Vanuatu
- Capital:
- Port Vila
- Continent:
- Oceania
- Region(s):
- Melanesia
- Largest Cities:
- Port-Vila, Luganville
- Abbreviation:
- VUT
Vanuatu's population structure shows a nearly equal male to female ratio of 1.02 to 1, with a median male age of 20.61 years old and a median female age of 21.80 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 18 and 19 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.
Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change
* As of 5/15/2025
1 birth
Every 57.6 minutes
1 death
Every 4.8 hours
1 emigrant
Every several days
1 person
Every 1.2 hours
Most of the population of Vanuatu is rural, although Port Vila and Luganville have sizable populations. Port Vila is the largest city and capital with a population of 45,000, accounting for 19% of the country’s total population.
The first inhabitants of Vanuatu were the Melanesian people. Europeans first visited the island through a Spanish expedition in 1605, claiming the archipelago for Spain. France and the United Kingdom claimed parts of the country in the 1880s and it was jointly managed in 1906. Vanuatu gained independence from France and the United Kingdom in 1980.
The inhabitants of Vanuatu are known as Ni-Vanuatu. 98.5% of the population are of Melanesian descent, with the rest comprised of a mix of Europeans, Asians and other Pacific Islanders. Three of the islands of Vanuatu were historically Polynesian.
There are also about 2,000 Ni-Vanuatu working and living in New Caledonia, about 300 miles away. Nearly 90% of the population fishes and eats fish, which has caused a great deal of pressure near villages as shore species are depleted.