Vanuatu - 58.82
74
It doesn’t matter if they’re incompetent, pretty soon they won’t exist
Vanuatu is a fairly typical Pacific island. Strong democracy, weak economy, solid human rights, bleak future. While Vanuatu’s democracy is free and fair, it is very incompetently managed. Voter rolls are not reflective of the population, electoral laws are convoluted, and the party system is highly fragmented. Additionally, Vanuatu suffers from higher corruption than most other Pacific Islands, with a number of major political officers recently being implicated in major corruption scandals. But ultimately, little of this matters, as Vanuatu, like most other Pacific Island nations, is doomed to sink beneath the waves. Climatologists expect Vanuatu to be completely underwater by 2100. Given current climate initiatives, there is little hope for its long-term survival.
Human Rights - 71
Vanuatu has fully abolished the death penalty. Prison conditions in Vanuatu are awful, as prisons are severely overcrowded and prisoners lacked adequate access to healthcare and sanitation facilities. Homosexuality is legal and Vanuatu guarantees discrimination protections but does not offer any other LGBT rights. Vanuatu does not maintain a military and thus did not lose points for military service. Abortion is legal to preserve the health of the woman.
Democracy - 77
Vanuatu is a commonwealth democracy, limiting its score to 95. The governor-general is appointed by the Queen and the prime minister is appointed by parliament. Parliament is directly elected. Elections are incompetently managed. Voter rolls are not representative of the population and convoluted electoral laws impede the formation of political parties. Despite this, however, elections remain generally free and fair. Vanuatu’s multiparty system is fragmented and despite the fragility of political parties a strong and consistent opposition exists.
Freedom - 72
Government agents have repeatedly threatened journalists and these unilateral threats have gone unpunished. The official religion of Vanuatu is Christianity and the constitution states that the country was founded on “Christian principles.” All drugs are illegal but no sentences are prescribed and sentences are generally handed down arbitrarily. The government may issue gun ownership licenses for semi-automatic rifles for farming.
Economy - 39
Health - 48
Vanuatu has a life expectancy of 71 years and an infant mortality rate of 2.19%. 25.2% of ni-Vanuatu are obese (one of the lowest obesity rates in the Pacific) and 4.7% are malnourished. Vanuatu’s weak universal healthcare system leaves hospitals critically understaffed and many islands without any healthcare facilities. 59% of ni-Vanuatu have access to clean, running water.
Corruption - 33
Several major political officers have been implicated in corruption scandals, especially regarding government contracts. There is little petty corruption in Vanuatu.
Competency - 26
The government is failing to provide for the people. Corruption remains rampant at higher levels of the ni-Vanuatu government. Elections are very poorly managed in Vanuatu. The government is also failing to repeal or use unenforced laws. Some laws, such as those governing drug use, are poorly defined and arbitrarily enforced.
Future - 13
Vanuatu will be underwater by 2100, limiting its score to 20. The ni-Vanuatu economy took a major hit in 2020 and will likely take several years to recover.
Actions Abroad - 90
Vanuatu does not maintain a military force of any kind. Vanuatu instead falls under the military protection of Australia and New Zealand. Vanuatu is a tax haven. Vanuatu received a ten point penalty for its tax haven status.
13.1% of ni-Vanuatu live below the international poverty line and 12.7% live below the national poverty line. 1.95% of ni-Vanuatu are unemployed. Vanuatu has a low economic disparity. The minimum wage in Vanuatu is $0.17 per hour. Vanuatu has a weak universal healthcare system, with most hospitals in the country critically understaffed. Many small islands lack a healthcare facility of any kind and thus many ni-Vanuatu must travel hours to access healthcare. Vanuatu’s GDP shrunk 9.2% in 2020 and grew 3.2% in 2019.