Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Nauru fits inside Vanuatu 610 times.
Nauru: 20 km² (2023) · Vanuatu: 12,190 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Vanuatu’s coastline is 84 times as long as Nauru’s.
Nauru: 30 km (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 2,528 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Vanuatu’s highest peak towers 1,807 m above Nauru’s.
Nauru: 70 m (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 1,877 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Vanuatu has 28 times as many people as Nauru.
Nauru: 12,025 (2025) · Vanuatu: 335,169 (2025)
How crowded is it?
Nauru is 22 times as densely populated as Vanuatu.
Nauru: 601 per km² (2025) · Vanuatu: 27 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Nauru are 1.3 cm taller than in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 169.6 cm (2019) · Vanuatu: 168.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Vanuatu are 2.7 cm taller than in Nauru.
Nauru: 157.8 cm (2019) · Vanuatu: 160.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Nauru is 0.29 years older than in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 20.4 years (2023) · Vanuatu: 20.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Vanuatu have 0.3 more children on average than in Nauru.
Nauru: 3.29 children per woman (2024) · Vanuatu: 3.57 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
4.4% of people in Vanuatu are 65 or older, versus 3.0% in Nauru.
Nauru: 3% (2025) · Vanuatu: 4.4% (2025)
How many official languages?
Vanuatu has 3 official languages, Nauru 2.
Nauru: 2 (2026) · Vanuatu: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Vanuatu’s economy is 7.7 times the size of Nauru’s.
Nauru: $176 million (2025) · Vanuatu: $1.35 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Nauru produces 3.1 times as much per person as Vanuatu.
Nauru: Int$14,201 (2025) · Vanuatu: Int$4,525 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Nauru: no data · Vanuatu: 32.3 (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Nauru: no data · Vanuatu: 5.1% (2025)
How expensive is it?
Nauru’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Vanuatu’s.
Nauru: 103% (2025) · Vanuatu: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Nauru spends 16 times as much on health per person as Vanuatu.
Nauru: $2,292 (2023) · Vanuatu: $143 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Vanuatu live 9.4 years longer than in Nauru.
Nauru: 62.3 years (2024) · Vanuatu: 71.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Vanuatu is 87% more likely to die before turning one than in Nauru.
Nauru: 7.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Vanuatu: 14.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Nauru has 7.8 times as many doctors per person as Vanuatu.
Nauru: 1.3 per 1,000 (2015) · Vanuatu: 0.2 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is obesity?
71% of adults in Nauru are obese, versus 22% in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 71.4% (2024) · Vanuatu: 21.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
35% of adults in Nauru smoke, versus 25% in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 34.8% (2024) · Vanuatu: 24.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Nauru: no data · Vanuatu: 2.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Nauru has 2.7 times as much meat per person as Vanuatu.
Nauru: 109.2 kg (2023) · Vanuatu: 41 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Nauru has 173 kcal more food per person per day than Vanuatu.
Nauru: 3,082 kcal (2023) · Vanuatu: 2,909 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Nauru went to school 2.3 years longer than in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 9.4 years (2023) · Vanuatu: 7.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Nauru: no data · Vanuatu: 0.1 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
83% of people in Nauru are online, versus 22% in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 83% (2024) · Vanuatu: 22% (2015)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Nauru have electricity, versus 66% in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 100% (2024) · Vanuatu: 65.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
100% of people in Nauru live in cities, versus 22% in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 100% (2025) · Vanuatu: 22% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Vanuatu has 89 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Nauru 87.
Nauru: 87 (2022) · Vanuatu: 89 (2023)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Nauru fly 3 times as many passengers per resident as those from Vanuatu.
Nauru: 3.25 (2023) · Vanuatu: 1.07 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 36% of Vanuatu, but only 0.0% of Nauru.
Nauru: 0% (2023) · Vanuatu: 36.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Nauru emits 8.5 times as much CO₂ as someone in Vanuatu.
Nauru: 5.1 t (2024) · Vanuatu: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
25% of Vanuatu’s electricity is renewable, versus 20% in Nauru.
Nauru: 20% (2024) · Vanuatu: 25% (2023)
How clean is the air?
The air in Vanuatu carries 53% more fine dust than in Nauru.
Nauru: 3.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Vanuatu: 5.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Nauru: no data · Vanuatu: 0.3 per 100k (2020)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Vanuatu are 56% deadlier than in Nauru.
Nauru: 8 per 100k (2021) · Vanuatu: 12.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Nauru: no data · Vanuatu: 25.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Nauru: no data · Vanuatu: 2,432 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Nauru bigger than Vanuatu?
Vanuatu is larger. Nauru fits inside Vanuatu 610 times.
Which has more people, Nauru or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has 28 times as many people as Nauru (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Nauru or Vanuatu?
People in Vanuatu live 9.4 years longer than in Nauru. Life expectancy at birth is 62.3 years in Nauru and 71.7 in Vanuatu.
Are people taller in Nauru or Vanuatu?
Men in Nauru are 1.3 cm taller than in Vanuatu (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).