Travel safety comparison · Oceania
Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu: safety comparison
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Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Vanuatu carries a materially lower safety risk than Papua New Guinea on the composite Warnely score: 25/100 against 57/100, a gap of 32 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Vanuatu scores 2/5 against Papua New Guinea's 4/5.
| 🇵🇬Papua New Guinea | 🇻🇺Vanuatu | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 57 / 100 | 25 / 100 |
| Risk tier | High Risk | 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 | #116 | n/a |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Generally Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | illegal | legal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | PGK | VUV |
Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu: common questions
Is Papua New Guinea or Vanuatu safer to visit?
Vanuatu has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 25/100 vs 57/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Papua New Guinea or Vanuatu safer for solo female travellers?
Papua New Guinea is rated Generally 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 Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu?
Papua New Guinea: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Vanuatu: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).