Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Tonga fits inside Vanuatu 16 times
Tonga: 749 km² (2024) · Vanuatu: 12,189 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Vanuatu’s coastline is 6 times as long as Tonga’s
Tonga: 419 km (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 2,528 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Vanuatu’s highest peak towers 831 m above Tonga’s
Tonga: 1,046 m (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 1,877 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 48% of Tonga, versus 13% of Vanuatu
Tonga: 48.5% (2024) · Vanuatu: 13.3% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Vanuatu has 3.2 times as many people as Tonga
Tonga: 103,742 (2025) · Vanuatu: 335,169 (2025)
How crowded is it?
Tonga is 5.2 times as densely populated as Vanuatu
Tonga: 144 per km² (2025) · Vanuatu: 27 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Tonga are 6.8 cm taller than in Vanuatu
Tonga: 175.1 cm (2019) · Vanuatu: 168.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Tonga are 5.6 cm taller than in Vanuatu
Tonga: 166.1 cm (2019) · Vanuatu: 160.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Tonga is 0.55 years older than in Vanuatu
Tonga: 20.7 years (2023) · Vanuatu: 20.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Vanuatu have 0.5 more children on average than in Tonga
Tonga: 3.1 children per woman (2024) · Vanuatu: 3.57 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
6.9% of people in Tonga are 65 or older, versus 4.4% in Vanuatu
Tonga: 6.9% (2025) · Vanuatu: 4.4% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Tonga: no data · Vanuatu: 0 per 1,000 (2025)
How many official languages?
Vanuatu has 3 official languages, Tonga 2
Tonga: 2 (2026) · Vanuatu: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Vanuatu’s economy is 2 times the size of Tonga’s
Tonga: $679 million (2025) · Vanuatu: $1.35 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Tonga produces 92% more per person than Vanuatu
Tonga: Int$8,675 (2025) · Vanuatu: Int$4,525 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Vanuatu than in Tonga (Gini 5.2 points higher)
Tonga: 27.1 (2021) · Vanuatu: 32.3 (2019)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
20% of people in Vanuatu live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.4% in Tonga
Tonga: 0.4% (2021) · Vanuatu: 19.5% (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in Vanuatu, versus 2.0% in Tonga
Tonga: 2% (2025) · Vanuatu: 5.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Tonga’s central government collects 20% of GDP in tax, Vanuatu’s 17%
Tonga: 20.5% (2023) · Vanuatu: 16.5% (2023)
How expensive is it?
Vanuatu’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Tonga’s
Tonga: 75% (2025) · Vanuatu: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Tonga spends 2.5 times as much on health per person as Vanuatu
Tonga: $358 (2023) · Vanuatu: $143 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Tonga live 1.4 years longer than in Vanuatu
Tonga: 73.1 years (2024) · Vanuatu: 71.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Vanuatu is 85% more likely to die before turning one than in Tonga
Tonga: 7.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Vanuatu: 14.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Tonga has 6.2 times as many doctors per person as Vanuatu
Tonga: 1 per 1,000 (2021) · Vanuatu: 0.2 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Vanuatu is 4 times that in Tonga
Tonga: 4.1 per 100k (2023) · Vanuatu: 16.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
72% of adults in Tonga are obese, versus 22% in Vanuatu
Tonga: 72.3% (2024) · Vanuatu: 21.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
32% of adults in Tonga smoke, versus 25% in Vanuatu
Tonga: 32.1% (2024) · Vanuatu: 24.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Adults in Vanuatu drink 11 times as much alcohol as in Tonga
Tonga: 0.2 litres (2023) · Vanuatu: 2.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Tonga has 3.8 times as much meat per person as Vanuatu
Tonga: 156.9 kg (2023) · Vanuatu: 41 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Tonga has 150 kcal more food per person per day than Vanuatu
Tonga: 3,059 kcal (2023) · Vanuatu: 2,909 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Tonga went to school 3.7 years longer than in Vanuatu
Tonga: 10.9 years (2023) · Vanuatu: 7.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Tonga welcomed 83% more tourists per resident than Vanuatu (2019)
Tonga: 0.18 (2022) · Vanuatu: 0.1 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Vanuatu has 1 more World Heritage site than Tonga (1 against 0)
Tonga: 0 (2026) · Vanuatu: 1 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Tonga has won 1 Olympic medal, Vanuatu none
Tonga: 1 (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 0 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
67% of people in Tonga are online, versus 22% in Vanuatu
Tonga: 67% (2024) · Vanuatu: 22% (2015)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Tonga have electricity, versus 66% in Vanuatu
Tonga: 100% (2024) · Vanuatu: 65.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
22% of people in Vanuatu live in cities, versus 21% in Tonga
Tonga: 21% (2025) · Vanuatu: 22% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Vanuatu has 89 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Tonga 62
Tonga: 62 (2022) · Vanuatu: 89 (2023)
How much do they fly?
Tonga: no data · Vanuatu: 1.07 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 75% of Vanuatu, but only 12% of Tonga
Tonga: 12.1% (2024) · Vanuatu: 74.6% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Tonga emits 2.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in Vanuatu
Tonga: 1.5 t (2024) · Vanuatu: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
25% of Vanuatu’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in Tonga
Tonga: 14.3% (2024) · Vanuatu: 25% (2023)
How clean is the air?
The air in Vanuatu carries 53% more fine dust than in Tonga
Tonga: 3.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Vanuatu: 5.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.8 times as likely to be murdered in Tonga as in Vanuatu
Tonga: 0.9 per 100k (2019) · Vanuatu: 0.3 per 100k (2020)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Vanuatu are 13% deadlier than in Tonga
Tonga: 13.2 per 100k (2023) · Vanuatu: 14.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Tonga: no data · Vanuatu: 25.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Tonga: no data · Vanuatu: 2,432 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Tonga bigger than Vanuatu?
Vanuatu is larger. Tonga fits inside Vanuatu 16 times.
Which has more people, Tonga or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has 3.2 times as many people as Tonga (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Tonga or Vanuatu?
People in Tonga live 1.4 years longer than in Vanuatu. Life expectancy at birth is 73.1 years in Tonga and 71.7 in Vanuatu.
Are people taller in Tonga or Vanuatu?
Men in Tonga are 6.8 cm taller than in Vanuatu (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).