Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Niger, you would:

Health

live 9.3 years longer

In Niger, the average life expectancy is 60 years (59 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.9 times more likely to be obese

In Niger, 5.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 21.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.6 times more money

Niger has a GDP per capita of $1,600 as of 2023, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $4,200 as of 2023.

be 4.8 times more likely to be unemployed

In Niger, 0.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.

Life

be 56.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Niger, approximately 441.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Papua New Guinea, 192.0 women do as of 2020.

be 72.1% more likely to be literate

In Niger, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2018. In Papua New Guinea, it is 64.2% as of 2015.

be 49.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Niger, approximately 66.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, on the other hand, 33.6 children do as of 2022.

have 39.7% fewer children

In Niger, there are approximately 46.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 45.5% more likely to have internet access

In Niger, approximately 22.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, about 32.0% do as of 2021.

be 30.8% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Niger, approximately 69% of people have improved drinking water access (96% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 48% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 63.2% less on education

Niger spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 59.7% less on healthcare

Niger spends 6.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Papua New Guinea: At a glance

Papua New Guinea (sometimes abbreviated PNG) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 452,860 sq km. The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives.
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How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Niger? See an in-depth size comparison.

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