Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 73.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
73.9%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
19th
of 214 countries
All-time high
87.7%
in 1970
All-time low
73.9%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Vanuatu, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Vanuatu stood at 73.9%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Vanuatu peaked at 87.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 73.9%, in 2024.
Vanuatu ranks 19th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 87.7% | — |
| 1971 | 87.5% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 87.3% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 87.0% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 86.8% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 86.6% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 86.4% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 86.2% | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 85.9% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 85.6% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 85.3% | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 84.9% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 84.5% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 84.1% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 83.7% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 83.3% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 82.9% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 82.4% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 82.0% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 81.6% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 81.3% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 81.0% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 80.7% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 80.4% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 80.1% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 79.8% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 79.5% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 79.2% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 78.9% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 78.6% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 78.3% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 78.0% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 77.8% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 77.5% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 77.2% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 76.9% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 76.6% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 76.3% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 76.0% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 75.7% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 75.5% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 75.4% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 75.3% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 75.2% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 75.1% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 75.0% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 74.9% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 74.8% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 74.7% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 74.6% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 74.5% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 74.3% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 74.2% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 74.0% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 73.9% | -0.2% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 73.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.1%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 73.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 34.5%, 2.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 86.7% | 85.6% | 87.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 83.5% | 81.6% | 85.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 80.0% | 78.6% | 81.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.0% | 75.7% | 78.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.1% | 74.6% | 75.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.2% | 73.9% | 74.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
More population data for Vanuatu
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.5164 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7815 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5164 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.6576 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 578.57 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.2 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2172 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.504 (2100)
- Population density 71.82 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 59,723 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Vanuatu?
- Rural population in Vanuatu was 73.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 87.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.9% in 2024.
- How does Vanuatu rank for rural population?
- Vanuatu ranks 19th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vanuatu data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release