and the launch of the Kacific-1 satellite, both of which have considerably improved access to telecom services in recent years; Vanuatu’s telecom sector is liberalized, with the two prominent mobile operators; while fixed broadband penetration remains low, the incumbent operator is slowly exchanging copper fixed-lines for fiber; a number of ongoing submarine cable developments will also assist in increasing data rates and reduce internet pricing in coming years (2021)

international

country code - 678; landing points for the ICN1 & ICN2 submarine cables providing connectivity to the Solomon Islands and Fiji; cables helped end-users with Internet bandwidth; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

3,600 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

78 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

250,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

31 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

3

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

28

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

YJ

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 16, container ship 4, general cargo 87, oil tanker 2, other 222

total

331 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1.66 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

374,603 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

8

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Forari Bay, Luganville (Santo, Espiritu Santo), Port-Vila

Roadways

paved

256 km (2000)

total

1,070 km (2000)

unpaved

814 km (2000)

Military - note

the separate British and French police forces were unified in 1980 under Ni-Vanuatu officers as the New Hebrides Constabulary; the force retained some British and French officers as advisors; the Constabulary was subsequently renamed the Vanuatu Police Force later in 1980the Vanuatu Mobile Force has received training and other support from Australia, China, France, New Zealand, and the USVanuatu 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 (2023)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Ministry of Internal Affairs: Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) (2023)

note

note: the VPF includes the Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) and Police Maritime Wing (VPMW); the paramilitary VMF also has external security responsibilities

Disputes - international

Vanuatu-France: Matthew and Hunter Islands, two uninhabited islands east of New Caledonia, claimed by Vanuatu and France; in January 2019, a French naval mission landed officers on the islands to reinforce France’s sovereignty; in November 2021, French vessels fishing near the islands raised tensions

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List — Vanuatu does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; these efforts included sentencing four traffickers to prison, following their conviction in the previous reporting period; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts, compared with the previous reporting period, to expand its anti-trafficking capacity; for the fourth consecutive year, authorities did not identify any trafficking victims and did not provide protection services to victims; for the third consecutive year, officials did not investigate any trafficking crimes; the government also did not conduct public awareness campaigns or administer anti-trafficking training for law enforcement officials; therefore, Vanuatu was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2023)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Vanuatu, and traffickers exploit victims from Vanuatu abroad; individuals from Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, and Thailand are exploited in Vanuatu; workers from China may have been forced to work in Vanuatu at projects run by Chinese companies; traffickers target migrant women in the hospitality and tourism sectors and low-skilled foreign workers in high-risk sectors, such as agriculture, mining, fishing, logging, construction, and domestic service; Chinese and South Asian migrant women are at risk for labor trafficking in bars, beauty salons, and massage parlors; Bangladeshi criminal groups lure Bangladeshis with false promises of jobs in Australia, then exploit them in forced labor in construction in Vanuatu; women and girls may be at risk of debt-based coercion in sex trafficking and domestic servitude to pay back the husband’s family for the “bride-price payments” they made to the bride’s family; children are exploited through “child-swapping” used to pay off debts, or by taxi drivers who may facilitate their exploitation in commercial sex; forced labor and child sex trafficking occur on fishing vessels in Vanuatu; LGBTQI+ individuals are vulnerable to trafficking; children may experience conditions indicative of forced labor in the illegal logging industry and in newspaper sales (2023)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.15 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.5 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

8.42 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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

Environment - current issues

population growth; water pollution, most of the population does not have access to a reliable supply of potable water; inadequate sanitation; deforestation

Environment - international 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% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 10.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 3.4% (2018 est.)

forest

36.1% (2018 est.)

other

48.6% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.54% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

10 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.55% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

26% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

70,225 tons (2012 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

25,983 tons (2013 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

37% (2013 est.)