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Kiribati vs Vanuatu
Side-by-side comparison of Kiribati and Vanuatu from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Kiribati
East Asia & Pacific · nation age 47 years
Vanuatu
East Asia & Pacific · nation age 46 years
In short
Vanuatu scores 41.1 in the NationsTree Index (126th in the world) and Kiribati scores 31.1 (161st), a gap of 10.0 points. Their trees are 0.4 m and 0.7 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Vanuatu has 2.5 times the population of Kiribati. Vanuatu is 15 times larger than Kiribati by land area. Vanuatu has an economy 2.8 times the size of Kiribati (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Kiribati 136,488 and Vanuatu 335,169 (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $4,525 in Vanuatu and $3,937 in Kiribati (2025, international dollars). People in Vanuatu live on average 5.1 years longer (71.7 vs 66.6 years).
Of 27 indicators reported by both countries, Kiribati ranks higher in the world on 16 and Vanuatu on 11. Kiribati is clearly stronger in society & health and main industries. Vanuatu is clearly stronger in economy, environment & energy and natural resources.
As a nation, Kiribati is the older of the two (statehood since 1979, 47 years), compared with Vanuatu (since 1980). Over the last five years Vanuatu improved faster (direction score 92 vs 10 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Kiribati and Vanuatu.
Kiribati
-14.5%
188th of 192
Vanuatubetter
6.2%
5th of 192
InflationEconomy
Kiribati
6.5%
145th of 180
Vanuatubetter
0.7%
26th of 180
Secondary enrolmentSociety & health
Kiribati
90.3%
103rd of 173
Vanuatubetter
134.7%
6th of 173
DPT immunizationSociety & health
Kiribatibetter
94%
66th of 193
Vanuatu
71%
166th of 193
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Vanuatu overtook Kiribati in the NationsTree Index in 2025, the latest year with data.
Vanuatu has been ahead of Kiribati in GDP per person (PPP), GDP (PPP), life expectancy and population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
KiribatiVanuatu All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Kiribati | Vanuatu |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 811180th/216 · 2024 | 12,189160th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 811179th/216 · 2024 | 12,189158th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 136,488187th/217 · 2025 | 335,169177th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 1.45%73rd/217 · 2025 | 2.23%36th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 165.971st/216 · 2024 | 26.9177th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 63.4%114th/217 · 2025 | 22.3%209th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 34.4%53rd/217 · 2025 | 38.0%34th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 4.4%159th/217 · 2025 | 4.4%158th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $349.2 m206th/210 · 2025 | $1.35 bn195th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $537.3 m194th/199 · 2025 | $1.52 bn191st/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $459.1 m194th/199 · 2025 | $1.30 bn191st/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $2,559169th/210 · 2025 | $4,039150th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $3,937177th/199 · 2025 | $4,525171st/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $3,930141st/201 · 2025 | $4,410135th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 4.2%74th/210 · 2025 | 3.1%113th/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 6.5%145th/180 · 2025 | 0.7%26th/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | — | 5.1%90th/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | — | 67.9%37th/55 · 2023 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 8.0%7th/189 · 2025 | 36.2%52nd/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -14.5%188th/192 · 2025 | 6.2%5th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 23.2%24th/197 · 2024 | 26.6%17th/197 · 2024 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 11.8%177th/200 · 2024 | 10.1%185th/200 · 2024 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 4.2%159th/192 · 2024 | 4.0%161st/192 · 2024 |
| Services % of GDP | 70.3%34th/200 · 2024 | 56.8%112th/200 · 2024 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $15.5 m182nd/182 · 2024 | $329.0 m172nd/182 · 2024 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $334.9 m178th/182 · 2024 | $623.5 m173rd/182 · 2024 |
| Exports % of GDP | 4.5%181st/183 · 2024 | 25.3%123rd/183 · 2024 |
| Imports % of GDP | 97.6%11th/183 · 2024 | 48.0%84th/183 · 2024 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 102.1%59th/183 · 2024 | 73.4%108th/183 · 2024 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0%148th/170 · 2021 | 0.1%2011 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 2.1%161st/171 · 2021 | 8.2%2011 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 97.2%2nd/171 · 2021 | 85.3%2011 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 0.6%148th/171 · 2021 | 1.6%2011 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 2.3%128th/168 · 2021 | — |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -15.2%178th/191 · 2025 | -6.0%150th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 1.2%134th/196 · 2025 | 2.4%86th/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.0%165th/209 · 2021 | 0.6%128th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.04%130th/209 · 2021 | 0.57%67th/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 2.5%164th/206 · 2024 | 1.6%177th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | — | 31,94417th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 12,000188th/194 · 2019 | 82,400172nd/194 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $5.2 m172nd/175 · 2017 | $67.0 m149th/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 17.6%38th/168 · 2017 | 50.4%15th/168 · 2020 |
| Outbound trips departures | — | 9,400106th/107 · 2020 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 66.6180th/217 · 2024 | 71.7141st/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 53.1172nd/196 · 2024 | 17.1110th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 0.192013 | 0.16154th/174 · 2019 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 1.92016 | 1.72008 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 94%66th/193 · 2024 | 71%166th/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 77.3%77th/153 · 2024 | 28.7%133rd/153 · 2023 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 90.3%103rd/173 · 2024 | 134.7%6th/173 · 2023 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 51.7%29th/55 · 2019 | 30.4%42nd/55 · 2019 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 7.1%159th/217 · 2025 | 7.6%149th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 10.9%17th/193 · 2023 | 4.1%153rd/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 98.6%18th/98 · 2020 | 88.0%57th/98 · 2023 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 5.0%147th/150 · 2024 | 4.9%2004 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.644140th/193 · 2023 | 0.621146th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 24.73rd/108 · 2023 | 32.32019 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 0.9%48th/108 · 2023 | 19.5%2019 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 97.7%143rd/215 · 2024 | 65.5%181st/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 15.1%144th/150 · 2024 | 19.2%138th/150 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 24.6%121st/144 · 2024 | — |
| Internet users % of population | 89.4%62nd/186 · 2024 | 22.4%2015 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 54198th/210 · 2024 | 89159th/210 · 2023 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 0.0200th/208 · 2024 | 1.2167th/208 · 2024 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 58,879142nd/161 · 2023 | 359,290121st/161 · 2023 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 0.5949th/203 · 2024 | 0.8759th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 41.9%57th/212 · 2022 | 25.0%92nd/212 · 2022 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 3.95th/200 · 2023 | 7.026th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 1.3%193rd/214 · 2024 | 74.6%12th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 1082007 | 1582007 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 44.9135th/205 · 2025 | 37.0159th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 54.077th/207 · 2025 | 44.4102nd/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 73.043rd/207 · 2025 | 67.371st/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 87.521st/207 · 2025 | 82.346th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 48.3129th/205 · 2025 | 49.6122nd/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 76.739th/205 · 2025 | 67.867th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 7.12012 | 0.38th/145 · 2020 |
| Military | ||
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 7.0 m117th/163 · 2021 | 7.0 m117th/163 · 2021 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| Patent applications by residents applications | — | 1126th/137 · 2021 |
| Scientific articles articles | 2194th/197 · 2023 | 12183rd/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Kiribati or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has the larger population: 335,169 (2025) compared with 136,488 for Kiribati (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Kiribati or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu is larger: 12,189 km² (2024) compared with 811 km² for Kiribati (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Kiribati or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $1.52 bn intl. (2025) compared with $537.3 m intl. for Kiribati (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Kiribati or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $4,525 intl. (2025) compared with $3,937 intl. for Kiribati (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Kiribati or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has the higher life expectancy at birth: 71.7 years (2024) compared with 66.6 years for Kiribati (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Kiribati or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu: 41.1 points (126th in the world); Kiribati: 31.1 points (161st). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Palau
Tonga
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Timor-LesteSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Kiribati vs Vanuatu — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/kiribati-vs-vanuatu. Data as of 26 October 2026.