Vanuatu

parliamentary republic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning

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

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

1.51% (2025 est.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.)

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

manganese, hardwood forests, fish

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

IDPs: 2,336 (2024 est.)

31 (2025)

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

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

percent of population: 46% (2023 est.)