Table 2.
Socio-economic characteristics of Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, Palau, and Cook Islands.20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
| Country | Population | Land area/Sea area (km2) | Geography | Income classification | Year of Inde-Pendencea | GDP per capita (USD) (2020) | CHE as % GDP (2019) | HDI (2019) | LE (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiji | 884,887 | 18,270/1,282,978 | Two main islands with 87% of the population, mountainous interior | Upper-middle | 1970 | 5086 | 3.8 | 0.743 | 68 |
| Vanuatu | 300,019 | 12,190/663,251 | Archipelago with 55% of the population on the two most populous islands | Low-middle | 1980 | 2920 | 3.4 | 0.609 | 71 |
| Tonga | 100,651 | 720/659,558 | One main island with 74% of the population | Upper-middle | 1970 | 4625 | 5.0 | 0.725 | 71 |
| Palau | 18,092 | 459/603,978 | One main island with 70% of the population | Upper-middle | 1994 | 14,244 | 15.2 | 0.826 | 69 |
| Cook Islands | 17,459 | 240/1,960,027 | One main island with 74% of the population | Upper-middle | 1965 | 16,135 | 3.4 | 0.789 | 77 (2020) |
CHE: current health expenditure; GDP: gross domestic product; HDI: human development index; LE: life expectancy.
a
Fiji, Vanuatu, and Tonga are Member States of the Commonwealth of Nations. Palau is in a compact of free association with the USA. Cook Islands is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand.