Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Vanuatu instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 30.4% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vanuatu, that number is 25.2% of people as of 2016.

live 5.5 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Vanuatu, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 95.9% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $3,000 as of 2023.

be 40.5% more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Vanuatu, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.

Life

have 70.5% more children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vanuatu, there are 20.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 4.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Vanuatu, 94.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.8 times more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 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.

Basic Needs

be 30.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In United States, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Vanuatu, 70% of the population do as of 2022.

be 28.3% less likely to have internet access

In United States, approximately 92.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Vanuatu, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 62.3% less on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Vanuatu spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 78.7% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Vanuatu, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 87.3% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 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 United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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