Urban population (% of total population) in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Urban population (% of total population) was 22.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Vanuatu, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population in Vanuatu is 22.3%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Vanuatu peaked at 24.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 8.0%, in 1960.
That places Vanuatu 210th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population (% of total population) in Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 8.0% | — |
| 1961 | 8.2% | +3.4% |
| 1962 | 8.5% | +3.4% |
| 1963 | 8.8% | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 9.1% | +3.3% |
| 1965 | 9.4% | +3.2% |
| 1966 | 9.7% | +3.1% |
| 1967 | 10.0% | +3.2% |
| 1968 | 10.3% | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 10.7% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 11.0% | +3.3% |
| 1971 | 11.4% | +3.2% |
| 1972 | 11.7% | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 12.1% | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 12.5% | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 12.8% | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 13.2% | +2.9% |
| 1977 | 13.6% | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 14.0% | +2.8% |
| 1979 | 14.4% | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 14.8% | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 15.2% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 15.6% | +2.8% |
| 1983 | 16.0% | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 16.5% | +2.7% |
| 1985 | 16.9% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 17.3% | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 17.7% | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 18.1% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 18.4% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 18.8% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 19.1% | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 19.4% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 19.7% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 20.0% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 20.2% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 20.5% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 20.8% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 21.1% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 21.4% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 21.7% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 21.9% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 22.2% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 22.5% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 22.7% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 23.0% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 23.3% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 23.6% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 23.9% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 24.3% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 24.7% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 24.8% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 24.8% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 24.8% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 24.9% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 24.9% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 24.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 24.8% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 24.3% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 23.5% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 22.4% | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 22.3% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 22.3% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 22.3% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 22.3% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 22.3% | +0.2% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 22.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 44% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 22.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 34% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.3% | 8.0% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.7% | 11.0% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.7% | 14.8% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 20.1% | 18.8% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.9% | 21.7% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.6% | 23.5% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.3% | 22.3% | 22.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 207 Antigua and Barbuda 24.3% compare
- 208 Ethiopia 24.1% compare
- 209 Micronesia (country) 22.5% compare
- 211 South Sudan 21.7% compare
- 212 Tonga 21.2% compare
- 213 Sri Lanka 20.5% compare
More climate change data for Vanuatu
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 0 kg (2023)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 645.34 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 155.08 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 490.27 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 0.5852 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 17.51 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 0.2124 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 0.106 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 0.1064 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0004 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Vanuatu?
- Urban population in Vanuatu was 22.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 24.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.0% in 1960.
- How does Vanuatu rank for urban population?
- Vanuatu ranks 210th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Vanuatu data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.