Vanuatu

Vanuatu's living standards look weaker once prices are counted. Output per person is US$4,039, 135th of 196, but on a purchasing-power basis it falls to $4,525 international dollars, 166th, a 31-place drop that reflects high local prices.

The economy grew 3.0% in real terms in 2025 and US$ GDP rose 4.3% to US$1.4 billion, leaving Vanuatu unchanged at 184th, between Grenada and Samoa. It is smaller than any U.S. metro area, at 53% of Eagle Pass, TX.

Agriculture accounts for 26.6% of output, alongside services at 56.8% and industry at 10.1%, with manufacturing at 4.0%, all as of 2024. Inflation was 0.7%, unemployment 5.1% and government gross debt 36.2% of GDP.

With a population of 335,169, Vanuatu is the 24th largest of 32 economies in East Asia & Pacific. GDP has grown 5.0x since 2000, when it stood at US$272 million and ranked 185th of 194. The IMF projects US$1.7 billion by 2030, a rise of +26% that would place it 176th among economies with forecasts.