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

Health

see 17.5 times more spent on your healthcare

Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nauru spends $2,474 as of 2023.

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have 27.7% more access to essential health services

Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nauru scores 60 as of 2021.

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live 9.4 years less

In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 3.2 times more likely to be obese

In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nauru, that number is 71.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 3.6 times more money

Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Nauru, the GDP per capita is $14,640 as of 2025.

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Life

be 46.5% 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 Nauru, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2024.

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be 2.7 times more 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 Nauru, 273.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 11.2% fewer children

In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nauru, there are 24.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 62.3% 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 Nauru, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 18.8% more likely to have internet access

In Vanuatu, approximately 69.9% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Nauru, about 83.0% do as of 2024.

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be 12.3% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Vanuatu, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Nauru, 98% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 24.3% less on education

Vanuatu spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Nauru spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 4.4 times more on healthcare

Vanuatu spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nauru, that number is 18.2% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 98.8% less coastline

Vanuatu has a total of 2,528 km of coastline. In Nauru, that number is 30 km.

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Safety

be 36.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Vanuatu, road accidents kill 12.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nauru, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 8.6 times more home broadband

Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nauru has 10.0 as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Nauru: At a glance

Nauru is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 21 sq km. The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific region. Germany annexed the island in 1888. A German-British consortium began mining the island's phosphate deposits early in the 20th century. Australian forces occupied Nauru in World War I; it subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.
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How big is Nauru compared to Vanuatu? See an in-depth size comparison.

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