If you lived in Vanuatu instead of Benin, you would:

Health

live 10.7 years longer

In Benin, the average life expectancy is 61 years (60 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024. In Vanuatu, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 23.7% more access to essential health services

Benin scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vanuatu scores 47 as of 2021.

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be 84.2% more likely to be obese

In Benin, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vanuatu, that number is 22.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide

Benin has a suicide rate of 7.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Vanuatu, it is 15.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 56.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Benin, 36.2% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Vanuatu, however, that number is 15.9% as of 2020.

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make 2.4 times more money

Benin has a GDP per capita of $1,658 as of 2025, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $4,039 as of 2025.

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be 3.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Benin, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vanuatu, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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Life

be 80.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Benin, approximately 518.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Vanuatu, 100.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 71.2% more likely to be literate

In Benin, the literacy rate is 51.4% as of 2022. In Vanuatu, it is 88.0% as of 2023.

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be 68.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Benin, approximately 45.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Vanuatu, on the other hand, 14.4 children do as of 2024.

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have 17.3% fewer children

In Benin, there are approximately 33.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vanuatu, there are 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 2.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Benin, approximately 34.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Vanuatu, about 69.9% do as of 2022.

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be 25.2% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Benin, approximately 70% of people have access to drinking water (76% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Vanuatu, that number is 87% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.4 times more on education

Benin spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Vanuatu spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 23.4% more on healthcare

Benin spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Vanuatu, that number is 4.1% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 20.9 times more coastline

Benin has a total of 121 km of coastline. In Vanuatu, that number is 2,528 km.

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Safety

be 70.8% less likely to be murdered

Benin has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2017. In Vanuatu, that number is 0.3 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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be 49.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Benin, road accidents kill 24.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Vanuatu, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 4.1 times more home broadband

Benin has 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vanuatu has 1.2 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 26.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Benin, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Vanuatu, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.

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emit 77.6% more CO2

Benin emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2020), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Vanuatu: At a glance

Vanuatu is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 12,189 sq km. 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.
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How big is Vanuatu compared to Benin? See an in-depth size comparison.

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