Vanuatu (Republic of Vanuatu)

Vanuatu Republic of Vanuatu
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	135th best
Capital	Port-Vila
Land Area	12 190km21
Location	Australasia, Melanesia
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	0.3m2
Life Expectancy	70.45yrs (2017)3
GNI	$3 085 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	VU, VUT, 5485
Internet Domain	.vu6
Currency	Vatu (VUV)7
Telephone	+6788

1. Overview
2. Vanuatu National and Social Development
3. Vanuatu's Demographics and Migration
4. Vanuatu's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
   1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets
   2. Gender Equality Datasets
   3. Prejudice Datasets
5. Vanuatu's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Vanuatu's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Vanuatu's Modernity and Learning
   1. Education Datasets
   2. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Vanuatu's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Tropical weather brings light and life to sandy beaches and azure waters. Throughout the islands, strong communities show off their country´s attributes to a soundtrack of drumming and dance. Where else can you jump from a coral- and tropical fish-filled blue hole into a 4WD truck to watch an active volcano spit out lava high above you? Contrasts like these make Vanuatu a country well worth taking the time to explore. The ni-Van take life in smiling strides, and as you adjust to their early mornings and dark evenings, you´ll wonder why you´ve ever lived life in a rush.

It´s all thatched-roof accommodation in the outer islands but glitzy resorts abound on Efate and Santo. These islands also boast great roads, giving you round-island access on Efate and smooth access to stunning beaches and blue holes on Santo. Add to that scented balmy breezes and several best-in-the-world experiences that few people know about: a luxury liner shipwrecked in clear waters, gigantic banyan trees, pounding waterfalls, an ancient living culture with extraordinary ceremonies and picture-perfect beaches.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Vanuatu National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
139	Namibia	0.615
140=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	0.607
140=	Laos	0.607
140=	Vanuatu	0.607
143	Nepal	0.602
144	Swaziland	0.597
145	Equatorial Guinea	0.596
146=	Cambodia	0.593
	Australasia Avg	0.70
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
161	Senegal	$3 344
162	Zambia	$3 218
163	Comoros	$3 142
164	Vanuatu	$3 085
165	Congo, (Brazzaville)	$2 889
166	Haiti	$2 848
167	Lesotho	$2 700
168	Tanzania	$2 664
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.2
2	Norway	29.2
3	Sweden	30.2
	...
132	Saudi Arabia	104.6
133	Tajikistan	105.7
134	Namibia	106.4
135	Vanuatu	106.7
136	Palestine	106.8
137	Rwanda	107.2
138	Sao Tome & Principe	107.5
139	Bangladesh	107.6
	Australasia Avg	100.6
	World Avg	89.2
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Vanuatu's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Vanuatu's population is predicted to rise to 371 400 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 3.70. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
171	Bahamas	0.4m
172	Belize	0.4m
173	Iceland	0.3m
174	Vanuatu	0.3m
175	Barbados	0.3m
176	Sao Tome & Principe	0.2m
177	Samoa	0.2m
178	St Lucia	0.2m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
117	Paraguay	70.3
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
165	Gabon	3.46
166	Nauru	3.46
167	Ghana	3.51
168	Vanuatu	3.70
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
65=	Guatemala	09.5
65=	Saudi Arabia	09.5
67	Haiti	09.6
68	Vanuatu	09.9
69	Cape Verde	10.0
70	Philippines	10.3
71	Cambodia	10.4
72=	Egypt	10.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
147	Malawi	1.3%
148	Sierra Leone	1.3%
149	Guinea-Bissau	1.3%
150	Vanuatu	1.2%
151	Ethiopia	1.2%
152	Sao Tome & Principe	1.1%
153	Congo, DR	1.1%
154	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
159	Iran	1.7%
160	Libya	1.7%
161	Gabon	1.7%
162	Vanuatu	1.6%
163	Djibouti	1.5%
164	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.4%
165	Zambia	1.4%
166	Cameroon	1.4%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Vanuatu's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Australasia (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	New Zealand	19.4
2	Australia	22.6
3	Micronesia	59.3
4	Vanuatu	78.5
5	Kiribati	81.6
6	Tuvalu	83.8
7	Nauru	89.3
8	Fiji	90.8
9	Palau	91.4
10	Samoa	98.2
11	Tonga	101.0
12	Marshall Islands	102.9
13	Papua New Guinea	110.2
	Australasia Avg	82.01
q=14.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
65	Romania	76.6
66	Guatemala	77.4
67	Macedonia	78.3
68	Vanuatu	78.5
69	Honduras	78.6
70	Jamaica	79.5
71	Colombia	79.6
72	Dominican Rep.	80.4
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₂₀. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₂₀.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₂₀, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₂₀.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #politics

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
57=	Antigua & Barbuda	2.0
57=	Sao Tome & Principe	2.0
57=	Suriname	2.0
57=	Vanuatu	2.0
57=	Seychelles	2.0
57=	Bulgaria	2.0
57=	S. Africa	2.0
57=	S. Korea	2.0
	Australasia Avg	1.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better21
Pos.		2009 Treaties21
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
160=	India	10
160=	Fiji	10
160=	Vietnam	10
160=	Vanuatu	10
164=	Iraq	9
164=	Samoa	9
164=	Papua New Guinea	9
164=	Oman	9
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better22
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty22
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
153	Bhutan	13.01
154	Swaziland	13.16
155	Equatorial Guinea	13.18
156	Vanuatu	13.21
157	Guinea-Bissau	13.23
158	Liechtenstein	13.28
159	Ireland	13.38
160	Oman	13.46
	Australasia Avg	14.35
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
174=	Palau	1979
174=	Micronesia	1979
176=	Iraq	1980
176=	Vanuatu	1980
178	Liechtenstein	1984
179=	Djibouti	1986
179=	Central African Rep.	1986
181	Namibia	1989
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#2020s #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better23
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score23
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
109	Hungary	-0.50
110	Honduras	-0.51
111	Mozambique	-0.55
112	Vanuatu	-0.61
113	Dominican Rep.	-0.63
114	Palau	-0.65
115	Congo, (Brazzaville)	-0.68
116	Guinea-Bissau	-0.73
	Australasia Avg	-0.93
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Homosexuality was never criminalized in Vanuatu. The age of consent was equalized at 15 in 2007. Religious opposition and government warnings (2013-2014) discouraged same-sex ceremonies, and advocacy groups report ongoing social stigma rather than codified morality-based harassment. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Vanuatu had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination. Civil partnerships are not recognized. Fearing the spread of worldwied tolerance, same-sex marriage was explicitly banned in Nov 2024.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

•  ⇡  In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better24
Pos.		202124
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
109=	Philippines	3.3
109=	Paraguay	3.3
109=	Singapore	3.3
109=	Vanuatu	3.3
109=	Tajikistan	3.3
109=	Zambia	3.3
109=	Trinidad & Tobago	3.3
109=	St Lucia	3.3
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Vanuatu's Health

#health

Compared to Australasia (2025)25
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank25
1	Australia	62.1
2	New Zealand	66.8
3	New Caledonia	68.1
	...
8	Niue	102.3
9	Tuvalu	118.6
10	Guam	122.6
11	Vanuatu	123.4
12	Solomon Islands	123.9
13=	Samoa	124.1
14	Cook Islands	127.5
15	Micronesia	127.9
16	Papua New Guinea	133.7
	Australasia Avg	110.70
q=19.

Health (2025)25
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank25
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
151	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	122.1
152	Guam	122.6
153	S. Africa	123.0
154	Vanuatu	123.4
155	Solomon Islands	123.9
156=	Bolivia	124.1
156=	Samoa	124.1
158	Namibia	125.2
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₂₆. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₂₆.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₂₆, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₂₆.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #suicide #vanuatu

Vanuatu is a pretty unhealthy country. Vanuatu does better than average for its alcohol consumption rate₂₇ (amongst the lowest in Australasia) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₂₈ (amongst the best in Australasia). But unfortunately Vanuatu gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average in childhood mortality in the 2020s₂₉, its average life expectancy₁₁, its adolescent birth rate₃₀ (one of the worst in Australasia), its suicide rate₃₁, its fertility rate₁₅ (amongst the highest in Australasia) and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₂. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₃ (the lowest in Australasia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Vanuatu improved by +3.2yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Vanuatu's peak fertility rate was 6.86 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
110	Venezuela	70.6
111	Jamaica	70.5
112	Belize	70.5
113	Vanuatu	70.4
114	Iraq	70.4
115	Solomon Islands	70.3
116	Suriname	70.3
117	Paraguay	70.3
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better27
Pos.		2016 Per Capita27
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
26=	Malaysia	0.9
26=	Comoros	0.9
28=	Iran	1.0
28=	Vanuatu	1.0
30	Papua New Guinea	1.2
31=	Eritrea	1.3
31=	Guinea	1.3
31=	Mali	1.3
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
165	Gabon	3.46
166	Nauru	3.46
167	Ghana	3.51
168	Vanuatu	3.70
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
172	Eritrea	3.79
	Australasia Avg	2.82
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better31
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k31
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
158	Finland	16.11
159=	Poland	16.13
159=	France	16.13
161	Vanuatu	16.58
162	Croatia	16.67
163	Estonia	17.28
164	Serbia	17.52
165	Mongolia	19.05
	Australasia Avg	13.23
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Overweight Adults Lower is better28
Pos.		1976 %28
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
86=	Dominican Rep.	27.3
86=	Oman	27.3
86=	Kyrgyzstan	27.3
89	Vanuatu	27.5
90=	Jamaica	28.0
90=	Dominica	28.0
92	Bolivia	28.1
93=	S. Africa	28.2
	Australasia Avg	48.8
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better34
Pos.		2022 %34
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
73	Kazakhstan	19.3%
74	Mauritius	19.5%
75	Norway	19.8%
76	Vanuatu	19.9%
77	Gabon	20.0%
78	Papua New Guinea	20.1%
79	Turkmenistan	20.2%
80	Luxembourg	20.2%
	Australasia Avg	49.3%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better30
Pos.		2022 Per 100030
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
143	Bolivia	63.1
144	Namibia	63.1
145	Guatemala	63.2
146	Vanuatu	63.2
147	Dominican Rep.	63.2
148	Nepal	63.4
149	Ghana	63.4
150	Eritrea	63.6
	Australasia Avg	40.2
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better32
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %32
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
174	Comoros	77.7
175	Paraguay	77.5
176	Ivory Coast	77.0
177	Vanuatu	76.7
178	Libya	76.4
179	Guinea-Bissau	76.0
180	Cameroon	75.1
181	Mozambique	74.2
	Australasia Avg	90.0
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better33
Pos.		2015 Avg %33
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
182	Yemen	67.4
183	Papua New Guinea	66.3
184	Haiti	65.7
185	Vanuatu	65.5
186	Guinea	63.3
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
189	Chad	52.5
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better29
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 100029
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
99	Samoa	18.81
100	Nauru	18.87
101	St Kitts & Nevis	19.01
102	Vanuatu	19.11
103	Nicaragua	19.21
104	Cape Verde	20.21
105	Mongolia	20.26
106	Venezuela	20.47
	Australasia Avg	25.09
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Vanuatu's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Australasia (2025)35
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank35
1	New Zealand	75.8
2	Australia	76.6
3	Fiji	89.1
4	Vanuatu	93.0
5	Tonga	96.1
6	Papua New Guinea	104.5
7	Samoa	107.0
8	Kiribati	111.4
9	Micronesia	114.6
10	Cook Islands	119.6
11	Solomon Islands	121.6
12	Marshall Islands	123.1
13	Palau	124.5
	Australasia Avg	109.27
q=16.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)35
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank35
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
130	Malta	92.2
131	Sao Tome & Principe	92.7
132	Palestine	92.7
133	Vanuatu	93.0
134	Mozambique	93.9
135	Qatar	94.1
136	Liberia	94.2
137	Trinidad & Tobago	94.5
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₃₆. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Still low for Australasia in terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Vanuatu ranks 133rd in the world. This is computed from 21 data sets. Vanuatu does better than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₇ (one of the best in Australasia) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₈. And finally, it does worse than average in terms of its environmental performance₃₉ (amongst the worst in Australasia) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better38
Pos.		Total38
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
97=	San Marino	0.0%
97=	Afghanistan	0.0%
97=	Vatican City	0.0%
97=	Vanuatu	0.0%
97=	Tuvalu	0.0%
97=	Nauru	0.0%
97=	Seychelles	0.0%
97=	St Martin	0.0%
	Australasia Avg	0.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better39
Pos.		201839
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
141	Ethiopia	44.8
142	S. Africa	44.7
143	Guinea-Bissau	44.7
144	Vanuatu	44.6
145	Uganda	44.3
146	Comoros	44.2
147	Mali	43.7
148	Rwanda	43.7
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
145	Gabon	51%
146	Fiji	51%
147	Qatar	51%
148	Vanuatu	50%
149	Equatorial Guinea	50%
150	Moldova	50%
151	Bahrain	50%
152	Swaziland	50%
	Australasia Avg	48.2%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Vanuatu is vulnerable to the antics of rich corporations and countries; it was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day.

Meat Consumption Lower is better37
Pos.		2021 kg37
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
77	Guatemala	42.1
78	Uzbekistan	42.3
79	Turkey	43.0
80	Vanuatu	43.4
81	El Salvador	43.9
82	Fiji	44.4
83	Congo, (Brazzaville)	46.0
84	Bosnia & Herzegovina	46.8
	Australasia Avg	74.2
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

7. Vanuatu's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	New Zealand	18.2
2	Australia	26.8
3	Tonga	80.0
	...
5	Samoa	109.0
6	Kiribati	113.8
7	Marshall Islands	116.7
8	Nauru	123.9
9	Micronesia	124.5
10	Vanuatu	129.6
11	Tuvalu	138.6
12	Solomon Islands	149.7
13	Papua New Guinea	157.6
	Australasia Avg	105.42
q=13.

Modernity & Learning (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
157	Bangladesh	127.5
158	Namibia	129.0
159	Sao Tome & Principe	129.2
160	Vanuatu	129.6
161	Equatorial Guinea	130.2
162	Mali	130.7
163	Burkina Faso	130.7
164	Madagascar	131.6
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₄₁. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₄₁. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₂.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₄₃

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₁.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Education Datasets

#education

Length of Schooling Higher is better44
Pos.		2021 Years44
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
143	Nauru	11.7
144	Tajikistan	11.7
145	Micronesia	11.5
146	Vanuatu	11.5
147	Cambodia	11.5
148	Lebanon	11.3
149	Rwanda	11.2
150	Zambia	10.9
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.2. Technology and Information Datasets

#the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
143	Tajikistan	47%
144	Lesotho	46%
145	Sri Lanka	45%
146	Vanuatu	45%
147	Cameroon	42%
148	Angola	41%
149	Gambia	40%
150	Bangladesh	40%
	Australasia Avg	64.0%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better45
Pos.		2017 Ratio45
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
70=	Sudan	0.1
70=	Ukraine	0.1
72	Lithuania	0.1
73	Vanuatu	0.1
74=	Iran	0.1
74=	Zambia	0.1
76=	Panama	0.1
76=	Croatia	0.1
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Vanuatu's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to Australasia (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	New Zealand	15.7
2	Australia	25.1
3	Samoa	79.1
4	Fiji	80.9
5	Vanuatu	82.1
6	Tonga	87.4
7	Solomon Islands	95.9
8	Papua New Guinea	106.8
	Australasia Avg	71.62
q=8.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Denmark	10.4
2	Netherlands	11.8
3	Finland	12.2
	...
83	Fiji	80.9
84	St Vincent & Grenadines	81.6
85	Botswana	81.9
86	Vanuatu	82.1
87	Grenada	82.3
88	Armenia	82.4
89	Cape Verde	82.8
90	Brazil	83.1
	World Avg	80.47
q=183.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 39 datasets, including multiple decades of data on resisting corruption, Creativity and Culture, overall happiness, Open Trading, Aid and Development, passport utility (so far), personal financial stability, World Giving Index, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#corruption #internationalism #politics

Corruption Higher is better47
Pos.		2022 Points47
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
57=	Croatia	50.0
57=	Mauritius	50.0
59	Namibia	49.0
60	Vanuatu	48.0
61=	Jordan	47.0
61=	Malaysia	47.0
63=	Armenia	46.0
63=	Romania	46.0
	Australasia Avg	55.83
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better48
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q48
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
89	Russia	117.7
90	Georgia	117.5
91	Albania	117.0
92	Vanuatu	113.7
93	Turkey	112.2
94	S. Africa	104.3
95	Belize	102.0
96	Qatar	101.3
	Australasia Avg	123.4
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

8.2. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better49
Pos.		201949
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
109=	Indonesia	13.90
109=	Azerbaijan	13.90
111	Algeria	14.10
112	Vanuatu	14.40
113	Guatemala	14.60
114=	Fiji	14.90
114=	Trinidad & Tobago	14.90
116	Philippines	15.30
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better50
Pos.		2023 %50
1	Slovakia	24.1%51
2	Slovenia	24.3%51
3	Belarus	24.4%52
	...
48	Egypt	31.9%53
49	Mauritania	32.0%53
50	Seychelles	32.1%54
51	Vanuatu	32.3%53
52=	Germany	32.4%52
52=	UK	32.4%51
52=	Nauru	32.4%55
55	Luxembourg	32.7%51
	Australasia Avg	34.8%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Vanuatu - only for 2 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better56
Pos.		2018 Severity56
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
58	Nepal	.148
59	Cambodia	.170
60	Namibia	.171
61	Vanuatu	.174
62	Bhutan	.175
63	Myanmar	.176
64	Kenya	.178
65	Comoros	.181
	Australasia Avg	.174
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₅₇:

	2010	2020
Christian	82.6%	83.5%
Other	16.2%	15.1%
Unaffiliated	1.08%	1.37%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Muslim	<0.1%	<0.1%
Buddhist	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 55.6% (Presbyterian 31.4%, Anglican 13.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%), Roman Catholic 13.1%, other Christian 13.8%, indigenous beliefs 5.6% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 9.6%, none 1%, unspecified 1.3% (1999 Census)₅₈.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems