Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 8.6 years longer

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Aruba, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 9.8 times more money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $4,200 as of 2023, while in Aruba, the GDP per capita is $41,300 as of 2022.

be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Aruba, that number is 7.7% as of 2016.

pay a 40.5% higher top tax rate

Papua New Guinea has a top tax rate of 42.0% as of 2016. In Aruba, the top tax rate is 59.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 52.3% more likely to be literate

In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 64.2% as of 2015. In Aruba, it is 97.8% as of 2018.

be 64.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 33.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Aruba, on the other hand, 12.1 children do as of 2022.

have 58.7% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Aruba, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 5.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 19% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Aruba, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 3.0 times more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Aruba, about 97.0% do as of 2021.

be 2.1 times more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access (86% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Aruba, that number is 98% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2015.

Expenditures

spend 4.4 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Aruba spends 6.2% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

Geography

see 98.7% less coastline

Papua New Guinea has a total of 5,152 km of coastline. In Aruba, that number is 68 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Commission, Papua New Guinea, Ministerio di Finansas, Comunicacion, Utilidad y Energia.

Aruba: At a glance

Aruba is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 180 sq km. Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
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How big is Aruba compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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