Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 26.28 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
26.28 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
179th
of 216 countries
All-time high
26.28 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
23.95 people per sq. km of land area
in 2019
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Vanuatu, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2023, population density in Vanuatu stood at 26.28 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 9.7% over five years.
Over the whole period, population density in Vanuatu peaked at 26.28 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 23.95 people per sq. km of land area, in 2019.
Vanuatu ranks 179th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.44 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 5.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 5.76 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 5.92 people per sq. km of land area | +2.9% |
| 1965 | 6.1 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1966 | 6.28 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 6.47 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 6.67 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 6.87 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 7.08 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 7.29 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 7.51 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 1973 | 7.74 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 7.98 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1975 | 8.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 8.48 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 8.75 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 9.02 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 9.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 9.49 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 9.7 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 9.93 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 10.17 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 10.43 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 10.69 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 10.97 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 11.25 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 11.55 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 11.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 12.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 12.45 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 12.77 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 13.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 13.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 13.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 14.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 14.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 14.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 14.93 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 15.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 15.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 16.07 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 16.47 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 16.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 17.29 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 17.71 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 18.15 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 18.61 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 19.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 19.54 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 19.97 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 20.42 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 20.88 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 21.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 21.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 22.32 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 22.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 23.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 23.95 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 24.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 25.09 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 25.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 26.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 26.28 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 80.91 people per sq. km of land area, 32% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 26.28 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 140.35 people per sq. km of land area, 19% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.12 people per sq. km of land area | 5.44 people per sq. km of land area | 6.87 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.13 people per sq. km of land area | 7.08 people per sq. km of land area | 9.27 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.6 people per sq. km of land area | 9.49 people per sq. km of land area | 11.85 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.55 people per sq. km of land area | 12.15 people per sq. km of land area | 14.93 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.12 people per sq. km of land area | 15.28 people per sq. km of land area | 19.09 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.65 people per sq. km of land area | 19.54 people per sq. km of land area | 23.95 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.39 people per sq. km of land area | 24.52 people per sq. km of land area | 26.28 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 176 Sudan 26.79 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 177 Chile 26.46 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 178 Peru 26.44 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 180 Sweden 25.87 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 181 Brazil 25.26 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 182 Papua New Guinea 22.94 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Vanuatu
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 6.99 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 0.2848 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 114,193 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Vanuatu?
- Population density in Vanuatu was 26.28 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 26.28 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.95 people per sq. km of land area in 2019.
- How does Vanuatu rank for population density?
- Vanuatu ranks 179th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this Vanuatu data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.