01
Physical geography
Mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains.
Local timePort Vila ·
Oceania / Melanesia · Card 027
Vanuatu
Vanuatu is a country in Melanesia. Its capital is Port Vila.
Find Vanuatu
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Languages
- Bislama & English & French
- Currency
- Vanuatu vatu (VUV)
- Population
- 335,1692025 · World Bank
- Area
- 12,189 km²4,706.20 square miles
- Independence
- 1980from France and the UK
Vanuatu in context
Oceania and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Port Vila; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Bislama, English, French.
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Location
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia.
Flag
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
History & independence
The islands were known internationally as the New Hebrides during a period of joint British and French colonial administration established in 1906. An independence movement developed in the twentieth century, and Vanuatu became independent in 1980. Indigenous customary institutions remain important alongside the national parliamentary system.
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Britain and France establish joint colonial administration
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Vanuatu becomes independent
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Vanuatu joins the United Nations
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture, tourism, construction and services support the economy. Kava, copra, cocoa and beef are important products. Many households combine subsistence farming with cash income. Cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic activity and the cost of serving scattered islands create recurring development challenges.
Industry and production
Kava and copra production, cocoa, beef, tourism services and construction.
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people335.22025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 86,266 | 86.266 |
| 1980 | 115,660 | 115.660 |
| 1990 | 148,063 | 148.063 |
| 2000 | 186,281 | 186.281 |
| 2010 | 238,248 | 238.248 |
| 2020 | 298,858 | 298.858 |
| 2025 | 335,169 | 335.169 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars1.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 439,359,480 | 0.439 |
| 1991 | 453,188,928 | 0.453 |
| 1992 | 464,905,737 | 0.465 |
| 1993 | 468,324,877 | 0.468 |
| 1994 | 510,855,642 | 0.511 |
| 1995 | 515,984,352 | 0.516 |
| 1996 | 527,993,038 | 0.528 |
| 1997 | 553,900,668 | 0.554 |
| 1998 | 560,419,272 | 0.560 |
| 1999 | 562,309,528 | 0.562 |
| 2000 | 595,625,294 | 0.596 |
| 2001 | 575,388,433 | 0.575 |
| 2002 | 545,477,908 | 0.545 |
| 2003 | 568,869,829 | 0.569 |
| 2004 | 591,552,904 | 0.592 |
| 2005 | 622,936,717 | 0.623 |
| 2006 | 675,641,508 | 0.676 |
| 2007 | 695,072,230 | 0.695 |
| 2008 | 734,003,168 | 0.734 |
| 2009 | 756,297,072 | 0.756 |
| 2010 | 765,817,848 | 0.766 |
| 2011 | 789,863,019 | 0.790 |
| 2012 | 797,841,012 | 0.798 |
| 2013 | 801,538,131 | 0.802 |
| 2014 | 826,426,928 | 0.826 |
| 2015 | 855,360,240 | 0.855 |
| 2016 | 886,322,641 | 0.886 |
| 2017 | 923,754,899 | 0.924 |
| 2018 | 946,990,364 | 0.947 |
| 2019 | 978,021,084 | 0.978 |
| 2020 | 922,026,415 | 0.922 |
| 2021 | 911,300,253 | 0.911 |
| 2022 | 962,259,774 | 0.962 |
| 2023 | 1,018,356,922 | 1.018 |
| 2024 | 1,056,704,662 | 1.057 |
| 2025 | 1,088,971,965 | 1.089 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.621Medium human developmentRank 146 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20100.582
20200.617
20230.621
71.5 yearsLife expectancy at birth
7.2 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A parliamentary republic. A President is head of state and a Prime Minister leads the government. Parliament has one elected chamber. The Malvatumauri, or National Council of Chiefs, advises on customary and cultural matters.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Vanuatu.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which two countries jointly administered the New Hebrides?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.