Determining the most westernized country in the South Pacific region requires considering various social, cultural, economic, and political factors.
One way to answer this complex question is by analyzing the data from the Country Similarity Index. The index attempts to quantify how similar countries are to each other relative to other countries, using a variety of statistics from five broad categories: demographics, culture, politics, infrastructure, and geography.
The data shows that Fiji is the most similar country in the South Pacific region to the West. On the other end of the spectrum, Papua New Guinea is the least similar.
(Western countries defined as Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.)
Infrastructure is the biggest reason why Fiji has more in common with Western countries than other countries in the South Pacific. It also has more in common in terms of demographics with the West as well.
Demographics
Fiji has the highest median age in South Asia at over 27 years old, so it is closer to European countries that have aging populations. Furthermore, people from Fiji tend to be more educated than most countries in the South Pacific, since it has higher literacy rates and years of mean schooling. This is part of the reason why the country is the wealthiest in the region.
Infrastructure
Fiji has the most vehicles per capita of countries in the South Pacific region. It also has the best water quality and the highest percentage of people with basic sanitation in the region. It also uses the most electricity per capita. These factors make Fiji more like the West than other nations in the South Pacific.
The Most Similar Country in Europe to Fiji
The Country Similarity Index suggests that Cyprus is the most similar European country to Fiji. One reason is that Cyprus was a British colony, just like Fiji. During this period, British colonial rule left a lasting impact on these islands’ institutions, legal system, language, and infrastructure. In addition, Cyprus is located on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, so it has some geographic similarities as well.
