State of Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Vanuatu: A Deep Dive Case of Pentecost Island

Vanuatu’s youth population represents both the nation’s greatest asset and its most urgent development challenge. With over sixty per cent of citizens under the age of thirty, and the majority residing in rural or outer-island contexts, unlocking youth entrepreneurship is central to achieving inclusive growth, social cohesion, and climate resilience. This report — State of the Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Vanuatu: A Deep Dive Case of Pentecost Island — provides the first island-level empirical analysis of how national policies, institutional systems, and socio-cultural dynamics shape opportunities for young people to participate in the green and blue economy.

Using the Youth Co:Lab seven-pillar ecosystem diagnostic (policy and regulation; human capital and skills; finance; business support; markets; technology; and climate resilience), the study combines quantitative and qualitative evidence gathered across the Pentecost Island and Port Vila. Fieldwork included 198 youth survey responses, 86 key-informant interviews, five focus-group discussions, and three community-level workshops cofacilitated with the Department of Youth and Sports Development (DOYS). The analysis integrates statistical baselines with field narratives and stakeholder mapping to capture both the systemic architecture of the entrepreneurship ecosystem and the lived experience of rural youth.