Vanuatu's National Statistics Office says the country's population has grown by over 38,000 since 2009.
The 2016 Mini Census Report gives the population at 272,459.
The Daily Post Newspaper reported the statistics showed that just under 68,000 people lived in urban areas while the rest were distributed throughout rural communities.
People queue at a polling station in rural Efate, Vanuatu, for the 2016 elections. Photo: RNZI / Jamie Tahana