Papua New Guinea Key Statistics
Each figure carries its own unit, source and the year the source last published it.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Source | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population (live) | 10,762,817 | people | UN WPP 2024 base advanced by the annual growth rate | live, today |
| Land area | 462,840 | km² | UN Statistics Division, via restcountries.com | static reference |
| Population density | 23 | people per km² | Calculated: population ÷ land area | live, today |
| Annual growth rate | 1.7 | % per year | World Bank WDI · SP.POP.GROW | 2025 |
| Crude birth rate | 24.3 | births per 1,000 people | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.CBRT.IN | 2024 |
| Crude death rate | 6.6 | deaths per 1,000 people | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.CDRT.IN | 2024 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 66.3 | years | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.LE00.IN | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 3.07 | births per woman | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.TFRT.IN | 2024 |
| Infant mortality rate | 31.3 | deaths per 1,000 live births | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.IMRT.IN | 2024 |
| Urban population | 15.8 | % of total population | World Bank WDI · SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS | 2025 |
| Population under 15 | 33.1 | % of total population | World Bank WDI · SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS | 2025 |
| Population 65 and over | 3.6 | % of total population | World Bank WDI · SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS | 2025 |
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators (which republish UN, WHO and UNICEF series) and UN World Population Prospects 2024. Full details on the Sources and Methodology pages.
Papua New Guinea Population History
1950–2023 · annual estimates · UN World Population Prospects 2024
Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024, estimates series (via Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0). Data retrieved from the UN series on request.
Papua New Guinea Population Projection to 2100
2024–2100 · UN medium-variant projection
In 2100, Papua New Guinea is projected to reach 18,640,539 people under the UN medium variant.
Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant, published via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0). Projections are scenario-based, not forecasts — see Methodology.
How Papua New Guinea Compares
Age & Gender Distribution
Papua New Guinea — population share by age and gender (%)
- Male
- Female
Papua New Guinea — Health, Education & Rights Data
Latest available figures from UN agencies. The year of each figure is shown, since surveys are not run every year.
Population
- Population doubling time At the current growth rate
- 40 yrs
- Annual population growth
- 1.7%2025
- Total fertility rateBirths per woman
- 3.072024
- Life expectancy at birth
- 66.3 yrs2024
- Life expectancy, female
- 69.2 yrs2024
- Life expectancy, male
- 63.8 yrs2024
- Birth ratePer 1,000 people
- 24.32024
- Death ratePer 1,000 people
- 6.62024
- Infant mortalityPer 1,000 live births
- 31.32024
- Urban population
- 15.8%2025
Source: UN Population Division, World Population Prospects 2024
Sexual & Reproductive Health
- Maternal mortality ratioDeaths per 100,000 live births
- 1892023
- Births attended by skilled health personnel
- 56.4%2018
- Adolescent birth rateBirths per 1,000 girls aged 15–19
- 53.52024
- Universal health coverage service index
- 32 / 1002023
- New HIV infections, all agesPer 1,000 uninfected people
- 1.102024
Source: UN MMEIG (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank), UNICEF/WHO, WHO, UNAIDS
Family Planning
- Contraceptive prevalence, any method
- 36.7%2018
- Contraceptive prevalence, modern methods
- 30.5%2018
- Unmet need for family planning
- 25.9%2018
Source: UN Population Division (women aged 15–49)
Education
- Net enrolment rate, primary
- 73.7%2016
- Net enrolment rate, secondary
- 32.4%2016
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Gender, Rights & Human Capital
- Women making their own decisions on sexual & reproductive health
- 56.7%2018
Source: UNFPA, WHO / UN Women / UNICEF (violence estimates)
Harmful Practices
- Child marriage by age 18Women aged 20–24
- 27.3%2018
Source: UNICEF
Papua New Guinea Population: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Papua New Guinea?
Papua New Guinea has an estimated population of 10,762,817 people. That makes it the 87th most populous country in the world out of the 250 countries tracked on this site.
Is Papua New Guinea's population growing or shrinking?
Papua New Guinea's population is growing by about 1.75% a year — roughly 515 more people every day. Its crude birth rate is 24.3 births per 1,000 people a year and its crude death rate is 6.6 per 1,000. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years.
How densely populated is Papua New Guinea?
About 23 people live on each square kilometre of Papua New Guinea, across a land area of 462,840 km².
Where does Papua New Guinea rank within Oceania?
Papua New Guinea is the 2nd most populous country in Oceania, which has 27 countries listed on this site, and 87th in the world.
What share of the world's population lives in Papua New Guinea?
Around 0.13% of the world's population lives in Papua New Guinea — about 10,762,817 people out of roughly 8,500,000,000 people worldwide.
Understanding Papua New Guinea's Population
Papua New Guinea is the 87th most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of 10,762,817 people as of today. This figure is an estimate — it starts from the most recent official count and advances second by second using Papua New Guinea's annual growth rate of 1.75%.
The population is rapidly growing. At the current rate, Papua New Guinea adds or loses roughly 515 people per day. With a land area of 462,840 km², it is moderately populated (23 people per km²).
The "Births Today" and "Deaths Today" figures are estimates based on annualized rates prorated to the time elapsed since midnight. Read how every figure on this page is computed in our Methodology, and where each series comes from in our Sources.
