Vanuatu: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Vanuatu's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) rose 7.32 billion on 2022 (from -6.38 billion to 943.13 million).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2022), the average change was −369.39 million and a typical year strayed about 4.28 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 8.07 billion in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 8.69 billion in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 25% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Vanuatu had the 2nd highest value of the 17 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Vanuatu in the 2023 ranking

• Samoa — 2nd of 17: 125.16 million
• Tonga — 3rd of 17: 73.41 million
• Kiribati — 4th of 17: -6.29 million

What this measures

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

All 21 values

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) in nearby economies

• Australia — -31.49 billion (2022)
• Cambodia — -5.79 trillion (2023)
• Fiji — -299.35 million (2024)
• Kiribati — -6.29 million (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — -45.65 trillion (2024)
• Lao PDR — 410.33 billion (2022)
• Macao SAR, China — 27.87 billion (2024)
• Malaysia — -80.11 billion (2024)
• Marshall Islands — 12.17 million (2020)
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts.

More public sector data for Vanuatu

• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) — 0.67% (2023)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 22.69 billion (2023)
• Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 49.28% (2023)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 34.2 billion (2023)
• Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 24.16% (2023)
• Taxes on goods and services (current LCU) — 17.96 billion (2023)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue) — 39.01% (2023)
• Taxes on international trade (current LCU) — 4.9 billion (2023)
• Taxes on international trade (% of revenue) — 10.65% (2023)
• Tax revenue (current LCU)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Vanuatu's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU)?

943.13 million in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is down 0.96% from 952.3 million in 1990. The highest value was 6.77 billion in 2015 and the lowest -6.38 billion in 2022.

How does Vanuatu rank?

2nd highest of 17 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) unusual for Vanuatu?

In 2023, Vanuatu's net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) rose 7.32 billion on 2022 (from -6.38 billion to 943.13 million). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2022), the average change was −369.39 million and a typical year strayed about 4.28 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.8 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.NLD.TOTL.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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