In 2025, Facebook monetization remains a critical income stream for content creators worldwide, yet many Pacific Island nations are still left out. While Papua New Guinea and Fiji have recently been added, creators in countries like Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, and Tonga are left asking, “When will it be our turn?”

Who Can Monetize Now?

✅ Eligible (as of 2025):

• Australia
• New Zealand
• Fiji (recently added)
• Papua New Guinea (recently added)
• French Polynesia (Tahiti)
• New Caledonia
• Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands (US territories)

⚠️ Not Yet Eligible:

• Vanuatu
• Solomon Islands
• Samoa
• Tonga
• Kiribati
• Tuvalu
• Nauru
• Palau
• Marshall Islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Cook Islands
• Niue
• Tokelau
• Wallis and Futuna

What’s Taking So Long?

Several factors contribute to the delayed rollout of monetization in these smaller Pacific markets:

1️⃣ Market Size
Platforms prioritize larger audiences where ad revenue justifies operational costs. While PNG has a larger population (~10 million), Vanuatu’s smaller population (~300,000) is seen as a low-volume market.

2️⃣ Regulatory and Taxation Complexity
Monetization involves payouts, banking compliance, and sometimes tax agreements between Meta (Facebook’s parent company) and local authorities, which can be slow or absent in smaller economies.

3️⃣ Payment Infrastructure
Payouts require reliable payment gateways and banking systems. Countries with limited digital financial systems can face delays in integration.

4️⃣ Ad Market Development
Monetization depends on the local ad market’s maturity. If few businesses are running Facebook ads targeting Vanuatu, Meta may not prioritize monetization tools.

5️⃣ Compliance with Content Policies
Meta monitors local content moderation, legal frameworks, and compliance before approving monetization, which can delay rollout in regions with complex regulatory environments.

Why It Matters for Creators

Content creators in Vanuatu, Tonga, and Solomon Islands are building audiences on Facebook and Instagram without access to monetization tools like In-Stream Ads, Stars, and Subscriptions. This limits creators’ ability to earn from their effort while audiences grow.

Local creators are increasingly turning to YouTube or TikTok for potential earnings or seeking sponsorships since these platforms have different approaches to payouts and region restrictions.

What Can Be Done?

• Advocacy: Creators and local digital economy leaders can advocate to Meta for inclusion, showcasing audience engagement, potential ad revenue, and creator readiness.
• Policy Alignment: Governments can engage Meta to establish the tax and regulatory frameworks needed for a smoother rollout.
• Creator Readiness: Building consistent content, large audiences, and engaging communities will position creators for immediate participation once monetization is unlocked.

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Conclusion

The Pacific deserves digital inclusion. If PNG and Fiji can now monetize, there is hope for Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, and others. Content creators in these regions are ready, audiences are growing, and digital economies are maturing. Now, it’s a matter of aligning infrastructure, policies, and community momentum to ensure Pacific voices can earn from their creativity on Facebook.