Travel safety comparison · Oceania
New Zealand vs Vanuatu: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of New Zealand and Vanuatu for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
New Zealand sits a little lower on the Warnely composite score than Vanuatu (8 against 20), but the gap is small enough that the practical difference comes down to category-by-category detail rather than the headline. 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) | 8 / 100 | 20 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Very Safe | Very Safe |
| 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 |