IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Vanuatu

Republic of Vanuatu

320,410
Population (as of Jan. 1, 2023)

212,245
Registered Voters (as of Jan. 16, 2025)

64.04%
Average Turnout

9
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.796
Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Democracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Ratified
Ratified Date: Sept. 8, 1995

SIGI Score: N/A

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: May 17, 2007
Ratified Date: Oct. 23, 2008

HDI* Score: 0.621
Category: Medium
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Ni-Vanuatu Presidency	None	Head of State
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament		Assembly

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Nikenike VUROBARAVU (since 23 July 2022)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jotham NAPAT (since 18 February 2025)
Assembly: Vanuatu has a unicameral Parliament with 52 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college composed of members of Parliament and provincial presidents. The President serves a renewable 5-year term, and there are no term limits.
The Prime Minister is indirectly elected by majority vote of at least three quarters of the members of Parliament.
In Parliament, all 52 members are directly elected by single non-transferable vote and serve renewable 4-year terms.

Elections

2025-01-16 | Status: Held
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament
Votes 146,629
Registered 212,245
Turnout 69.08

2024-05-29 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 94,493
Registered -
Turnout -

2022-10-13 | Status: Held
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament
Votes 133,486
Registered 302,258
Turnout 44.16

2020-03-19 | Status: Held
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament
Votes 145,064
Registered 278,957
Turnout 52.0

2016-01-22 | Status: Held
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament
Votes 112,746
Registered 200,159
Turnout 56.33

2012-10-30 | Status: Held
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament
Votes 121,792
Registered 192,632
Turnout 63.23

2009-09-01 | Status: Held
Ni-Vanuatu Presidency
Votes 58
Registered 58
Turnout 100.0

2004-07-05 | Status: Held
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament
Votes -
Registered -
Turnout -

2002-04-30 | Status: Held
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament
Votes 80,657
Registered 127,069
Turnout 63.47

Election For	Date	Status	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament	2025-01-16	Held	146,629	212,245	69.08
Referendum	2024-05-29	Held	94,493	-	-
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament	2022-10-13	Held	133,486	302,258	44.16
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament	2020-03-19	Held	145,064	278,957	52.0
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament	2016-01-22	Held	112,746	200,159	56.33
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament	2012-10-30	Held	121,792	192,632	63.23
Ni-Vanuatu Presidency	2009-09-01	Held	58	58	100.0
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament	2004-07-05	Held	-	-	-
Ni-Vanuatu Parliament	2002-04-30	Held	80,657	127,069	63.47

Voter Turnout

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