How has migration to Port-Vila and Luganville changed Vanuatu’s population distribution?

Since gaining independence, Vanuatu has experienced a notable shift in its population distribution as residents have increasingly migrated toward urban centers. While approximately three-fourths of the population continues to reside in rural areas, the cities of Port-Vila and Luganville have become significant focal points for internal migration.1

This movement is primarily driven by the search for better economic opportunities, as these urban hubs offer access to sectors that are increasingly central to the nation's development, such as tourism and financial services. This trend represents a departure from the country's traditional reliance on subsistence agriculture, which has historically anchored the majority of the ni-Vanuatu population to rural island settlements.12