Vanuatu
population: Natl annual projection (1 Jul 2024) · indicators as of 2026-09-05 · 1 metros tracked
🗺️ Geography1 metro
Vanuatu metro footprint, shaded by composite tier.
Hover for rank, click to open the metro page. Boundaries derived from Overture Maps administrative divisions; metros without source coverage are omitted.
📋 At a glance
- Official languages
- French, English, Bislama
- Currency
- Vanuatu vatus (VUV)
- Legislature
- Parliament of Vanuatu
- Constitution
- 1980, 7 amendment events since
- Demonym
- Vanuatuan
- Time zone
- UTC+11:00
- Driving side
- Right
- Calling code
- +678
- Internet TLD
- .vu
- ISO 3166
- VU
- Established
- 1980
- Highest point
- Mount Tabwemasana (1,879 m (6,165 ft))
- National anthem
- Yumi, Yumi
Facts via Wikidata.
💹 Economy and developmentLower middle income
Ranks are among sovereign countries with data; ★ marks a top-5% finish. Sources: World Bank Open Data and Our World in Data (UNDP, UN WPP, V-Dem, Global Carbon Budget, Ember, Energy Institute; CC BY 4.0). Each card credits its originating body. Renewable share is of electricity generation, not of primary energy. Each figure is the most recent year available.
Alliances & Organisations3 full memberships
Full memberDashed border = Candidate / ApplicantItalic = Dialogue / Observer
🏛️ Leadership History43 leaders · click to expand
marks a leader associated with atrocities or defiance of law, systemic subversion of democratic institutions, or a criminal conviction. Convictions arising from political persecution, and annulled convictions, are excluded. denotes a monarch. These are editorial designations, applied per entry rather than derived automatically.
Jotham Napat✦ Current
2025–PresentPrime Minister
Charlot Salwai
2023–2025Prime Minister
Sato Kilman
2023–2023Prime Minister
Ishmael Kalsakau
2022–2023Prime Minister
Nikenike Vurobaravu✦ Current
2022–PresentPresident
Bob Loughman
2020–2022Prime Minister
Tallis Obed Moses
2017–2022President
Charlot Salwai
2016–2020Prime Minister
Sato Kilman
2015–2016Prime Minister
Baldwin Lonsdale
2014–2017President
Joe Natuman
2014–2015Prime Minister
Moana Carcasses Kalosil
2013–2014Prime Minister
Show all 43 leaders
Sato Kilman
2011–2013Prime Minister
Edward Natapei
2011–2011Prime Minister
Sato Kilman
2011–2011Prime Minister
Serge Vohor
2011–2011Prime Minister
Sato Kilman
2010–2011Prime Minister
Edward Natapei
2009–2010Prime Minister
Serge Vohor
2009–2009Prime Minister
Iolu Abil
2009–2014President
Edward Natapei
2008–2009Prime Minister
Ham Lini
2004–2008Prime Minister
Kalkot Mataskelekele
2004–2009President
Serge Vohor
2004–2004Prime Minister
Alfred Maseng
2004–2004President
Edward Natapei
2001–2004Prime Minister
Barak Sopé
1999–2001Prime Minister
John Bani
1999–2004President
Edward Natapei
1999–1999President
Donald Kalpokas
1998–1999Prime Minister
Serge Vohor
1996–1998Prime Minister
Maxime Carlot Korman
1996–1996Prime Minister
Serge Vohor
1995–1996Prime Minister
Jean-Marie Léyé
1994–1999President
Alfred Maseng
1994–1994President
Maxime Carlot Korman
1991–1995Prime Minister
Donald Kalpokas
1991–1991Prime Minister
Fred Timakata
1989–1994President
Onneyn Tahi
1989–1989President
Ati George Sokomanu
1984–1989President
Fred Timakata
1984–1984President
Walter Lini
1980–1991Prime Minister
Ati George Sokomanu
1980–1984President
| Name | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Jotham Napat✦ Current | Prime Minister | 2025–Present |
| Charlot Salwai | Prime Minister | 2023–2025 |
| Sato Kilman | Prime Minister | 2023–2023 |
| Ishmael Kalsakau | Prime Minister | 2022–2023 |
| Nikenike Vurobaravu✦ Current | President | 2022–Present |
| Bob Loughman | Prime Minister | 2020–2022 |
| Tallis Obed Moses | President | 2017–2022 |
| Charlot Salwai | Prime Minister | 2016–2020 |
| Sato Kilman | Prime Minister | 2015–2016 |
| Baldwin Lonsdale | President | 2014–2017 |
| Joe Natuman | Prime Minister | 2014–2015 |
| Moana Carcasses Kalosil | Prime Minister | 2013–2014 |
| Sato Kilman | Prime Minister | 2011–2013 |
| Edward Natapei | Prime Minister | 2011–2011 |
| Sato Kilman | Prime Minister | 2011–2011 |
| Serge Vohor | Prime Minister | 2011–2011 |
| Sato Kilman | Prime Minister | 2010–2011 |
| Edward Natapei | Prime Minister | 2009–2010 |
| Serge Vohor | Prime Minister | 2009–2009 |
| Iolu Abil | President | 2009–2014 |
| Edward Natapei | Prime Minister | 2008–2009 |
| Ham Lini | Prime Minister | 2004–2008 |
| Kalkot Mataskelekele | President | 2004–2009 |
| Serge Vohor | Prime Minister | 2004–2004 |
| Alfred Maseng | President | 2004–2004 |
| Edward Natapei | Prime Minister | 2001–2004 |
| Barak Sopé | Prime Minister | 1999–2001 |
| John Bani | President | 1999–2004 |
| Edward Natapei | President | 1999–1999 |
| Donald Kalpokas | Prime Minister | 1998–1999 |
| Serge Vohor | Prime Minister | 1996–1998 |
| Maxime Carlot Korman | Prime Minister | 1996–1996 |
| Serge Vohor | Prime Minister | 1995–1996 |
| Jean-Marie Léyé | President | 1994–1999 |
| Alfred Maseng | President | 1994–1994 |
| Maxime Carlot Korman | Prime Minister | 1991–1995 |
| Donald Kalpokas | Prime Minister | 1991–1991 |
| Fred Timakata | President | 1989–1994 |
| Onneyn Tahi | President | 1989–1989 |
| Ati George Sokomanu | President | 1984–1989 |
| Fred Timakata | President | 1984–1984 |
| Walter Lini | Prime Minister | 1980–1991 |
| Ati George Sokomanu | President | 1980–1984 |
📈 Power over timeThe Power Atlas →
The powerline is the headline share of world power, running from the state’s first ranked year (benchmark estimates with wide error bars before 1816). Latent power is material mass a state could mobilise (population, manpower, heavy industry). Recognised power is what the system actually treats it as (military spending, productive economy, reach, and status such as a Security Council seat or nuclear arsenal). When latent runs above recognised, a power is rising or under-rated; when recognised runs higher, it is punching above its weight or coasting on prestige. Material sub-indices run 1816 through 2016.
👥 Population over time
Our World in Data population (CC BY): UN WPP 2024 from 1950, Gapminder v7 1800-1949, HYDE 3.3 earlier; today's borders. Figures above are as of 2023, the last year that is estimated rather than forecast. The dashed tail to 2026 is a UN WPP medium-variant projection. It is drawn because the line should reach the present, and drawn differently because it has not happened yet: no rank, peak or share on this page uses it. Before 1950 the series is reconstruction rather than contemporaneous statistics, which is worth knowing when a country’s peak sits back there. The current population shown elsewhere on this page comes from the workbook and is unchanged by this. Note that people and share of world can move in opposite directions. A country can grow steadily and still become a smaller part of humanity, which is what happened to almost every rich country after 1960.
👥 To 2100
The UN’s probabilistic projection for Vanuatu: the median with its 80% and 95% bands, the UN’s own high, low and zero-migration scenarios beside it. Not this site’s model; the site reads it and says what it implies.
Tap or drag across the chart to read any year: the estimate to 2023, then the UN median, its bands and the scenarios.
What drives it
Births, deaths and net migration on the UN medium path, with fertility, life expectancy and median age, every decade from 1950.
Show all 16 decades
Source: United Nations, DESA, Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 IGO. Estimates to 2023; projections 2024 to 2100, medium variant and probabilistic intervals. The UN revises every two years; this is the WPP 2024 revision.
🏆 National Teams
Vanuatu on the international stage. Click a card for the full record.
