The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Vanuatu fits inside the Solomon Islands 2.4 times.
Solomon Islands: 28,900 km² (2023) · Vanuatu: 12,190 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The Solomon Islands’ coastline is 2.1 times as long as Vanuatu’s.
Solomon Islands: 5,313 km (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 2,528 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The Solomon Islands’ highest peak towers 458 m above Vanuatu’s.
Solomon Islands: 2,335 m (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 1,877 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The Solomon Islands has 2.5 times as many people as Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 838,645 (2025) · Vanuatu: 335,169 (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Solomon Islands is 9% more densely populated than Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 30 per km² (2025) · Vanuatu: 27 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Vanuatu are 5.2 cm taller than in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 163.1 cm (2019) · Vanuatu: 168.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Vanuatu are 3.7 cm taller than in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 156.8 cm (2019) · Vanuatu: 160.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the Solomon Islands is 0.11 years older than in Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 20.3 years (2023) · Vanuatu: 20.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Vanuatu have 0.1 more children on average than in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 3.51 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 3.7% in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 3.7% (2025) · Vanuatu: 4.4% (2025)
How many official languages?
Vanuatu has 3 official languages, the Solomon Islands 1.
Solomon Islands: 1 (2026) · Vanuatu: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The Solomon Islands’ economy is 29% larger than Vanuatu’s.
Solomon Islands: $1.75 billion (2025) · Vanuatu: $1.35 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Vanuatu produces 62% more per person than the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: Int$2,788 (2025) · Vanuatu: Int$4,525 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Solomon Islands: no data · Vanuatu: 32.3 (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in Vanuatu, versus 1.4% in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 1.4% (2025) · Vanuatu: 5.1% (2025)
How expensive is it?
Vanuatu’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× the Solomon Islands’.
Solomon Islands: 75% (2025) · Vanuatu: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Vanuatu spends 29% more on health per person than the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: $111 (2023) · Vanuatu: $143 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Vanuatu live 0.96 year longer than in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 70.7 years (2024) · Vanuatu: 71.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Solomon Islands is 14% more likely to die before turning one than in Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 16.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Vanuatu: 14.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The Solomon Islands has 45% more doctors per person than Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 0.2 per 1,000 (2023) · Vanuatu: 0.2 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is obesity?
22% of adults in Vanuatu are obese, versus 21% in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 20.9% (2024) · Vanuatu: 21.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
38% of adults in the Solomon Islands smoke, versus 25% in Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 38.4% (2024) · Vanuatu: 24.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Adults in Vanuatu drink 3.6 times as much alcohol as in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 0.6 litres (2023) · Vanuatu: 2.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Vanuatu has 2.6 times as much meat per person as the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 15.6 kg (2023) · Vanuatu: 41 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Vanuatu has 743 kcal more food per person per day than the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 2,166 kcal (2023) · Vanuatu: 2,909 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Vanuatu went to school 1.3 years longer than in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 5.9 years (2023) · Vanuatu: 7.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Vanuatu welcomed 2.4 times as many tourists per resident as the Solomon Islands (2019).
Solomon Islands: 0.04 (2019) · Vanuatu: 0.1 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
29% of people in the Solomon Islands are online, versus 22% in Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 29% (2024) · Vanuatu: 22% (2015)
Who has electricity at home?
82% of people in the Solomon Islands have electricity, versus 66% in Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 81.5% (2024) · Vanuatu: 65.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
31% of people in the Solomon Islands live in cities, versus 22% in Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 31% (2025) · Vanuatu: 22% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Vanuatu has 89 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Solomon Islands 62.
Solomon Islands: 62 (2022) · Vanuatu: 89 (2023)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Vanuatu fly 5.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 0.19 (2023) · Vanuatu: 1.07 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 90% of the Solomon Islands, but only 36% of Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 90.1% (2023) · Vanuatu: 36.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Vanuatu emits 67% more CO₂ than someone in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 0.4 t (2024) · Vanuatu: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
25% of Vanuatu’s electricity is renewable, versus 9.1% in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 9.1% (2024) · Vanuatu: 25% (2023)
How clean is the air?
The air in the Solomon Islands carries 21% more fine dust than in Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · Vanuatu: 5.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Solomon Islands: no data · Vanuatu: 0.3 per 100k (2020)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Vanuatu are 12% deadlier than in the Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands: 11.2 per 100k (2021) · Vanuatu: 12.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Solomon Islands is on average 1.2 °C warmer than Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 26.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vanuatu: 25.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Solomon Islands gets 75% more rain than Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands: 4,245 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vanuatu: 2,432 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is the Solomon Islands bigger than Vanuatu?
The Solomon Islands is larger. Vanuatu fits inside the Solomon Islands 2.4 times.
Which has more people, the Solomon Islands or Vanuatu?
The Solomon Islands has 2.5 times as many people as Vanuatu (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, the Solomon Islands or Vanuatu?
People in Vanuatu live 0.96 year longer than in the Solomon Islands. Life expectancy at birth is 70.7 years in the Solomon Islands and 71.7 in Vanuatu.
Are people taller in the Solomon Islands or Vanuatu?
Men in Vanuatu are 5.2 cm taller than in the Solomon Islands (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).