Papua New Guinea
Top Sights & Landmarks
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.
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
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
5,152 km
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
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
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm note: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
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
Terrain
mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
66.9% (2018 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 69.4 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 62.4 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 7 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 14.2 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
0.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 3.5% national budget (2023 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
1.82 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
2.3% of GDP (2021) 7% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
0.2 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 31.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 35.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 28.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: 70.1% (2017 est.) male: 78.4% (2017 est.) female: 61.6% (2017 est.)
Major urban areas - population
410,000 PORT MORESBY (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
189 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
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
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 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
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: 38.9% (2025 est.) male: 53.4% (2025 est.) female: 23.8% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
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.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
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
Detailed Government Information
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
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
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 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
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
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
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$4.183 billion (2023 est.) $4.567 billion (2022 est.) $3.284 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$7.011 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
kina (PGK) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 3.59 (2023 est.) 3.519 (2022 est.) 3.509 (2021 est.) 3.46 (2020 est.) 3.388 (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
3.6% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0.6% (2024 est.) 2.3% (2023 est.) 5.3% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
52.4% of GDP (2023 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
0% of GDP (2023 est.) 0% of GDP (2022 est.) 0% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$3.901 billion (2023 est.) $3.983 billion (2022 est.) $3.24 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
15.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
estimated 4,000 active PNGDF (2025)
Service & Defense Details
Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF): Land, Air, Maritime elements Ministry of Internal Security: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) (2025)
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)
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)
18-27 (30 for officers) for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)