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Oceania extends over 19 million km2 and is home to diverse cultures and groups of indigenous peoples living in 14 Pacific island countries. More than 2,000 languages are spoken in the region, which has a total population of about 7.8 million. Papua New Guinea accounts for 73 per cent of the population, and the five smallest countries account for less than 1 per cent.

Oceania has three commonly recognized subregions: Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Melanesia, which has more than 98 per cent of the land area and 92 per cent of the population, is characterized by rich volcanic soils and minerals. Polynesia has a similar geological origin but lacks mineral resources. The atoll nations of Micronesia comprise minute land areas unsuitable for agriculture and subject to wind and salt erosion. Typical of tropical environments, the ecosystems – marine and land – are fragile. Poor resource management and urbanization have ushered in land degradation, destruction of forests and pollution of marine habitats.

The image of Oceania, comprising the Pacific island countries, is not generally associated with poverty. Pacific islanders themselves are often reluctant to refer to “poverty”, opting for the term “hardship” instead. Indeed, traditional measures of poverty may not be the most appropriate in Oceania, since severe hunger and starvation are generally absent. However, significant hardship and a declining level of human development do occur in many parts of the region. Since 90 per cent of Oceania’s population is rural – and since rural areas hold 90 per cent of the region’s poor people – hardship is predominantly a rural problem.

Hardship issues relate mainly to lack of cash needed to buy basic goods and meet community obligations, but also to inadequate access to basic services, such as health care, a safe water supply and education. In addition, conflict and insecurity have been on the rise in the Pacific landscape during the past decade. Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have experienced protracted civil conflict. Fiji was the scene of coups in 1987 and 2000. These countries are in the lowest rank of the Human Development Index and Human Poverty Index for Oceania.

More than 25 per cent of Oceania’s population is believed to be living in poverty in Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Previously, poverty in Oceania was mitigated by social safety nets within rural villages. However, traditional systems are breaking down. High rates of migration, as people migrate to other countries or to major towns within their own country, are leading to increased poverty among the less productive (older and younger) populations left behind in rural areas and outer islands.

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Source: IFAD