Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Vanuatu instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:

Health

live 5.7 years longer

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Vanuatu, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 18.3% more likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vanuatu, that number is 25.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 32.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Vanuatu, that number is 1.7% as of 1999.

make 31.7% less money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $4,100 as of 2020, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $2,800 as of 2020.

Life

be 50.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 145.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Vanuatu, 72.0 women do as of 2017.

be 36.3% more likely to be literate

In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 64.2% as of 2015. In Vanuatu, it is 87.5% as of 2018.

be 57.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 33.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Vanuatu, on the other hand, 14.3 children do as of 2022.

have 25.7% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 29.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Vanuatu, there are 21.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 11.0% of the population has internet access as of 2019. In Vanuatu, about 26.0% do as of 2019.

be 94.3% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access (86% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Vanuatu, that number is 92% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 90% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 21.1% more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Vanuatu spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 47.8% more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Vanuatu, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 50.9% less coastline

Papua New Guinea has a total of 5,152 km of coastline. In Vanuatu, that number is 2,528 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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