Vanuatu
Last updated May 3, 2026
Composite GEFRI Score
Severely underprepared
Vanuatu shows severely limited readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (38th percentile worldwide). Key structural conditions limit capacity to plan, implement, and sustain forward-looking reforms. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.
- Global percentile
- 38th
- Global rank
- #111
- Regional rank
- #18
- Viewing data for
Country profile
Vanuatu trails global peers in Infrastructure (44, 28th percentile) and Innovation (33, 22nd percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.
Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination. Limited electricity or internet coverage still constrains classrooms, preventing large-scale digital instruction. High literacy and tertiary enrollment feed a deep talent pipeline, supporting future skills development and innovation.
Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy execution and regulatory capacity remain weak, leaving reforms fragmented and hard to sustain. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.
GEFRI Composite presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning.
Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.
Key insights
- Falls below many peers at the 38th percentile.
- Places 111th worldwide.
- Holds a regional position of 18th within East Asia & Pacific.
- Scores range from Human Capital (57.8) to Access & Parity (20.9), reflecting variation across dimensions.
- Trails regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.
Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific
Composite GEFRI Score
| Global rank | Regional rank | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 78.84 |
| 3 | 2 | Korea, Rep. | 78.17 |
| 4 | 3 | Singapore | 77.81 |
| 12 | 4 | Australia | 75.95 |
| 13 | 5 | Japan | 75.88 |
| 19 | 6 | New Zealand | 73.08 |
| — | — | NauruMicrostate | 61.59 |
| — | — | Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate | 61.43 |
| 48 | 7 | Brunei Darussalam | 61.13 |
| — | — | American SamoaMicrostate | 61.09 |
| 49 | 8 | Macao SAR, China | 61.06 |
| — | — | GuamMicrostate | 60.74 |
| 50 | 9 | Thailand | 60.74 |
| 53 | 10 | Indonesia | 60.55 |
| 55 | 11 | Fiji | 60.34 |
| — | — | New CaledoniaMicrostate | 59.24 |
| — | — | French PolynesiaMicrostate | 58.11 |
| — | — | PalauMicrostate | 57.53 |
| 67 | 12 | Viet Nam | 57.46 |
| 69 | 13 | Mongolia | 57.00 |
| 73 | 14 | Malaysia | 56.66 |
| 77 | 15 | China | 55.08 |
| 85 | 16 | Philippines | 52.64 |
| — | — | SamoaMicrostate | 51.59 |
| — | — | TuvaluFCSMicrostate | 49.72 |
| — | — | TongaMicrostate | 48.28 |
| — | — | KiribatiFCSMicrostate | 46.97 |
| — | — | Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate | 46.38 |
| — | — | Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate | 42.67 |
| 110 | 17 | Timor-LesteFCS | 41.47 |
| 111 | 18 | Vanuatu | 41.25 |
| 122 | 19 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 36.56 |
| 127 | 20 | Cambodia | 33.92 |
| 128 | 21 | MyanmarFCS | 33.78 |
| 136 | 22 | Lao PDR | 31.66 |
| 138 | 23 | Solomon IslandsFCS | 31.58 |
| 151 | 24 | Papua New GuineaFCS | 26.21 |