Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 7.5 years longer

In Gambia, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 69 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 2.4 times more likely to be obese

In Gambia, 10.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vanuatu, that number is 25.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 21.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Gambia, 6.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Vanuatu, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.

be 70.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Gambia, 53.4% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Vanuatu, however, that number is 15.9% as of 2020.

Life

be 79.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Gambia, approximately 458.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Vanuatu, 94.0 women do as of 2020.

be 53.4% more likely to be literate

In Gambia, the literacy rate is 58.1% as of 2021. In Vanuatu, it is 89.1% as of 2021.

be 61.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Gambia, approximately 37.2 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 23.8% fewer children

In Gambia, there are approximately 27.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vanuatu, there are 20.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 100.0% more likely to have internet access

In Gambia, approximately 33.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Vanuatu, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 17.9% less on education

Gambia spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Vanuatu spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 53.8% more on healthcare

Gambia spends 2.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Vanuatu, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 31.6 times more coastline

Gambia has a total of 80 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 Gambia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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