Vanuatu CBDC Tracker

Vanuatu is currently in the research phase of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) development.

CBDC History and Development

According to a 2022 report by the International Monetary Fund, the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu initiated a general CBDC feasibility study. However, as of November 2024, there is no information about CBDCs on the central bank’s website.

Human Rights and Civil Liberties Concerns

Vanuatu earned an 82 out of 100 in Freedom House’s 2023 Freedom in the World report. With such a high score, the only relevant concern is that of corruption. The issuance or adoption of a CBDC in Vanuatu could worsen these issues.

“Abuse of office and corruption are serious problems,” according to Freedom House. The existence of pervasive corruption is a major concern with CBDCs because it calls into question any promises that might be made by the government to limit surveillance, control, or other risks of CBDCs. Furthermore, the existence of corruption calls into question whether CBDC policies might be designed to exert political favoritism through subsidies, price controls, or other targeted restrictions.

For additional information on concerns regarding violations of human rights and civil liberties, see the following reports by Amnesty International, the Financial Tyranny Index, Freedom House, the Human Rights Foundation, Human Rights Watch, Privacy International, the Tyranny Tracker, and the U.S. Department of State. For additional information on concerns regarding the risks of CBDCs, see the following webpage and report by the Cato Institute: The Risks of CBDCs and Central Bank Digital Currency: Assessing the Risks and Dispelling the Myths.

For additional information regarding metrics, the methodology page explains each of the data points and provides their respective sources.