Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kiribati instead of Vanuatu, you would:
Health
see 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kiribati spends $401 as of 2023.
live 5.1 years less
In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.0 times more likely to be obese
In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 45.6% of people as of 2024.
be 11.1% more likely to die by suicide
Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kiribati, it is 17.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 65.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Vanuatu, 15.9% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Kiribati, however, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.
make 36.6% less money
Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Kiribati, the GDP per capita is $2,559 as of 2025.
Life
be 20.0% 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 Kiribati, 80.0 women do as of 2023.
be 12.1% more likely to be literate
In Vanuatu, the literacy rate is 88.0% as of 2023. In Kiribati, it is 98.6% as of 2020.
be 2.7 times more 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 Kiribati, on the other hand, 38.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 55.7% 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 Kiribati, that number is 96% of people on average (89% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 28.0% more likely to have internet access
In Vanuatu, approximately 69.9% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Kiribati, about 89.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.1 times more on education
Vanuatu spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Kiribati spends 16.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.7 times more on healthcare
Vanuatu spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kiribati, that number is 10.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 54.8% less coastline
Vanuatu has a total of 2,528 km of coastline. In Kiribati, that number is 1,143 km.
Safety
be 50.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vanuatu, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kiribati, they kill 6.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 97.4% less home broadband
Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Kiribati has 0.0 as of 2024.
Environment
be 14.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vanuatu, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Kiribati, it causes 49.0 as of 2019.
emit 32.2% less CO2
Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kiribati emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2020), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vanuatu vs. Kiribati
Kiribati: At a glance
How big is Kiribati compared to Vanuatu? See an in-depth size comparison.