Located on the east coast of the island of Efate, Port Vila is the economic and commercial centre of Vanuatu.

The mayor is Jenny Regenvanu of the Land and Justice Party, the first woman to hold the position, elected in August 2024.

In the autumn of 2004, an archaeological expedition known as Teouma discovered a burial site of 25 tombs containing three dozen skeletons of members of the Lapita culture.

[9] On 17 December 2024, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake reportedly damaged almost every single house in Port Vila, resulting in 16 fatalities.

[10] The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that 116,000 people had been directly affected by the earthquake,[11] equivalent to a third of Vanuatu's population.

[17] Vanuatu is a tax haven, and offshore financing in Port Vila is an important part of the economy.

Vanuatu is still dependent on foreign aid, most of which comes from Australia and New Zealand, although in recent years, assistance has also come from China.

The capital city's daily lingua franca is Bislama, but English and French are also widely spoken.

Among Vanuatu's 100 indigenous languages, many are spoken in the capital, as people from rural areas come to live in the city, either temporarily or permanently.

Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur is a modern Roman Catholic cathedral in Port Vila.

[19] On October 5, 2020, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints announced plans to construct a temple in the city, and the Baháʼí Faith community is also established in Port Vila.

There are several memorials, e.g., opposite the Parliament, where two traditional totem poles and a monument representing a pig's tusk can be seen.

The Presbyterian Church of Port Vila is an impressive and sightworthy building opposite the Independence Park.

The centre also hosts the National Audiovisual Archives, the most critical fund of documents from the late 19th century until today.

Port Vila was the location in August 1999 for the "2nd World Heritage Global Strategy Meeting for the Pacific Islands Region" held by UNESCO.

Upper secondary (sixth form/senior high school) institutions include: Junior secondary (seventh form to tenth form) institutions include: The municipality of Port Vila is divided into four wards and administered by a council of 14 members.

Following the 2016 general election, its representatives are:[25] Port Vila is served by Bauerfield International Airport, with service on many passenger and cargo airlines, including several foreign ones.