Employee compensation as share of government spending in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 46.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Vanuatu, 1990–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
In 2023, employee compensation as share of government spending in Vanuatu stood at 46.1%.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Vanuatu peaked at 60.3% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 39.0%, in 2017.
That places Vanuatu 15th out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 60.3% | — |
| 1995 | 53.8% | -10.7% |
| 1996 | 51.4% | -4.4% |
| 1997 | 45.7% | -11.0% |
| 1998 | 56.9% | +24.5% |
| 1999 | 57.5% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 54.5% | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 51.8% | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 51.8% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 53.4% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 53.8% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 49.7% | -7.6% |
| 2015 | 46.4% | -6.6% |
| 2016 | 42.1% | -9.4% |
| 2017 | 39.0% | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 48.7% | +25.0% |
| 2019 | 47.7% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 43.3% | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 48.2% | +11.2% |
| 2022 | 46.9% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 46.1% | -1.7% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 46.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 31.8%, 1.4× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 46.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.6%, 1.6× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 54.3% | 45.7% | 60.3% | 6 |
| 2000s | 54.5% | 54.5% | 54.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 48.4% | 39.0% | 53.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.1% | 43.3% | 48.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
More work & labour data for Vanuatu
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5174 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5226 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5115 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6054 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.46 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 163.02 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 311.57 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 431.36 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 444.12 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 875.48 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in Vanuatu?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Vanuatu was 46.1% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 60.3% in 1990.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.0% in 2017.
- How does Vanuatu rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Vanuatu ranks 15th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vanuatu data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.