Browse additional economic indicators and data sets

Vanuatu

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Vanuatu economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends.

Basic Information

Government Type: Parliamentary republic

Capital City: Port-Vila (on Efate)

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
Currency Vatu (VUV)
International Reserves USD 0.42 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 0.9 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) Intl$ 0.8 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2014 2.3%
2015 0.2%
2016 3.5%
2017* 4.4%
2018* 3.2%

*Estimate
GDP per capita – current prices USD 3,254.1 (2018, estimate)
GDP per capita – PPP Intl$ 2,861.8 (2018, estimate)
GDP (PPP) – share of world total 0.001% (2019)
GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 27.3%
industry: 11.8%
services: 60.8%
(2016 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2015 2.5%
2016 0.8%
2017 3.1%
2018* 2.9%
2019* 2.0%

*Estimate

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2015 2.5%
2016 0.8%
2017 3.1%
2018* 2.9%
2019* 2.0%

*Estimate
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: N/A

Moody’s: N/A

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017)
Unemployment rate 2015 N/A
2016 N/A
2017 N/A
2018* N/A
2019* N/A

*Estimate
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2015 34.7%
2016 45.2%
2017 52.1%
2018* 51.4%
2019* 49.2%

*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2015 -7.3%
2016 -3.9%
2017 -0.9%
2018* 4.8%
2019* -0.6%

*Estimate
Market value of publicly traded shares N/A
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 48.6% (2014)
Shares in world total merchandising export 0.0004% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export 0.01% (2017)
Total exports USD 414.0 million (2017 estimate)
Export commodities Copra, beef (veal), cocoa, timber, kava, coffee, coconut oil, shell, cowhides, coconut meal, fish
Total imports USD 448.6 (2017 estimate)
Import commodities Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels
Exports – major partners Philippines 23.9%, Australia 16.5%, US 10.4%, Japan 8.8%, Venezuela 8%, France 4.8%, Fiji 4.5%, Hong Kong 4.4% (2017)
Imports – major partners Russia 35.2%, Australia 19.8%, NZ 9.8%, China 6.3%, Fiji 5.5% (2017)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD 0.0 billion (2018 estimate)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP -3.4% (2018 estimate)
FDI inflows 2016 USD 22 million
2019 USD 24 million
2018 USD 38 million
FDI Outflows 2016 USD 0.9 million
2017 USD 1.1 million
2018 USD 1.2 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 107 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:

Starting a Business: 137 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 163 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 101 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 84 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 37 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 147 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 67 out of 190 countries

Trading across Borders: 148 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 138 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 101 out of 190 countries
Global competitiveness ranking N/A
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 116 / Score: 56.4 (Moderately free) (2019)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Population & Geographic Data

Total Area 12,189 sq km
Total Population 1990 0.15 Million
2000 0.19 Million
2010 0.24 Million
2015 0.27 Million
2020 0.3 Million
Urban population as % of total population 1960 10.4%
1980 14.7%
2000 21.7%
2018 25.3%
Population median age 22.3 years (2018 estimate)
Population growth rate 1.81% (2018 estimate)
Life expectancy 74 years (2018 estimate)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day 39.2% (2010 estimate)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) 37.8 (2010 estimate)
Freedom House rating Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2 (2019)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population Fixed 1.6% Mobile 79.9% (2017)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 25.72% (2017)

Language & Religon

Languages Local languages (more than 100) 63.2%, Bislama (official; creole) 33.7%, English (official) 2%, French (official) 0.6%, other 0.5% (2009 est.)
Literacy Total population: 85.2%
Male: 86.6%
Female: 83.8% (2015 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)
Religions Protestant 70% (includes Presbyterian 27.9%, Anglican 15.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.5%, Assemblies of God 4.7%, Church of Christ 4.5%, Neil Thomas Ministry 3.1%, and Apostolic 2.2%), Roman Catholic 12.4%, customary beliefs 3.7% (including Jon Frum cargo cult), other 12.6%, none 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (2009 est.)

World Rankings

Population 0.3 million
Mercer Cost of living index N/A
C02 Emissions per capita 0.58 (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Vanuatu

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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