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Papua New Guinea

2025 Edition · 397 data fields

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Introduction

Background

Papua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea; the western half is part of Indonesia. PNG was first settled between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. Its harsh geography of mountains, jungles, and numerous river valleys kept many of the arriving groups isolated, giving rise to PNG’s ethnic and linguistic diversity. Around 500 B.C., Austronesian voyagers settled along the coast. Spanish and Portuguese explorers periodically visited the island starting in the 1500s, but none made it into the country’s interior. American and British whaling ships frequented the islands off the coast of New Guinea in the mid-1800s. In 1884, Germany declared a protectorate -- and eventually a colony -- over the northern part of what would become PNG and named it German New Guinea; days later the UK followed suit on the southern part and nearby islands and called it Papua. Most of their focus was on the coastal regions, leaving the highlands largely unexplored. The UK put its colony under Australian administration in 1902 and formalized the act in 1906. At the outbreak of World War I, Australia occupied German New Guinea and continued to rule it after the war as a League of Nations Mandate. The discovery of gold along the Bulolo River in the 1920s led prospectors to venture into the highlands, where they found about 1 million people living in isolated communities. The New Guinea campaign of World War II lasted from January 1942 to the Japanese surrender in August 1945. After the war, Australia combined the two territories and administered PNG as a UN trusteeship. In 1975, PNG gained independence and became a member of the Commonwealth. Between 1988-1997, a secessionist movement on the island province of Bougainville, located off the eastern PNG coast, fought the PNG Government, resulting in 15,000-20,000 deaths. In 1997, the PNG Government and Bougainville leaders reached a cease-fire and subsequently signed a peace agreement in 2001. The Autonomous Bougainville Government was formally established in 2005. Bougainvilleans voted in favor of independence in a 2019 non-binding referendum. The Bougainville and PNG governments are in the process of negotiating a roadmap for independence, which requires approval by the PNG parliament.

Geography

Area

Land: 452,860 sq km
Total: 462,840 sq km
Water: 9,980 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than California

Climate

tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

5,152 km

Continent

Oceania

Elevation

Highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m
Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 667 m

Geographic coordinates

6 00 S, 147 00 E

Geography - note

note 1: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; highlands that trend from east to west break up New Guinea into diverse ecoregions; one of world's largest swamps lies along the southwest coast note 2: Papua New Guinea is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

Border countries: Indonesia 824 km
number of neighbors: 1
Total: 824 km

Land use

Agricultural land: 3.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 2% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 0.4% (2023 est.)
arable land: 0.73%
Forest: 75.2% (2023 est.)
Other: 21.7% (2023 est.)
permanent crops: 1.95%

Landlocked

Location

Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia

Major rivers (by length in km)

Sepik river source and mouth (shared with Indonesia) - 1,126 km; Fly river source and mouth (shared with Indonesia) - 1,050 km

Map links

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ChGmzZBjZ3vnBwR2A
OpenStreetMap: https://goo.gl/maps/ChGmzZBjZ3vnBwR2A

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Note: note: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

active volcanism; frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis volcanism: severe volcanic activity; Ulawun (2,334 m), one of Papua New Guinea's potentially most dangerous volcanoes, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Rabaul (688 m) destroyed the city of Rabaul in 1937 and 1994; Lamington erupted in 1951, killing 3,000 people; Manam's 2004 eruption forced the island's abandonment; other historically active volcanoes include Bam, Bagana, Garbuna, Karkar, Langila, Lolobau, Long Island, Pago, St. Andrew Strait, Victory, and Waiowa; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Natural resources

gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries

Population distribution

population concentrated in the highlands and eastern coastal areas on the island of New Guinea; predominantly a rural distribution with only about one fifth of the population residing in urban areas

Subregion

Melanesia

Terrain

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Time zone

UTC+10:00
number of time zones: 1

People and Society

Age structure

0-14 years: 37.1% (male 1,902,272/female 1,825,471)
15-64 years: 58.9% (male 2,991,479/female 2,923,410)
65 years and over: 4% (2024 est.) (male 198,511/female 205,090)

Alcohol consumption per capita

Beer: 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

27.57 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

Men married by age 18: 3.7% (2018)
Women married by age 15: 8% (2018)
Women married by age 18: 27.3% (2018)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

66.9% (2018 est.)

Death rate

5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
adult female: 177 per 1,000
adult male: 267 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

Elderly dependency ratio: 7 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 14.2 (2025 est.)
Total dependency ratio: 69.4 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 62.4 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

Improved: rural: rural: 44.5% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 50.2% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 86.9% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 55.5% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 49.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 13.1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 0.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 3.5% national budget (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

1 % of GDP

Ethnic groups

Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Gross reproduction rate

1.82 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

3 % of GDP
Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 2.3% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 7% of national budget (2022 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.4%

Hospital bed density

0.2 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Female: 28.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 35.3 deaths/1,000 live births
neonatal: 21 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 839 living indigenous languages are spoken (about 12% of the world's total)
languages: English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
note: note: Tok Pisin, a creole language, is widely used and understood; English is spoken by 1%-2%; Hiri Motu is spoken by less than 2%
number of languages: 3

Life expectancy at birth

Female: 71.9 years
Male: 68.3 years
Total population: 70.1 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

Female: 61.6% (2017 est.)
Male: 78.4% (2017 est.)
Total population: 70.1% (2017 est.)

Major urban areas - population

410,000 PORT MORESBY (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

189 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

Female: 21.9 years
Male: 21.6 years
Total: 21.9 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

21.9 years (2016/18)
note: note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49

Nationality

Adjective: Papua New Guinean
Noun: Papua New Guinean(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.3% (2016)

People - note

the indigenous population of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the most heterogeneous in the world; PNG has several thousand separate communities, most with only a few hundred people; divided by language, customs, and tradition, some of these communities have engaged in low-scale tribal conflict with their neighbors for millennia; the advent of modern weapons and modern migrants into urban areas has greatly magnified the impact of this lawlessness

Physician density

0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

Female: 5,067,785
Male: 5,206,211
Total: 10,273,996 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.22% (2025 est.)

Religions

Protestant 64.3% (Evangelical Lutheran 18.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.9%, Pentecostal 10.4%, United Church 10.3%, Evangelical Alliance 5.9%, Anglican 3.2%, Baptist 2.8%, Salvation Army 0.4%), Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 5.3%, non-Christian 1.4%, unspecified 3.1% (2011 est.)
note: note: data represent only the citizen population; roughly 0.3% of the population are non-citizens, consisting of Christian 52% (predominantly Roman Catholic), other 10.7% , none 37.3%

Sanitation facility access

improved total: 16.66%
Improved: rural: rural: 18.2% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 23.6% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 57.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 81.8% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 76.4% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 42.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

Female: 23.8% (2025 est.)
Male: 53.4% (2025 est.)
Total: 38.9% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.72 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization: 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Urban population: 13.7% of total population (2023)

Vaccination rate

measles: 44%

Government

Administrative divisions

20 provinces, 1 autonomous region*, and 1 district**; Bougainville*, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Hela, Jiwaka, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital**, New Ireland, Northern, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain, West Sepik

Capital

Etymology: named in 1873 by Captain John MORESBY in honor of his father, British Admiral Sir Fairfax MORESBY (1786-1877)
Geographic coordinates: 9 27 S, 147 11 E
Name: Port Moresby
Time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Time zone note: Papua New Guinea has two time zones, including Bougainville (UTC+11)

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Papua New Guinea
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Coat of arms

svg: https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/pg.svg

Constitution

Amendment process: proposed by the National Parliament; passage has prescribed majority vote requirements depending on the constitutional sections being amended – absolute majority, two-thirds majority, or three-fourths majority
History: adopted 15 August 1975, effective at independence 16 September 1975

Country name

Abbreviation: PNG
alternative spellings: PG, Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini
Conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Conventional short form: Papua New Guinea
Etymology: the name derives from the Malay word pua-pua, describing the tightly curled hair of the Papuan people; Spanish explorer Ynigo ORTIZ de RETEZ applied the term "Nueva Guinea" to the island in 1545 because he thought the locals resembled the peoples of the Guinea coast of Africa
FIFA code: PNG
Former: German New Guinea, British New Guinea, Territory of Papua and New Guinea
local long form (eng): Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Local short form: Papuaniugini

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission: Ambassador Ann Marie YASTISHOCK (since 22 February 2024); note - also accredited to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu
Email address and website: ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov https://pg.usembassy.gov/
Embassy: Harbour City Road, Konedobu, Port Moresby, NCD, Papua New Guinea
Mailing address: 4240 Port Moresby Pl, Washington DC 20521-4240
Telephone: [675] 308-9100

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chancery: 1825 K Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington, DC 20006
Chief of mission: Ambassador Arnold Karibone AMET (since 5 September 2025)
Email address and website: info@pngembassy.org http://www.pngembassy.org/
FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679
Telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680

Executive branch

Cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Grand Chief Sir Bob DADAE (since 28 February 2017)
Election results: James MARAPE reelected prime minister; National Parliament vote - 105 out of 118
Election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general nominated by the National Parliament and appointed by the chief of state; following legislative elections, the governor general usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister, pending a National Parliament vote
Head of government: Prime Minister James MARAPE (since 30 May 2019)

Flag

description: divided diagonally from upper-left corner; the upper triangle is red and has a soaring yellow bird of paradise in the center; the lower triangle is black with five five-pointed white stars of the Southern Cross constellation meaning: red, black, and yellow are the country's traditional colors; the bird of paradise is an emblem of regional tribal culture and represents the emergence of Papua New Guinea as a nation; the Southern Cross symbolizes the country's connection with Australia and several other countries in the South Pacific

Flag description

The flag of Papua New Guinea is divided diagonally, from the upper hoist-side corner to the lower fly-side corner, into a lower black and an upper red triangle. On the hoist side of the lower black triangle is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation made up of one small and four larger five-pointed white stars. A golden Raggiana bird-of-paradise is situated on the fly side of the upper red triangle.

Flag image

svg: https://flagcdn.com/pg.svg

Government type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

16 September 1975 (from the Australia-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (observer), C, CD, CP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, 35 justices, and 5 acting justices); National Courts (consists of 13 courts located in the provincial capitals, with a total of 19 resident judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on advice of the National Executive Council (cabinet) after consultation with the National Justice Administration minister; deputy chief justice and other justices appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body that includes the Supreme Court chief and deputy chief justices, the chief ombudsman, and a member of the National Parliament; full-time citizen judges appointed for 10-year renewable terms; non-citizen judges initially appointed for 3-year renewable terms and after first renewal can serve until age 70; appointment and tenure of National Court resident judges NA
Subordinate courts: district, village, and juvenile courts, military courts, taxation courts, coronial courts, mining warden courts, land courts, traffic courts, committal courts, grade five courts

Legal system

mixed system of English common law and customary law

Legislative branch

Electoral system: plurality/majority
Expected date of next election: July 2027
Legislative structure: unicameral
Legislature name: National Parliament
Most recent election date: 7/4/2022 to 7/22/2022
Number of seats: 118 (all directly elected)
Parties elected and seats per party: Papua & Niugini Union Pati (PANGU) (39); People's National Congress Party (PNC) (15); United Resource Party (URP) (11); Others (40); Independents (10)
Percentage of women in chamber: 2.7%
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years

National coat of arms

Papua New Guinea's coat of arms was adopted on July 1, 1971, and features the country's national symbol, the Raggiana bird-of-paradise; the bird stands for the nation's freedom and rich natural environment; the traditional spear under the bird represents the country's ethnic groups and the protection of its heritage, and the Kundu drum, which is used in ceremonies, represents local artistic traditions and communication

National color(s)

red, black

National heritage

Selected World Heritage Site locales: Kuk Early Agricultural Site
Total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

National symbol(s)

bird of paradise

Political parties

Destiny Party Liberal Party Melanesian Alliance Party or MAP Melanesian Liberal Party or MLP National Alliance Party or NAP Our Development Party or ODP Papua and Niugini Union Party or PANGU PATI Papua New Guinea Greens Party Papua New Guinea National Party Papua New Guinea Party or PNGP People's First Party or PFP People's Movement for Change or PMC People's National Congress Party or PNC People’s National Party People's Party or PP People's Progress Party or PPP People's Reform Party or PRP Social Democratic Party or SDP Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party or THE United Labor Party or ULP United Resources Party or URP

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

UN Member

Yes

Economy

Agricultural products

oil palm fruit, coconuts, bananas, fruits, sweet potatoes, game meat, yams, root vegetables, vegetables, sugarcane (2023)
note: note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

Expenditures: $6.856 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $5.518 billion (2023 est.)

Currency

code: PGK
name: Papua New Guinean kina (PGK) [K]

Current account balance

$4.77 billion
Current account balance 2021: $3.284 billion (2021 est.)
Current account balance 2022: $4.567 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $4.183 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$12.85 billion
Debt - external 2023: $7.011 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

Currency: kina (PGK) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2019: 3.388 (2019 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 3.46 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 3.509 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 3.519 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 3.59 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021: $11.032 billion (2021 est.)
Exports 2022: $14.862 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $12.93 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

natural gas, gold, copper ore, palm oil, nickel (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 28%, Japan 25%, Australia 17%, Taiwan 8%, India 4% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows: $-198,317,386

GDP - composition, by end use

Exports of goods and services: 49.3% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 19.7% (2017 est.)
Household consumption: 43.7% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -22.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 10% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture: 17.2% (2024 est.)
Industry: 37.2% (2024 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Services: 41.5% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$32.538 billion (2024 est.)
note: note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$3,007

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

41.9 (2009)

GNI (gross national income)

$29.89 billion

GNI per capita

$2,900

Imports

Imports 2021: $6.43 billion (2021 est.)
Imports 2022: $8.568 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $7.192 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, trucks, rice, plastic products, excavation machinery (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Australia 27%, China 24%, Singapore 15%, Malaysia 9%, Japan 4% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.6% (2024 est.)
note: note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

oil and gas; mining (gold, copper, and nickel); palm oil processing; plywood and wood chip production; copra crushing; construction; tourism; fishing; livestock (pork, poultry, cattle) and dairy farming; spice products (turmeric, vanilla, ginger, cardamom, chili, pepper, citronella, and nutmeg)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.6%
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 5.3% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 2.3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 0.6% (2024 est.)
Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

3.66 million (2024 est.)
note: note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
total: 3.75 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 36.86%
industry: 7.87%
services: 55.27%

Public debt

52 % of GDP
Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2023: 52.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$51.56 billion
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $42.093 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $43.697 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $45.487 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

3.8%
Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 5.7% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 3.8% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 4.1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$4,875
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $4,100 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $4,200 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $4,300 (2024 est.)

Remittances

$3.87 million
Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2021: 0% of GDP (2021 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.9 billion
Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021: $3.24 billion (2021 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $3.983 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $3.901 billion (2023 est.)

Revenue (excl grants)

17 % of GDP

Tax revenue

16 % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

15.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

2.57%
Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 2.7% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 2.7% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 2.8% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female: 3% (2024 est.)
Male: 4.6% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 3.8% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

Imports: 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 4.399 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 1.148 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 328.234 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

Electrification - rural areas: 14.2%
Electrification - total population: 19% (2022 est.)
Electrification - urban areas: 65.1%

Electricity generation sources

Biomass and waste: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 76.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Geothermal: 2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectric: 35.29%
Hydroelectricity: 21.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
nuclear: 0%
renewable: 39.96%
Solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 8.781 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

Consumption: 677.736 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 10.892 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 11.57 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 183.125 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

Crude oil estimated reserves: 159.656 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 30,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Total petroleum production: 32,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

54.6%

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants: 0 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Total: 22,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

5 TV stations: 1 commercial (TV Wan), 2 state-run (National Broadcasting Corporation and EMTV); 1 digital free-to-view network, and 1 satellite network (Click TV or PNGTV); the state-run NBC operates 3 radio networks with multiple repeaters and about 20 provincial stations; several commercial radio stations with multiple transmission points as well as several community stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible (2023)

Internet country code

.pg

Internet users

Percent of population: 24% (2023 est.)

Postal code format

###

Telephone calling code

+675

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 166,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100: 34 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (2024 est.)
Total subscriptions: 4.1 million (2024 est.)

Transportation

Air transport

passengers carried: 1.55 million passengers
registered carrier departures: 34,416 departures

Airports

569 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Driving side

Left

Heliports

3 (2025)

Merchant marine

By type: container ship 6, general cargo 89, oil tanker 4, other 106
Total: 205 (2023)

Ports

Key ports: Kavieng Harbor, Kieta, Port Moresby, Rabaul, Vanimo, Wewak Harbor
Large: 0
Medium: 0
Ports with oil terminals: 8
Small: 6
Total ports: 22 (2024)
Very small: 16

Vehicle registration code

PNG

Military and Security

Military - note

the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF) is tasked with defense of the country and its territories against external attack, as well as internal security and socio-economic development duties; following some inter-tribal violence in Wapenamanda in 2024, the PNGDF was given arrest powers since 2023, Papua New Guinea has signed bilateral defense cooperation agreements with Australia, Indonesia, the UK, and the US; the 2023 defense cooperation agreement with the US allowed the US military to develop and operate out of bases in PNG with the PNG Government’s approval; PNG has also military relations with France and New Zealand and has discussed a security cooperation agreement with China the PNGDF was established in 1973, and its primary combat unit, the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (RPIR), is descended from Australian Army infantry battalions comprised of native soldiers and led by Australian officers and non-commissioned officers formed during World War II to help fight the Japanese; the RPIR was disbanded after the war, but reestablished in 1951 as part of the Australian Army where it continued to serve until PNG gained its independence in 1975, when it became part of the PNGDF (2025)

Military and security forces

Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF): Land, Air, Maritime elements Ministry of Internal Security: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) (2025)
active duty personnel: 4,000
percent of total labor force: 0.12 %

Military and security service personnel strengths

estimated 4,000 active PNGDF  (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the PNGDF is lightly armed; the Land Force has no heavy weapons while the Air and the Maritime forces have a handful of light aircraft and small patrol boats provided by Australia and New Zealand (2025)

Military expenditures

0 % of GDP
current USD: $91,005,056
Military Expenditures 2020: 0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 0.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 0.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
percent of central government expenditure: 1.29 %
percent of GDP: 0.31 % of GDP

Military service age and obligation

18-27 (30 for officers) for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 107,985 (2024 est.)
Refugees: 10,983 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons

Tier rating: Tier 3 — Papua New Guinea does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; therefore, Papua New Guinea remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/papua-new-guinea/

Environment

Carbon dioxide emissions

From coal and metallurgical coke: 1,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 1.33 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 4.467 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Total emissions: 5.798 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

rainforest loss as a result of commercial demand for tropical timber; soil erosion, water-quality degradation, and loss of habitat from logging; effects of large-scale mining projects (discharge of heavy metals, cyanide, and acids into rivers); severe drought; land degradation from poor farming practices; poor fishing practices; coastal pollution due to runoff and oil spills

International environmental agreements

Party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Particulate matter emissions

8.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Protected areas

1 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

5 % of total

Total renewable water resources

801 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

0 % of internal resources
Agricultural: 1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 167.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Municipal: 223.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 1 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 6.3% (2022 est.)