Vanuatu People - 2024

Population

313,046 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)

adjective: Ni-Vanuatu

Ethnic groups

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

Languages

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

Religions

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.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 31.73% (male 50,721/female 48,607)

15-64 years: 63.41% (male 97,376/female 101,135)

65 years and over: 4.86% (2023 est.) (male 7,486/female 7,721)

2023 population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 76.5

youth dependency ratio: 69.9

elderly dependency ratio: 12.3

potential support ratio: 15.2 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 24.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 23.7 years

female: 24.6 years

Population growth rate

1.59% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

21.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

three-quarters of the population lives in rural areas; the urban populace lives primarily in two cities, Port-Vila and Lugenville; three largest islands - Espiritu Santo, Malakula, and Efate - accomodate over half of the populace

Urbanization

urban population: 26% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.55% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

53,000 PORT-VILA (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

94 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 14 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male: 15.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 12.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 73.7 years

female: 77.2 years

Total fertility rate

2.59 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.26 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

49% (2013)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 89.7% of population

total: 92.3% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 10.3% of population

total: 7.7% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

4% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 91.1% of population

rural: 60.4% of population

total: 68.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 8.9% of population

rural: 39.6% of population

total: 31.8% of population (2020 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.2% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 1.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 0.34 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.87 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 17.8% (2020 est.)

male: 33% (2020 est.)

female: 2.6% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

11.7% (2013)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

69.2% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

2.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 89.1%

male: 89.8%

female: 88.4% (2021)