Vanuatu 2023 Press Freedom: Free

Vanuatu is not rated by the RSF index; Freedom House classifies it as Free with a total score of 82/100. Context: pop 300K, GDP $917.1M.

RSF Score——

Freedom StatusFreeFH total 82/100

GDP$917.1MWorld Bank data

Population300KNational total

2023 Press Freedom Scorecard

Overall score and global position

Vanuatu is not currently rated by Reporters Without Borders. The closest available press-freedom indicator is the V-Dem Freedom of Expression index, which scores Vanuatu at 0.85 out of 1.0 for 2025 — a comparative signal drawn from the Varieties of Democracy academic dataset. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Vanuatu earns 11 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Political Pluralism (15/16) and its weakest is Government Functioning (7/12).

Composite index comparison

Political Rights (Freedom House)32 / 40

Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.

Civil Liberties (Freedom House)50 / 60

Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.

Freedom of Expression (V-Dem 2025)84.8 / 100

Academic press-freedom index from the Varieties of Democracy project (0–1 rescaled to 0–100).

Full socio-economic dashboard

public

Demographics & geography

Population300K

Urban population76K

Density25.0 people / km²

Land area12,189 km²

CapitalPort Vila

Largest cityPort Vila

Latitude-15.3767°

Longitude166.9592°

Forested area36.1%

Agricultural land15.3%

CO₂ emissions147 kt

payments

Economy & labour

GDP$917.1M

GDP per capita$3,058

CurrencyVUV

CPI117.13

CPI change (%)2.8%

Minimum wage$1.56 /hr

Unemployment rate4.4%

Labor-force participation69.9%

Tax revenue (% of GDP)17.8%

Total tax rate8.5%

Gasoline price$1.31 /L

medical_services

Health

Life expectancy70.3 years

Birth rate29.60 / 1 000

Fertility rate3.78 births / woman

Infant mortality22.3 / 1 000 live births

Maternal mortality ratio72 / 100 000 live births

Physicians0.17 / 1 000 people

Out-of-pocket health spend8.9%

school

Education

Gross primary enrollment109.3%

Gross tertiary enrollment4.7%

account_balance

Administration

Official languageFrench

ISO abbreviationVU

Calling code+678

Armed forces size—

All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).

Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties

Freedom status explained

Freedom House classifies Vanuatu as Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 82/100 — meaning national institutions reliably protect political rights and civil liberties.

Within Freedom House's Asia region (43 countries), Vanuatu ranks #13 on the latest aggregate score — the 71st percentile. The region leaders are New Zealand, Japan, Australia.

Political Rights vs Civil Liberties

Political Rights

32/ 40

Rating 2 of 7 (1 = best)

Civil Liberties

50/ 60

Rating 2 of 7 (1 = best)

Political rights and civil liberties are rated in similar territory, a sign that formal political channels and everyday personal freedoms move together in this country.

Twelve-year Freedom House trend

Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Vanuatu from Free (Free, 79/100) to Free (Free, 82/100).

Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)

Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Vanuatu, 6 moved at least one point across the available Freedom House history. The eight with the largest absolute change appear below.

Code	Indicator	Earliest	Latest	Δ
C1	Elected officials govern	4/4 (2013)	2/4 (2024)	▼ -2
F1	Independent judiciary	2/4 (2013)	4/4 (2024)	▲ +2
A2	Free and fair legislative elections	3/4 (2013)	4/4 (2024)	▲ +1
C3	Government transparency	2/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▲ +1
F2	Due process	2/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	▲ +1
D1	Free media	3/4 (2013)	3/4 (2024)	• 0

Latest A–G indicator scorecard

Electoral Process

Subtotal10 / 12

A1Free and fair head-of-government elections

3/4
A2Free and fair legislative elections

4/4
A3Electoral laws and framework

3/4

Political Pluralism & Participation

Subtotal15 / 16

B1Right to organise in political parties

4/4
B2Opposition can realistically gain power

4/4
B3Free political choice without domination

4/4
B4Political rights of minorities

3/4

Functioning of Government

Subtotal7 / 12

C1Elected officials determine government policy

2/4
C2Safeguards against corruption

2/4
C3Transparency of government

3/4

Freedom of Expression & Belief

Subtotal15 / 16

D1Free and independent media

3/4
D2Freedom of religious expression

4/4
D3Academic freedom

4/4
D4Free private discussion

4/4

Associational & Organisational Rights

Subtotal11 / 12

E1Freedom of assembly

4/4
E2Freedom for NGOs

4/4
E3Free trade unions

3/4

Rule of Law

Subtotal13 / 16

F1Independent judiciary

4/4
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters

3/4
F3Protection from illegitimate force

3/4
F4Equal treatment under the law

3/4

Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights

Subtotal11 / 16

G1Freedom of movement

4/4
G2Property rights

3/4
G3Personal social freedoms

2/4
G4Equality of opportunity

2/4

Each indicator is scored 0–4 by Freedom House analysts; category subtotals combine into the Political Rights (A + B + C = 0–40) and Civil Liberties (D + E + F + G = 0–60) aggregates shown above. 2024 edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Vanuatu?

Indicator C1 (Elected officials govern) changed by -2 points, moving from 4/4 to 2/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Vanuatu.

How does Vanuatu rank within its Freedom House region?

Vanuatu holds position #13 of 43 in the Asia region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is New Zealand (99/100).

What is Vanuatu's economic context for its press freedom score?

Vanuatu has a GDP of $917.1M across a population of 300K, giving a per-capita GDP of about $3,058. Its capital is Port Vila; the official language is French.