Papua New Guinea

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 21,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.2 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

5 TV stations: 1 commercial station (TV Wan), 2 state-run stations, (National Broadcasting Corporation and EMTV - formerly a commercial TV station previously owned by Fiji Television Limited but PNG s Telikom purchased it in Jan 2016, hence being state-run); 1 digital free-to-view network launched in 2014, and 1 satellite network Click TV (PNGTV) launched in 2015; 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

total: 3.168 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 32% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: fixed-line teledensity in Papua New Guinea has seen little change over the past two decades; progress in the country s telecom sector has come primarily from mobile networks, where accessibility has expanded considerably in recent years, with population coverage increasing from less than 3% in 2006 to more than 90% by early 2021; the MNOs operate networks offering services based on GSM, 3G, and 4G, depending on location; GSM is prevalent in many rural and remote areas, while 3G and 4G are centered more on urban areas; MNOs investments in 4G are growing, though GSM still represents the bulk of all mobile connections owing to the low penetration of smartphones and the concentration of high-speed data networks predominantly in high value urban areas; a lack of sufficient competition and investment in the wire line segment has driven up prices and hampered network coverage and quality; infrastructure deployment costs are high, partly due to the relatively low subscriber base, the difficult terrain, and the high proportion of the population living in rural areas; fixed telecom infrastructure is almost non-existent outside urban centers, leaving most of the population under served; PNG is the Pacific region s largest poorly developed telecom market, with only around 22% of its people connected to the internet; this falls far behind the recommended targets set in the country s draft National Broadband Policy, which aimed to provide universal mobile broadband access; low international capacity has meant that internet services are slow and unreliable; two subsea cables connect PNG to Australia (landing at Sydney) and the United States (Guam); despite the improvement in recent years, the country is still impacted by a connectivity infrastructure deficit, making it reliant on more expensive alternatives such as satellites, also weighing on the affordability of services for end-users; the government granted a license to Starlink at the beginning of 2024, which should improve digital access in rural areas (2023) domestic: fixed-line nearly 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 48 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 675; landing points for the Kumul Domestic Submarine Cable System, PNG-LNG, APNG-2, CSCS the PPC-1 submarine cables to Australia, Guam, PNG and Solomon Islands; and CS² to PNG, Solomon Islands, and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2023)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 166,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 4.818 million (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products

oil palm fruit, coconuts, bananas, fruits, sweet potatoes, game meat, yams, root vegetables, sugarcane, vegetables (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $5.268 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $6.156 billion (2022 est.) 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

Credit ratings

Moody's rating: B2 (2016) Standard & Poors rating: B- (2020) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

$4.499 billion (2021 est.) $3.419 billion (2020 est.) $3.559 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$6.35 billion (2022 est.) 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; key liquified natural gas exporter; growing young workforce; slow post-pandemic recovery; increasingly impoverished citizenry; sustainable inflation

Exchange rates

kina (PGK) per US dollar - 3.519 (2022 est.) 3.509 (2021 est.) 3.46 (2020 est.) 3.388 (2019 est.) 3.293 (2018 est.)

Exports

$11.625 billion (2021 est.) $9.175 billion (2020 est.) $11.236 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

natural gas, gold, palm oil, crude petroleum, copper ore (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Japan 26%, China 22%, Australia 11%, South Korea 10%, Taiwan 9% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$30.932 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 43.7% (2017 est.) government consumption: 19.7% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 10% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 49.3% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -22.3% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 16.9% (2022 est.) industry: 40.3% (2022 est.) services: 39% (2022 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$6.303 billion (2021 est.) $5.282 billion (2020 est.) $6.329 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, rice, plastic products, excavation machinery, trucks (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 26%, Australia 23%, Singapore 16%, Malaysia 9%, Indonesia 4% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

6.61% (2022 est.) 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)

2.3% (2023 est.) 5.25% (2022 est.) 4.48% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

3.229 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

48.26% of GDP (2022 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$42.9 billion (2023 est.) $41.779 billion (2022 est.) $39.728 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.68% (2023 est.) 5.17% (2022 est.) -0.78% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$4,200 (2023 est.) $4,100 (2022 est.) $4,000 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0.01% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.01% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.05% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.983 billion (2022 est.) $3.24 billion (2021 est.) $2.686 billion (2020 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

14.79% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

2.65% (2023 est.) 2.69% (2022 est.) 2.91% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 3.7% (2023 est.) male: 4.5% (2023 est.) female: 2.9% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Carbon dioxide emissions

4.375 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 4.048 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 328,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports: 9,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 1.263 million kW (2022 est.) consumption: 4.524 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 318.563 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

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

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 74.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 16.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) geothermal: 8.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) biomass and waste: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

6.565 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

production: 10.837 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) consumption: 166.98 million cubic meters (2022 est.) exports: 10.67 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) proven reserves: 183.125 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 32,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 27,000 bbl/day (2022 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 159.656 million barrels (2021 est.)

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 8.89 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 7.54 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 11.05 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

rain forest loss as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; unsustainable logging practices result in soil erosion, water quality degredation, and loss of habitat and biodiversity; large-scale mining projects cause adverse impacts on forests and water quality (discharge of heavy metals, cyanide, and acids into rivers); severe drought; inappropriate farming practices accelerate land degradion (soil erosion, siltation, loss of soil fertility); destructive fishing practices and coastal pollution due to run-off from land-based activities and oil spills

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land: 2.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.) forest: 63.1% (2018 est.) other: 34.3% (2018 est.)

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

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

2.08% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

801 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 220 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 170 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 1 million cubic meters (2020 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 (2014 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 20,000 tons (2016 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 2% (2016 est.)

Area

total : 462,840 sq km land: 452,860 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

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; generally east-west trending highlands break up New Guinea into diverse ecoregions; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast note 2: two major food crops apparently developed on the island of New Guinea: bananas and sugarcane note 3: Papua New Guinea is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total: 824 km border countries (1): Indonesia 824 km

Land use

agricultural land: 2.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.) forest: 63.1% (2018 est.) other: 34.3% (2018 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

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 references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

Natural hazards

active volcanism; the country is subject to 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

Terrain

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

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

name: Port Moresby geographic coordinates: 9 27 S, 147 11 E 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) etymology: named in 1873 by Captain John MORESBY (1830-1922) in honor of his father, British Admiral Sir Fairfax MORESBY (1786-1877)

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 amendments: 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; amended many times, last in 2016

Country name

conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea conventional short form: Papua New Guinea local short form: Papuaniugini former: German New Guinea, British New Guinea, Territory of Papua and New Guinea abbreviation: PNG etymology: the word "papua" derives from the Malay "papuah" describing the frizzy hair of the Melanesians; Spanish explorer Ynigo ORTIZ de RETEZ applied the term "Nueva Guinea" to the island of New Guinea in 1545 after noting the resemblance of the locals to the peoples of the Guinea coast of Africa

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 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 email address and website: ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov https://pg.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d Affaires Cephas KAYO (since 31 January 2018) chancery: 1825 K Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680 FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679 email address and website: info@pngembassy.org http://www.pngembassy.org/

Executive branch

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

Flag description

divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered; red, black, and yellow are traditional colors of Papua New Guinea; the bird of paradise - endemic to the island of New Guinea - is an emblem of regional tribal culture and represents the emergence of Papua New Guinea as a nation; the Southern Cross, visible in the night sky, symbolizes Papua New Guinea's connection with Australia and several other countries in the South Pacific

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 upon 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 legal system of English common law and customary law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Parliament (111 seats; 89 members directly elected from single-seat open constituencies and 22 governors directly elected from 20 provincial constituencies, 1 autonomous region, and 1 district - all by instant runoff preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held from 4-22 July 2022 (next to be held in June 2027) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PANGU PATI - 39, PNC - 17, URP - 11, NAP - 6, SDP - 4, PFP - 4, PP 4, PNGP 3, ULP - 3, Advance PNG - 2, National Party - 2, Liberal Party - 2, AP - 1, Destiny Party - 1, Greens - 1, MAP - 1, NGP - 1, ODP - 1, PLP - 1, PMC - 1, PPP - 1, PRP - 1, THE - 1, independent - 10; composition - men 108, women 3, percentage women 2.7%

National anthem

name: "O Arise All You Sons" lyrics/music: Thomas SHACKLADY note: adopted 1975

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Kuk Early Agricultural Site

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

National symbol(s)

bird of paradise; national colors: red, black

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 PNG Party Social Democratic Party or SDP Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party or THE United Labor Party or ULP United Resources Party or URP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military - note

the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF) is a small and lightly armed force 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 early 2024, the PNGDF was given arrest powers 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 Papua New Guinea (PNG) gained its independence in 1975, when it became part of the PNGDF PNG's security partners include Australia, France, Indonesia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US; the US and PNG signed a defense cooperation agreement in 2023, which included a shiprider agreement that provides the opportunity for PNG personnel to work on US Coast Guard and US Navy vessels, and vice versa, to tackle maritime crime such as illegal fishing; the agreement also allowed the US military to develop and operate out of bases in PNG with the PNG Government s approval (2024)

Military and security forces

Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF): Land Element, Maritime Element, Air Element Ministry of Internal Security: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) (2024)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 2,500 active-duty PNGDF troops (2023)

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 (2024)

Military expenditures

0.3% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2020 est.) 0.3% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2024)

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

total: 1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

28.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 15: 8% women married by age 18: 27.3% men married by age 18: 3.7% (2018 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

36.7% (2016/18)

Current health expenditure

2.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

65.5% (2023 est.)

Death rate

5.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 60.5 youth dependency ratio: 55.5 elderly dependency ratio: 5 potential support ratio: 20.1 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 86.2% of population rural: 41.5% of population total: 47.5% of population unimproved: urban: 13.8% of population rural: 58.5% of population total: 52.5% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Gross reproduction rate

1.85 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 32 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 35.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 28.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 839 living indigenous languages are spoken (about 12% of the world's total) 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%

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.1 years (2024 est.) male: 68.3 years female: 71.9 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 64.2% male: 65.6% female: 62.8% (2015)

Major urban areas - population

410,000 PORT MORESBY (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

192 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

total: 21.7 years (2024 est.) male: 21.6 years female: 21.9 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

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

Nationality

noun: Papua New Guinean(s) adjective: Papua New Guinean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 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

0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

total: 10,046,233 male: 5,092,262 female: 4,953,971 (2024 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

Population growth rate

2.26% (2024 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: 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: urban: 57.8% of population rural: 18.2% of population total: 23.5% of population unimproved: urban: 42.2% of population rural: 81.8% of population total: 76.5% of population (2020 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 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 39.3% (2020 est.) male: 53.5% (2020 est.) female: 25.1% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.79 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

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

Illicit drugs

transit point for smuggling drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine; major consumer of cannabis

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 11,432 (Indonesia) (mid-year 2022) IDPs: 91,000 (tribal conflict, inter-communal violence) (2022) stateless persons: 15 (2022)

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/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/papua-new-guinea/

Airports

535 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

P2

Heliports

3 (2024)

Merchant marine

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

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 48 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 964,713 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 30.93 million (2018) mt-km

Pipelines

264 km oil (2013)

Ports

total ports: 22 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 6 very small: 16 ports with oil terminals: 8 key ports: Kavieng Harbor, Kieta, Port Moresby, Rabaul, Vanimo, Wewak Harbor

Roadways

total: 24,862 km paved: 2,647 km unpaved: 22,215 km (2015)

Waterways

11,000 km (2011)