Identity
- Official name
- Independent State of Papua New Guinea
- Status
- Sovereign country profile
- Demonym
- Papua New Guinean
- Codes
- PG / PNG
Daily discoveryDid you know?
Port Moresby is the capital city.
PGIndependent State of Papua New GuineaSovereign country profile
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea is in Melanesia. This profile brings its status, flag, geography, people, languages, and latest available indicators into one clear visual story.
FlagPNG · 144 / 207
🇵🇬 The flag shown for Papua New Guinea. Profile code: PG / PNG.
01Population10.9M
UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
02CapitalPort Moresby
Independent State of Papua New Guinea
03CurrencyPGK
Papua New Guinean kina (PGK)
04Life expectancy66.5 years
UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
National anthemO Arise, All You SonsInstrumental audio · Wikimedia Commons · 0:58
Basic info
Expanded country facts
Core identity, people, geography, government, and practical reference data in one scan-friendly board.
People
- Population
- 10.9M · UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
- Median age
- 23.0 years · UN DESA 2026 medium projection
- Languages
- English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
- Largest cities
- Port Moresby
Place
- Region
- Oceania
- Subregion
- Melanesia
- Area
- 462,840 km²
- Coordinates
- 6.0° S, 147.0° E
Practical
- Currency
- Papua New Guinean kina (PGK)
- Calling code
- +675
- Time zones
- Profile-specific value pending
- Emergency
- Emergency numbers vary; check official guidance
Government
- Type
- Not published
- Head of state
- Charles III
- Head of government
- James Marape
- Constitution
- Comparable date pending
Geography
- Connections
- This profile has coastal access and listed land connections.
- Climate
- Tropical to subtropical zones
- Highest point
- Mount Wilhelm
- Driving side
- Left
Compare profiles
See Papua New Guinea
in context.
Start with a neighbor or a similar regional profile, then adjust the matchup across the complete atlas.
AsiaPapua New Guinea vs Indonesia→
OceaniaPapua New Guinea vs Fiji→
OceaniaPapua New Guinea vs Solomon Islands→At a glance
Meet
Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea is a world profile in Melanesia. Its status is sovereign country profile.
RegionMelanesia
DemonymPapua New Guinean
Area462,840 km²
Calling code+675
Economy
The latest available indicators.
Economic values use the latest non-empty World Bank year from 2019–2026, shown below each figure.
GDP$32.5B2025 · current USD
GDP per person$3K2025 · current USD
GDP growth5.6%2025 annual growth
A deeper profile
People, systems
& everyday life.
Comparable facts are shown with clear dates and neutral framing. Gaps stay visible instead of being filled with guesses.
How people live
Urban 15.8%Rural 84.2%
World Bank · 2025- Median age
- 23.0 years
- Languages
- English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
- Capital / principal city
- Port Moresby
Ethnic and religious categories vary by national census and are not presented without a directly comparable, dated source.
Placed in context
Population0.3× atlas average
GDP#110 of 192
Population compares the 207 atlas profiles. GDP ranking includes profiles with a published World Bank value.
A concise timeline
Wikidata records the current state as dating from 1975. Earlier state forms, independence milestones, and later constitutional changes may use different dates, so this is a starting point rather than a complete national timeline.
- Government
- Not published
- Head of state
- Charles III
- Head of government
- James Marape
- Current constitution
- Comparable date pending
Land and climate
- Climate
- Tropical to subtropical zones
- Geography
- Papua New Guinea is in Melanesia and has coastal access. Its listed area is 462,840 km².
- Highest point
- Mount Wilhelm
- Major rivers
- Profile-specific value pending
- Natural resources
- Profile-specific value pending
Practical essentials
- Driving side
- Left
- Calling code
- +675
- Time zones
- Profile-specific value pending
- Plug types
- Profile-specific value pending
- Tipping
- Local customs vary by setting
- Emergency numbers
- Emergency numbers vary; check official guidance
Remember Papua New Guinea
- Port Moresby is the capital city.
- Papua New Guinea covers 462,840 km².
- Papua New Guinea has coastal access.
- It shares land borders with Indonesia.
- Listed official languages include English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin.
- Its international calling code is +675.
- The latest published population in this atlas is 10.8M (2025).
- The listed currency code is PGK.
Connected places
Neighboring profiles
Continue exploring across each listed land border or connected geography.
This profile has coastal access and listed land connections.
Visual atlas
Papua New Guinea in view
People & place
Country
essentials.
English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
Languages listed in the open country catalog for Papua New Guinea.
1 listed connection
This profile has coastal access and listed land connections.
Papua New Guinean kina (PGK)
The primary currency code and name used in the country catalog.
Identity card
Four essentials
PGTwo-letter country code
PNGThree-letter country code
Port MoresbyCapital city
OceaniaWorld region
Sources & notes
Numbers you can trace.
Statistics show their reference year because country data changes. Unavailable values are clearly marked instead of estimated.
- UN DESA World Population Prospects — population, age, sex balance, and longevity ↗
- World Bank — latest available economic indicators ↗
- World Bank — urban population share ↗
- Wikidata — government and current officeholders ↗
- National anthem audio source — O Arise, All You Sons ↗
- Open country catalog — names, codes and geography ↗
- OpenStreetMap — map data ↗
Verified data & AI projection
Papua New Guinea
Special Report.
Papua New Guinea is profiled through long-run World Bank indicators covering the economy, population, health, work, technology, and environment. Melanesia context, regional connectivity, demographic direction, and long-run development indicators.
Current demographic baselineUN DESA · 2026
Medium projection from World Population Prospects, 2024 Revision
Executive read
What the numbers suggest
- Population has moved up since 2000, giving the report a clear demographic baseline.
- Life expectancy is higher than in 2000, showing the direction of health and longevity conditions.
- Recent GDP growth averages 3.7% across the latest 5 available observations.
Human development pressure
13.2MPopulation base
67.9 yrsLife expectancy
2.47Fertility rate
32.8%Internet access
2035 scenarios are simple educational trend projections from recent historical observations. They are not official forecasts.
economy · NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG
HighGDP growth
2000-2.49%
20255.64%
2035 base2.86%
Low3.83%Base2.86%High1.89%
recent average · % annual
people · SP.POP.GROW
HighPopulation growth
20003.45%
20251.75%
2035 base0.86%
Low1.17%Base0.86%High0.55%
linear trend · % annual
people · SP.POP.TOTL
HighPopulation
20005.5M
202510.8M
2035 base13.2M
Low12.3MBase13.2MHigh14.2M
compound trend · people
health · SP.DYN.LE00.IN
HighLife expectancy
200061.6 yrs
202466.3 yrs
2035 base67.9 yrs
Low67.4 yrsBase67.9 yrsHigh68.5 yrs
linear trend · years
people · SP.DYN.TFRT.IN
HighFertility rate
20004.53
20243.07
2035 base2.47
Low2.68Base2.47High2.26
linear trend · births per woman
people · SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
HighUrban population
200013.2%
202515.8%
2035 base18.5%
Low17.5%Base18.5%High19.4%
linear trend · % of total
economy · FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG
HighInflation
200015.6%
20254.42%
2035 base4.23%
Low4.30%Base4.23%High4.17%
recent average · % annual
work · SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
HighUnemployment
20002.92%
20252.57%
2035 base2.68%
Low2.64%Base2.68%High2.72%
recent average · % labor force
economy · NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
HighGDP per capita
2000$636
2025$3K
2035 base$3.7K
Low$3.4KBase$3.7KHigh$3.9K
compound trend · current US$
environment · EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
HighCO2 per person
20000.53
20240.52
2035 base0.30
Low0.37Base0.30High0.22
linear trend · t CO2e/capita
technology · IT.NET.USER.ZS
HighInternet access
20000.84%
202418.8%
2035 base32.8%
Low27.9%Base32.8%High37.7%
linear trend · % of people
economy · NY.GDP.MKTP.CD
HighGDP
2000$3.5B
2025$32.5B
2035 base$48.6B
Low$42.3BBase$48.6BHigh$55.8B
compound trend · current US$
Educational projection, not an official forecast.Historical values are World Bank observations retrieved 2026-08-13. The 2026 demographic baseline is the official UN DESA medium projection from World Population Prospects 2024. The atlas's 2035 scenarios use simple trend math.