Vanuatu — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Vanuatu: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Vanuatu is in Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia. It covers 12,189 sq km. Terrain: mostly mountainous islands of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains. 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.
| Capital | Port-Vila (on Efate) |
|---|---|
| Population | 318,007 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $1.039 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $3,200 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 11.2% (2023 est.) |
| Unemployment | 5.1% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 71.7% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Exports | $152.087 million (2022 est.) |
| Imports | $579.347 million (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 75.7 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 24.9 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 26% of total population (2023) |
| Government | parliamentary republic |
| Independence | 30 July 1980 (from France and the UK) |
| Languages | indigenous languages (more than 100) 82.6%, Bislama (official; creole) 14.5%, English (official) 2.1%, French (official) 0.8% (2020 est.) |
Vanuatu’s GDP is $1.039 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $1.161 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 4% (2024 est.). See where Vanuatu ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
- What our model rewards: unemployment near 5.1% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: a current-account deficit of $0 billion (11.0% of GDP) — living beyond its means; only 25% of electricity from low-carbon sources
Manganese.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 70% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 74.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 8.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 11.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 12.934 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 1.2 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 0.1 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 3,791 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Oil 75.0%, Hydro 12.5%, Solar 12.5% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 25.0% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 500.0 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $152.087 million (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $579.347 million (2022 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $427.3 million (2022), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Jotham Napat — Prime Minister. President Nikenike VUROBARAVU (since 23 July 2022)
Vanuatu maintains 5 embassies and 9 consulates abroad, hosts 7 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN Geneva, UN New York. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 5 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 9 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 7 |
| Multilateral missions | UN Geneva, UN New York |
Source: Wikipedia 'List of diplomatic missions of Vanuatu' / '... in Vanuatu'
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 2528 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 31 (registration prefix YJ) |
| Major seaports | Forari Bay, Luganville, Port Vila |
Major airports
Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) — Port Vila; Santo Pekoa International Airport (SON) — Luganville; Whitegrass Airport (TAH) — Tanna Island.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Vanuatu.
Historical timeline of Vanuatu
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Vanuatu — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Vanuatu's power score?
Vanuatu has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.