Travel safety comparison · Oceania
New Zealand vs Vanuatu: safety comparison
vs
New Zealand vs Vanuatu: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
New Zealand carries a materially lower safety risk than Vanuatu on the composite Warnely score: 10/100 against 25/100, a gap of 15 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where New Zealand scores 1/5 against Vanuatu's 2/5. Women's-safety rating differs: New Zealand is Very Safe and Vanuatu is Generally Safe. Drug law diverges sharply: Vanuatu carries a tier-severe regime against New Zealand's more permissive framework.
| 🇳🇿New Zealand | 🇻🇺Vanuatu | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 10 / 100 | 25 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Very Safe | Exercise Normal Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #3 | n/a |
| Drug law | Strict | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Very Safe | Generally Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | marriage | legal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | NZD | VUV |
New Zealand vs Vanuatu: common questions
Is New Zealand or Vanuatu safer to visit?
New Zealand has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 10/100 vs 25/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is New Zealand or Vanuatu safer for solo female travellers?
New Zealand is rated Very Safe for women's safety; Vanuatu is rated Generally Safe. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about New Zealand and Vanuatu?
New Zealand: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Vanuatu: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).