Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Colombia instead of Vanuatu, you would:
Health
live 6.3 years longer
In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 12.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Colombia spends $1,758 as of 2024.
have 70.2% more access to essential health services
Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Colombia scores 80 as of 2021.
be 68.5% less likely to die by suicide
Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Colombia, it is 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 10.3% more likely to be obese
In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 2.1 times more money
Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $8,562 as of 2025.
be 63.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Vanuatu, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Colombia, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 41.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vanuatu, approximately 100.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Colombia, 59.0 women do as of 2023.
be 27.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Vanuatu, approximately 14.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Colombia, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2024.
have 52.1% fewer children
In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Colombia, there are 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 60.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Vanuatu, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (88% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 13.5% more likely to have internet access
In Vanuatu, approximately 69.9% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Colombia, about 79.3% do as of 2024.
be 11.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Vanuatu, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 97% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 97.6% more on healthcare
Vanuatu spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 26.9% more coastline
Vanuatu has a total of 2,528 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.
Safety
be 75.5 times more likely to be murdered
Vanuatu has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Colombia, that number is 24.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 29.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Vanuatu, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Colombia, they kill 16.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.8 times more home broadband
Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Colombia has 17.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 57.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vanuatu, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Colombia, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.1 times more CO2
Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vanuatu vs. Colombia
Colombia: At a glance
How big is Colombia compared to Vanuatu? See an in-depth size comparison.