Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea⌘K
Overview
- 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
- Water
- 9,980 sq km
- Total
- 462,840 sq km
- Climate
- tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
- Terrain
- mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Land Use
- Other
- 21.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 75.2% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
- 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
- Coastline
- 5,152 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m
- Mean elevation
- 667 m
- Irrigated land
- 0 sq km (2022)
- Map references
- Oceania
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 824 km
- Border countries
- Indonesia 824 km
Maritime Claims
- Note
- note: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
- Exclusive fishing zone
- 200 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" - 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 - Natural resources
- gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries
- Area comparative
- slightly larger than California
- Geographic coordinates
- 6 00 S, 147 00 E
- 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
- 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
People & Society
Literacy
- Male
- 78.4% (2017 est.)
- Female
- 61.6% (2017 est.)
- Total population
- 70.1% (2017 est.)
- Languages
- Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 839 living indigenous languages are spoken (about 12% of the world's total)
- 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.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.97 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 27.57 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 21.6 years
- Total
- 21.9 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 21.9 years
Population
- Male
- 5,206,211
- Total
- 10,273,996 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 5,067,785
Nationality
- Noun
- Papua New Guinean(s)
- Adjective
- Papua New Guinean
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 53.4% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 38.9% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 23.8% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 13.7% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
- Ethnic groups
- Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
- 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
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)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 69.4 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 62.4 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 14.2 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 7 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 2.3% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 7% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 0.2 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 3.72 children born/woman (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.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 35.3 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 28.6 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 2.22% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 1.82 (2025 est.)
- 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
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 68.3 years
- Female
- 71.9 years
- Total population
- 70.1 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 189 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- 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.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 410,000 PORT MORESBY (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 21.3% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 21.9 years (2016/18)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 66.9% (2018 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- 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
Capital
- Name
- Port Moresby
- Etymology
- named in 1873 by Captain John MORESBY in honor of his father, British Admiral Sir Fairfax MORESBY (1786-1877)
- Time zone note
- Papua New Guinea has two time zones, including Bougainville (UTC+11)
- Time difference
- UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 9 27 S, 147 11 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
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
Constitution
- History
- adopted 15 August 1975, effective at independence 16 September 1975
- 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
Country Name
- Former
- German New Guinea, British New Guinea, Territory of Papua and 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
- Abbreviation
- PNG
- Local short form
- Papuaniugini
- Conventional long form
- Independent State of Papua New Guinea
- Conventional short form
- Papua New Guinea
- Independence
- 16 September 1975 (from the Australia-administered UN trusteeship)
- Legal system
- mixed system of English common law and customary law
- Government type
- parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
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)
- 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
- 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
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
- Head of government
- Prime Minister James MARAPE (since 30 May 2019)
- 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
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
- National color(s)
- red, black
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 1 (cultural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Kuk Early Agricultural Site
- 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
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 5 years
- Number of seats
- 118 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- National Parliament
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 7/4/2022 to 7/22/2022
- Expected date of next election
- July 2027
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 2.7%
- 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)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "O Arise, All You Sons"
- History
- adopted 1975
- Lyrics/music
- Thomas SHACKLADY
- National symbol(s)
- bird of paradise
- 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
- 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
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 745-3679
- Chancery
- 1825 K Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington, DC 20006
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 745-3680
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Arnold Karibone AMET (since 5 September 2025)
- Email address and website
info@pngembassy.org
http://www.pngembassy.org/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Embassy
- Harbour City Road, Konedobu, Port Moresby, NCD, Papua New Guinea
- Telephone
- [675] 308-9100
- Mailing address
- 4240 Port Moresby Pl, Washington DC 20521-4240
- 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/
- International organisations
- 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
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Legislature
PAPUA NEW GUINEA · LEGISLATURE
National Parliament
118 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
118
Majority line
60
Largest party
People's National Congress Party
Parties
10
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Charles III
- Head of State
James Marape
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- 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.)
- Expenditures
- $6.856 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $11.032 billion (2021 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $11.032 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $14.862 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $12.93 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $6.43 billion (2021 est.)
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $6.43 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $8.568 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $7.192 billion (2023 est.)
- 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)
- Labor force
- 3.66 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 52.4%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2023
- 52.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances
- 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.)
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.)
Debt External
- Note
- note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
- Debt external 2023
- $7.011 billion (2023 est.)
- 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
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.6%
- 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.)
- Exports partners
- China 28%, Japan 25%, Australia 17%, Taiwan 8%, India 4% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Australia 27%, China 24%, Singapore 15%, Malaysia 9%, Japan 4% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $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.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 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.)
- Agricultural products
- oil palm fruit, coconuts, bananas, fruits, sweet potatoes, game meat, yams, root vegetables, vegetables, sugarcane (2023)
- Exports commodities
- natural gas, gold, copper ore, palm oil, nickel (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, trucks, rice, plastic products, excavation machinery (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $4.8B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- 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.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 15.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $32.538 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Household consumption
- 43.7% (2017 est.)
- Government consumption
- 19.7% (2017 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0.4% (2017 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 10% (2017 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 49.3% (2017 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -22.3% (2017 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.6%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- 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.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 3.6% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $45.487 billion (2024 est.)
- 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.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 4.6% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 3.8% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 3% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- 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.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 37.2% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 41.5% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 17.2% (2024 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Imports
- 2,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 32,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 159.656 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 30,000 bbl/day (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.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 10.892 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 11.57 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 677.736 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 183.125 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification rural areas
- 14.2%
- Electrification urban areas
- 65.1%
- Electrification total population
- 19% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 8.781 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Solar
- 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Geothermal
- 2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 76.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 21.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 24% (2023 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
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 166,000 (2021 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 2 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 4.1 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 39 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 22,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- (2022 est.) less than 1
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 0
- Small
- 6
- Medium
- 0
- Key ports
- Kavieng Harbor, Kieta, Port Moresby, Rabaul, Vanimo, Wewak Harbor
- Very small
- 16
- Total ports
- 22 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 8
- Airports
- 569 (2025)
- Heliports
- 3 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 205 (2023)
- BY type
- container ship 6, general cargo 89, oil tanker 4, other 106
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- P2
Environment
- Climate
- tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Land Use
- Other
- 21.7% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 75.2% (2023 est.)
- 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.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 13.7% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 1 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 6.3% (2022 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
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 223.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 167.6 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 5.798 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 1.33 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 1,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 4.467 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 8.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 801 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
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
Military & 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 Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.3%
- 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.)
- 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) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-27 (30 for officers) for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (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 and security service personnel strengths
- estimated 4,000 active PNGDF (2025)
Transnational Issues
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/
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 107,985 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 10,983 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index41.0 / 100as of 2024-Q4109 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.38as of 2024-Q481 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusNot Free (58/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (50/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Papua New Guinea — vintage 2026-Q1: Papua New Guinea factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/papua-new-guinea
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata