Vanuatu (Republic of Vanuatu)

https://www.humantruth.info/vanuatu.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Vanuatu Republic of Vanuatu
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	137th 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

“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	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
134	Kiribati	103.1
135	Lesotho	103.8
136	Samoa	106.2
137	Vanuatu	107.2
138	Rwanda	107.5
139	Uganda	108.0
140	Madagascar	108.2
141	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	108.3
	Australasia Avg	95.6
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

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:

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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

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.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
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.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
65	Guatemala	09.5
66=	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.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
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.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
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 #freethought #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #tolerance #women

Compared to Australasia (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	New Zealand	13.3
2	Australia	16.0
3	Kiribati	70.1
	...
6	Micronesia	78.2
7	Palau	80.7
8	Nauru	82.3
9	Fiji	87.1
10	Vanuatu	98.7
11	Samoa	100.4
12	Tonga	105.5
13	Solomon Islands	108.9
14	Papua New Guinea	113.5
	Australasia Avg	79.23
q=14.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
112	Russia	96.8
113	Nepal	96.9
114	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	98.1
115	Vanuatu	98.7
116	Lesotho	100.4
117	Samoa	100.4
118	Azerbaijan	100.8
119	Sao Tome & Principe	101.2
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, 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 Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

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

Human Rights & Tolerance:

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
58=	Sao Tome & Principe	2.0
58=	Suriname	2.0
58=	Vanuatu	2.0
58=	Seychelles	2.0
58=	Bulgaria	2.0
58=	S. Africa	2.0
58=	S. Korea	2.0
	Australasia Avg	1.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₂₀
Pos.		2009 Treaties₂₀
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
160	India	10
161=	Fiji	10
161=	Vietnam	10
161=	Vanuatu	10
164	Iraq	9
165=	Samoa	9
165=	Papua New Guinea	9
165=	Oman	9
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
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.

Gender Equality:

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

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

Prejudice:

LGBT Equality Higher is better₂₂
Pos.		2017 Score₂₂
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
96=	Equatorial Guinea	15
96=	Burkina Faso	15
96=	Cambodia	15
96=	Vanuatu	15
96=	Congo, DR	15
96=	Lesotho	15
96=	Belize	15
96=	Belarus	15
	Australasia Avg	07.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₂₃
Pos.		2021₂₃
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
109	Philippines	3.3
110=	Paraguay	3.3
110=	Singapore	3.3
110=	Vanuatu	3.3
110=	Tajikistan	3.3
110=	Zambia	3.3
110=	Trinidad & Tobago	3.3
110=	St Lucia	3.3
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Vanuatu's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines #vanuatu

Compared to Australasia (2025)₂₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₄
1	Australia	49.3
2	New Zealand	51.2
3	New Caledonia	57.9
	...
9	Tuvalu	112.1
10	Kiribati	117.2
11	Micronesia	122.8
12	Samoa	124.2
13	Vanuatu	125.3
14	Solomon Islands	125.5
15	Nauru	133.3
16	Papua New Guinea	133.4
17	Marshall Islands	157.4
	Australasia Avg	112.00
q=17.

Health (2025)₂₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₄
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
155	Samoa	124.2
156	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	124.4
157	Honduras	125.3
158	Vanuatu	125.3
159	Solomon Islands	125.5
160	Pakistan	127.9
161	Botswana	129.6
162	Eritrea	130.2
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₅. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₅.

21 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₂₅, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₅.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Vanuatu has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Vanuatu comes in the best 20 in its smoking rate₂₆. It does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate₂₇ (amongst the best in Australasia). However Vanuatu performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average when it comes to its average life expectancy₁₁, its adolescent birth rate₂₈ (one of the worst in Australasia) and in its fertility rate₁₄ (amongst the highest in Australasia). And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its immunizations take-up₂₉ (the worst in Australasia). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 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.

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
29=	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 best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
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.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2014₂₆
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
4	Uganda	41
5	Rwanda	53
6	Samoa	54
7	Congo, DR	74
8	Ethiopia	76
9	Vanuatu	76
10	Guyana	77
11	Suriname	79
12	Malawi	80
	Australasia Avg	372
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₃₀
Pos.		2016 %₃₀
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
108	Sweden	56.4
109	Brazil	56.5
110	Germany	56.8
111=	Vanuatu	57.1
111=	Serbia	57.1
111=	Russia	57.1
114	Portugal	57.5
115=	Peru	57.5
	Australasia Avg	73.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₂₈
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.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₂₉
Pos.		2015 Avg %₂₉
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.

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)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
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	93.28
q=16.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₁
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.

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 Vanuatu ranks 133rd in the world with regard to its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 4 data sets. Vanuatu does better than average for reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₂ (amongst the best in Australasia) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₃. And finally, it does worse than average when it comes to its environmental performance₃₄ (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 better₃₃
Pos.		Total₃₃
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 better₃₄
Pos.		2018₃₄
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.		Total 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.

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 better₃₂
Pos.		2021 kg₃₂
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.

7. Vanuatu's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #corruption #economics #education #health #inequality #life_expectancy #modernity #politics #poverty #social_development #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2020)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₅
1	New Zealand	15.2
2	Australia	16.6
3	Palau	47.4
4=	Tonga	62.0
5	Fiji	71.5
6	Samoa	99.8
7	Marshall Islands	111.1
8	Vanuatu	125.6
9	Kiribati	127.3
10	Micronesia	133.6
11	Tuvalu	138.2
12	Solomon Islands	154.5
13	Papua New Guinea	158.4
	Australasia Avg	97.01
q=13.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₅
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
145	Iraq	124.6
146	Malawi	125.4
147	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	125.5
148	Vanuatu	125.6
149	Togo	125.8
150	Sao Tome & Principe	126.0
151	Syria	126.9
152	Kiribati	127.3
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

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, Belgium and Denmark₃₆. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₃₆. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₃₇.

“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)₃₈

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, 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 Europe₃₆, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₃₆.

For more, see:

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

Modernity and Education:

Length of Schooling Higher is better₃₉
Pos.		2021 Years₃₉
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.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better₄₀
Pos.		2016₄₀
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
129	Egypt	33%
130	Cuba	32%
131	Micronesia	31%
132	Vanuatu	31%
133	Syria	30%
134	Sri Lanka	29%
135	Samoa	29%
136	Ghana	28%
	Australasia Avg	44.3%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₄₁
Pos.		2017 Ratio₄₁
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
77=	Croatia	0.1
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Vanuatu's Culture, Peace and Inequality

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

National Culture:

Corruption Higher is better₄₂
Pos.		2022 Points₄₂
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
57	Croatia	50.0
58=	Mauritius	50.0
59	Namibia	49.0
60	Vanuatu	48.0
61=	Jordan	47.0
61=	Malaysia	47.0
63	Armenia	46.0
64=	Romania	46.0
	Australasia Avg	55.83
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₄₃
Pos.		2019₄₃
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
109	Indonesia	13.90
110=	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 better₄₄
Pos.		2023 %₄₄
1	Slovakia	24.1%₄₅
2	Slovenia	24.3%₄₅
3	Belarus	24.4%₄₆
	...
48	Egypt	31.9%₄₇
49	Mauritania	32.0%₄₇
50	Seychelles	32.1%₄₈
51	Vanuatu	32.3%₄₇
52=	Germany	32.4%₄₆
52=	UK	32.4%₄₅
52=	Nauru	32.4%₄₉
55	Luxembourg	32.7%₄₅
	Australasia Avg	34.8%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

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

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better₅₀
Pos.		2018 Severity₅₀
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 (Burma)	.176
64	Kenya	.178
65	Comoros	.181
	Australasia Avg	.174
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₅₁:

Christian	93.3%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	4.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.2%

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)₅₂.

Links:

A List of All Religions and Belief Systems