Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.9 years less

In California, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In Vanuatu, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 96.4% less money

California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $3,000 as of 2023.

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be 35.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Vanuatu, however, that number is 15.9% as of 2020.

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Basic Needs

be 28.7% less likely to have internet access

In California, approximately 92.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Vanuatu, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), The World Factbook.

Compare further: California vs. Vanuatu

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Vanuatu is 0.7% cheaper than California
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Size Comparison · See true size
California is about 33 times bigger than Vanuatu.
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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 California? See an in-depth size comparison.

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