Papua New Guinea

East Asia & Pacific·Lower middle income

Population: 10.4M; 92nd of 217
GDP: $32.5B; 110th of 214 · 2024
GDP per capita: $3,077; 158th of 214 · 2024
Life expectancy: 66.1; 183rd of 217
Human development: 0.558; 154th of 189 · 2021

Benchmarked against

Papua New Guinea

Vanuatu

Cambodia

Philippines

Kiribati

Default peers are drawn from region, income, and bloc membership — swap in any country you like. The gray tick on each strip is the world median.

lower-middle-income Pacific island economy; primarily informal agrarian sector; natural-resource-rich and key exporter of liquified natural gas; collapse in betel nut prices, tighter monetary policy, and improved foreign-exchange availability contributing to declining inflation; challenges include lack of progress in infrastructure, agricultural reform, and corruption

Area: 462,840 km²
Languages: Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 839 living…
Resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries
Borders: Indonesia

Religion

who identifies with what, 2020

world view →

Christian99.1%
Other0.5%▲ 0.5pt

Religious diversity: 0.211 / 10 · very low · 183rd of 193

Change markers show percentage-point shifts from 2010 to 2020 · Pew Research Center, Religious Composition 2010–2020.

Score card

quartile grades among all countries with data

A · Top quartileB · Above medianC · Below medianD · Bottom quartile

Topic

PNG

VUT

KHM

PHL

GDP

current US$

$32.5B–––

GDP per capita

current US$

–––

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

–––

GDP growth

annual %

–––

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

–––

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

–––

FDI inflows

current US$

$82.6M–––

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

53.4%–––

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

17.2%–––

Industry value added

% of GDP

37.2%–––

Unemployment

% of labor force

–––

Gini index

0–100

–––

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

–––

Population

people

10.4M–––

Population density

people per km²

22.5–––

Urban population

% of total

13.7%–––

Life expectancy

years at birth

–––

Fertility rate

births per woman

3.1–––

Net migration

people

-707–––

Population under 15

% of total

33.5%–––

Population 65+

% of total

3.5%–––

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

–––

Health expenditure

% of GDP

2.6%–––

Physicians

per 1,000 people

–––

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

–––

Education expenditure

% of GDP

1.3%–––

Internet users

% of population

–––

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

–––

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

–––

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

–––

Access to electricity

% of population

–––

Energy use per capita

kWh

2,573.5–––

Electricity per capita

kWh

455.3–––

Electricity generation

TWh

4.7–––

Renewable electricity

% of generation

–––

Fossil electricity

% of generation

–––

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

–––

CO₂ per capita

t per person

–––

Share of global CO₂

0%–––

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

–––

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

–––

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

–––

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

–––

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

–––

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

–––

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

–––

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

–––

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

–––

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

0.211–––

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

0.3%–––

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

–––

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

–––

Global Peace Index

1–5

–––

Military expenditure

% of GDP

0.3%–––

Economy & Trade

Output, growth, prices, and openness

theme overview →

GDP

current US$

#110/214

$32.5B2024

GDP per capita

current US$

#158/214

$3,0772024

GDP per capita, PPP

international $

#166/203

$4,668latest

GDP growth

annual %

#68/214

4.1%2024

GNI per capita

Atlas method, US$

#152/207

$2,9402024

Inflation

GDP deflator, annual %

#170/213

7.9%2024

FDI inflows

current US$

#150/201

$82.6M2023

Merchandise trade

% of GDP

#105/205

53.4%2024

Agriculture value added

% of GDP

#45/206

17.2%2024

Industry value added

% of GDP

#30/208

37.2%2024

Unemployment

% of labor force

#27/187

2.7%latest

Gini index

0–100

#130/168

41.9latest

Extreme poverty

% below $2.15/day

#157/168

52.2%latest

People & Society

Population structure, urbanization, and migration

theme overview →

Population

people

#92/217

10.4Mlatest

Population density

people per km²

#182/216

22.5latest

Urban population

% of total

#215/215

13.7%latest

Life expectancy

years at birth

#183/217

66.1latest

Fertility rate

births per woman

#55/217

3.1latest

Net migration

people

#107/217

-7072024

Population under 15

% of total

#57/217

33.5%2024

Population 65+

% of total

#177/217

3.5%2024

Health & Education

Longevity, mortality, learning, and public spending

theme overview →

Infant mortality

per 1,000 live births

#155/196

32latest

Under-5 mortality

per 1,000 live births

#159/196

40.3latest

Health expenditure

% of GDP

#186/192

2.6%latest

Physicians

per 1,000 people

#188/195

0.1latest

Adult literacy

% ages 15+

#132/160

70.1%latest

Education expenditure

% of GDP

#193/199

1.3%latest

Connectivity

Internet, mobile, and digital infrastructure

theme overview →

Internet users

% of population

#192/210

24.1%latest

Mobile subscriptions

per 100 people

#209/214

34.12023

Fixed broadband

per 100 people

#185/208

0.22022

Secure internet servers

per 1M people

#170/215

88.12024

Access to electricity

% of population

#209/215

20.5%latest

Energy & Climate

Energy use, electricity mix, and emissions

theme overview →

Energy use per capita

kWh

#155/198

2,573.52023

Electricity per capita

kWh

#157/202

455.32023

Electricity generation

TWh

#126/202

4.72023

Renewable electricity

% of generation

#115/202

23.7%2023

Fossil electricity

% of generation

#123/202

76.3%2023

CO₂ emissions

Mt per year

#89/204

8.32024

CO₂ per capita

t per person

#48/204

0.82024

Share of global CO₂

#116/204

0%2024

GHG per capita

t CO₂e per person

#98/193

5.12023

Inequality

Who gets what — top and bottom shares of income and wealth, from tax data and national accounts

theme overview →

Top 1% income share

% of pre-tax income

#122/210

0.2%2024

Top 10% income share

% of pre-tax income

#98/210

0.5%2024

Bottom 50% income share

% of pre-tax income

#153/210

0.1%2024

Top 1% wealth share

% of net wealth

#78/210

0.3%2024

Gini, pre-tax income

0–1

#142/210

0.592024

Governance & Democracy

Democratic institutions, corruption, and rule of law

theme overview →

Electoral democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#93/175

0.4672025

Liberal democracy

V-Dem, 0–1

#79/175

0.3842025

Civil liberties

V-Dem, 0–1

#74/175

0.8052025

Political corruption

V-Dem, 0–1

#118/175

0.6842025

Academic freedom

V-Dem, 0–1

#38/175

0.8492025

Corruption perceptions

CPI, 0–100

#130/178

302022

Control of corruption

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#140/193

-0.6962022

Government effectiveness

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#148/193

-0.8072022

Rule of law

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#135/193

-0.6162022

Political stability

WGI, −2.5 to 2.5

#144/193

-0.6092022

Women's political empowerment

V-Dem, 0–1

#153/175

0.482025

Conflict & Security

Organized violence since 1989 — every battle death georeferenced by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program

theme overview →

Conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#83/126

312025

State-based conflict deaths

deaths per year, best estimate

#11/126

02025

One-sided violence deaths

civilian deaths per year

#13/126

02025

Values & Beliefs

What people hold sacred, permit, and pass on — from 40 years of World Values Survey interviews

theme overview →

Religious diversity

Pew RDI, 0–10

#183/193

0.2112020

Religiously unaffiliated

% of population

#148/193

0.3%2020

Development & Wellbeing

Composite measures of how life is going

theme overview →

Human Development Index

UNDP, 0–1

#154/189

0.5582021

Gender inequality

GII, 0–1

#169/170

0.7252021

Global Peace Index

1–5

#94/158

2.12023

Military expenditure

% of GDP

#156/161

0.3%latest

Explore any measure in depth on its own page — try GDP per capita or electoral democracy.