Papua New Guinea Demographics

Population of Papua New Guinea (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Population
10,947,848
see live
Yearly Change
+1.72%
Global Share
0.13%
Global Rank
89

Median Age

The median age in Papua New Guinea is 23.0 years (2026).

Fertility in Papua New Guinea

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
2.99
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Papua New Guinea

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
66.5
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
69.5
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
64.0
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Papua New Guinea


Infant Mortality
30.8
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
38.1
(per 1,000 live births)


Papua New Guinea Urban Population

Currently, 16.2% of the population of Papua New Guinea is urban (1,771,190 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Papua New Guinea is 24 people per km² (63 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 452,860 km² (174,850 sq. miles).

Largest Cities and Urban Localities in Papua New Guinea

The 30 largest of 75 cities and urban localities, ranked by population at the census of July 10, 2011 (by National Statistical Office of Papua New Guinea).

RankCity or Urban LocalityPopulation
1Port Moresby364,125
2Lae148,934
3Wewak37,825
4Madang35,971
5Mount Hagen29,765
6Kimbe22,923
7Goroka22,830
8Daru15,142
9Vanimo13,970
10Popondetta12,600
11Alotau11,857
12Kiunga10,981
13Kundiawa10,833
14Tabubil10,270
15Mendi9,987
16Kavieng9,943
17Lorengau8,882
18Bulolo7,090
19Kokopo6,677
20Aitape6,229
21Kerema5,885
22Buka5,416
23Wabag5,041
24Ramu Sugar4,935
25Rabaul4,785
26Kerowagi4,714
27Kainantu4,634
28Balimo4,394
29Wau3,508
30Tari3,360
See all 77 cities and urban localities in Papua New Guinea

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.