Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.3 years less

In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 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 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In North Korea, 6.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 21.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.5 times more money

North Korea has a GDP per capita of $1,700 as of 2015, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $4,200 as of 2023.

be 11.7% less likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2023.

Life

have 2.1 times more children

In North Korea, there are approximately 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 79.4% more likely to die during childbirth

In North Korea, approximately 107.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Papua New Guinea, 192.0 women do as of 2020.

be 35.8% less likely to be literate

In North Korea, the literacy rate is 100.0% as of 2015. In Papua New Guinea, it is 64.2% as of 2015.

be 51.2% more likely to die during infancy

In North Korea, approximately 22.2 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.

Basic Needs

be 65.3% less likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 55% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 19% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 49.7% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In North Korea, approximately 94% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 89% 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.

Geography

see 2.1 times more coastline

North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.

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 North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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