In Vanuatu, kastom means customary practices and rules that guide community relationships and local authority. Chiefs, families, churches, nakamals and community leaders often organise everyday cooperation, especially outside urban areas. A nakamal is a customary governance place that may serve one family or group, or several groups in a village or wider area. Men, women and children may fall within its customary authority according to the local arrangement. The 2020 Census recorded 289,333 people, including 64,018 in urban areas and 225,315 in rural areas. Vanuatu has 83 islands and more than 100 local languages. These differences affect how people obtain information, resolve disagreements and reach public services. Area Councils and Provincial Governments operate alongside chiefs and customary structures. In urban areas, Municipal Councils regulate parts of public life through bylaws. The main municipalities are Port Vila City Council, Luganville Municipal Council and Lenakel Town Municipal Council; the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning also has responsibilities in centres including Lakatoro, Saratamata and Sola. The Constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, place of origin, religious or traditional beliefs, political opinions, language and sex. Bislama, English and French are official languages, while local languages form part of the national heritage. People may request government services in an official language of their choice, with translation and interpretation support provided through the Language Services Department where available. National policy also supports participation by women, young people, older people, people with disabilities and other groups exposed to discrimination or violence. The Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs has an advisory role. The Constitution recognises Village and Island Courts, and Article 95(3) recognises kastom as part of Vanuatu's legal framework. Everyday disagreements may first reach a family, chief, nakamal or religious leader. Serious offences, protection concerns and cases that cannot safely be handled informally may require the Vanuatu Police Force, its Family Protection Unit, the Magistrates' Court or the Supreme Court. Mediation can preserve relationships, but it can also overlook or silence the needs of victims; formal reporting and court processes remain necessary in cases involving violence, serious harm or protected rights. Custom-land disputes follow a more specific process. A dispute may begin at the local nakamal and proceed to mediation. If it remains unresolved after 30 days, it may be referred to a custom area land tribunal involving a custom land officer and a council of chiefs. Access and procedural problems can affect the process, so the responsible local offices and the status of the dispute need to be checked. Public-space use is governed differently in municipalities and customary areas. Municipal bylaws regulate urban state land, while the Physical Planning Act and Foreshore Development Act apply to relevant development and foreshore activities. A foreshore permit has a VT 20,000 application fee, and breaching the rules can lead to a maximum penalty of VT 5,000,000 or five years' imprisonment. These provisions concern development control rather than a general fee for using public space. Extended family and kinship remain central to shared housing and community support. Communities may share responsibility for children, while elders and chiefs often carry social authority. Vanuatu has no evidenced nationwide co-housing institution, and rental or housing-law details belong to the separate housing topic. Civic participation is supported through Vanuatu 2030, which was developed through a three-year national consultation process and involves government, community leaders, businesses and civil society. Sport and other community activities can also strengthen social connections. Digital coexistence is developing through the Cybercrime Act 2021, the Data Protection and Privacy Act 2024, the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2024, the Digital Safety Authority Act 2024 and the Digital Transformation Act 2025, which entered into force on 17 December 2025. The Department of Communications and Digital Transformation, CERT-VU, the Telecommunications and Radiocommunications Regulator, the Vanuatu Police Force and the Digital Safety Authority have different responsibilities. Harmful digital communications policy includes child online protection, awareness, rehabilitation and interinstitutional cooperation. A 72-hour incident duty applies mainly in ICT and government contexts, not as a universal reporting deadline for every resident. Access is uneven across the country. Physical distance, cost, knowledge barriers and limited service coverage can make formal procedures harder to use in rural and remote areas. Informal processes may be faster or more accessible, but their costs, timing and authority vary locally. The applicable island, custom area, province or municipality therefore determines which body can act and which rules have practical force.
Living together in Vanuatu
Living together in Vanuatu is shaped by kastom, family and community relationships, churches, chiefs, public authorities and written law. Arrangements differ between rural and outer-island communities and the main municipalities, so cooperation, conflict handling, public-space rules and access to services depend on the island, custom area and municipality. The Constitution protects equal treatment and participation, while formal and informal systems operate alongside each other.
Tip
Treat the island, custom area or municipality as the starting point for deciding whom to approach. Use local mediation when the dispute is safe and suitable for it, but move directly to formal protection or justice services when violence, serious harm or protected rights are involved. Keep language access, unequal service coverage and the difference between customary practice and formal authority in view.