Frederick Jace
Of all the countries in the world, Vanuatu is relatively new, gaining its independence in 1980. Prior to that, the island nation had dominated French trade, but its independence adjured European rule of the island.
Based on the Human Development Index (HDI), the United Nations Human Development Report (UNDP) 2000 ranks a total of 174 countries that use measures of income, education and health to assess national well-being. . Vanuatu ranks 118th in the IDU rankings Although it overtook many African countries, it was the third poorest country in the Pacific. GDP per capita in 1998 was $1,403, nearly double that of the neighboring Solomon Islands, but only one-twentieth that of the United States.
The latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey used to estimate poverty in Vanuatu was conducted in 2010. Using the national measures 12.7 percent of the population lived below the basic needs poverty line. This is nearly unchanged from the levels of poverty measured in 2006, with small decreases in Port Vila (20.1 to 18.4 percent) and rural areas (11.5 to 10.0 percent) offset by a substantial increase in Luganville (12.2 to 23.6 percent). However, comparability between the two years is limited because the 2010 poverty line was recalculated using a new basket of goods from the 2010 HIES rather than adjusting the 2006 poverty line for inflation.
Vanuatu’s GDP per capita is around $3,000 and the country is receiving aid from France for free education. The country still struggles in many areas so there is a need to research and understand the causes of poverty in Vanuatu. You can get info related to vanuatu citizenship here.
Using the World Bank’s definition of data deprivation, Vanuatu was classified as moderately vulnerable. In the last decade, Vanuatu had only one HIES in 2010. One of the previous ones was from 2006. However, Vanuatu is currently in the field of the HIES Collection 2018-2019.
What is the cause of Vanuatu’s poverty or Vanuatu’s apparent wealth? Obviously not because the country is less affected by natural disasters than other Pacific Island states. The country has been shaken by 99 earthquakes in the last 365 days, two of them this year with a magnitude of 5.7 and 6.8. Among the hurricanes that hit the country, the category 5 hurricane Cyclone Farm hit the country in 2015, costing almost a billion dollars and leaving 75,000 people homeless, a quarter of the country’s population.
These are all major causes of poverty in Vanuatu and other island nations. But what makes Vanuatu less poor? It seems to be a “strong bond of community”. In theory, GDP does not necessarily represent the standard of living in a particular country, but Vanuatu is a good example. Because people work together and live together, people help each other when needed, regardless of accommodation, food and other needs.
Consequently, not only has poverty been reduced, but the Happy Planet Index ranks Vanuatu forth -highest in the world (after Costa Rica, Mexico and Colombia). In conclusion, understanding the causes of poverty can help countries make positive changes in their countries, but keep in mind that community participation is a free way to reduce poverty and improve quality of life. It is important to keep it.
