Capital

Papua-Neuguinea

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

Papua-Neuguinea

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

Legal system

Papua-Neuguinea

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

Suffrage

Papua-Neuguinea

18 years of age; universal

Area

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 462,840 sq km

land: 452,860 sq km

water: 9,980 sq km

Land use

Papua-Neuguinea

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

Papua-Neuguinea

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

Age structure

Papua-Neuguinea

0-14 years: 37.34% (male 1,871,227/female 1,795,700)

15-64 years: 58.75% (male 2,917,668/female 2,851,691)

65 years and over: 3.9% (2023 est.) (male 189,851/female 193,213)

Birth rate

Papua-Neuguinea

28.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Papua-Neuguinea

5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Papua-Neuguinea

Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 839 indigenous languages spoken (about 12% of the world's total); many languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers

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

Papua-Neuguinea

total population: 69.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 68 years

female: 71.5 years

Major urban areas - population

Papua-Neuguinea

410,000 PORT MORESBY (capital) (2023)

Median age

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 21.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 21.4 years

female: 21.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Papua-Neuguinea

21.9 years (2016/18)

note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Papua-Neuguinea

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Papua-Neuguinea

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

Papua-Neuguinea

2.31% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Papua-Neuguinea

3.85 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Papua-Neuguinea

urban population: 13.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Papua-Neuguinea

1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Papua-Neuguinea

-4.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Papua-Neuguinea

-7.5% (2020 est.)

Labor force

Papua-Neuguinea

3.073 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Papua-Neuguinea

37% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate

Papua-Neuguinea

2.75% (2021 est.)

2.6% (2020 est.)

2.45% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Papua-Neuguinea

48.68% of GDP (2020 est.)

40.15% of GDP (2019 est.)

36.67% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Papua-Neuguinea

4.48% (2021 est.)

4.87% (2020 est.)

3.93% (2019 est.)

Exports

Papua-Neuguinea

$11 billion (2021 est.)

$9.36 billion (2020 est.)

$11 billion (2019 est.)

note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Papua-Neuguinea

Japan 25%, China 25%, Australia 16%, Taiwan 6%, South Korea 6% (2021)

Imports

Papua-Neuguinea

$4.25 billion (2021 est.)

$3.77 billion (2020 est.)

$4.14 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Papua-Neuguinea

Australia 27%, China 25%, Singapore 13%, Malaysia 8%, Indonesia 5% (2021)

Airports

Papua-Neuguinea

561 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 21,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.2 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 3.168 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 32% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 9,349 km (2011)

paved: 3,000 km (2011)

unpaved: 6,349 km (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

Papua-Neuguinea

total subscriptions: 170,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Papua-Neuguinea

total subscriptions: 4.8 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Papua-Neuguinea

11,000 km (2011)

Disputes - international

Papua-Neuguinea

Papua New Guinea-Australia: relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and secessionists