Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Micronesia, Federated States of instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:

Health

live 5.0 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 Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 74 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 45.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 6.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 16.2% as of 2010.

be 11.4% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Micronesia, Federated States of, however, that number is 41.2% as of 2013.

Life

be 61.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 192.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Micronesia, Federated States of, 74.0 women do as of 2020.

be 34.8% 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 Micronesia, Federated States of, on the other hand, 21.9 children do as of 2022.

have 36.7% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Micronesia, Federated States of, there are 17.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 4.5 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 Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 85% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 25.0% more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Micronesia, Federated States of, about 40.0% do as of 2021.

be 65.5% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access as of 2020. In Micronesia, Federated States of, 79% of people do as of 2017.

Expenditures

spend 6.9 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Micronesia, Federated States of spends 9.7% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

spend 4.6 times more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 11.6% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 18.6% more coastline

Papua New Guinea has a total of 5,152 km of coastline. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 6,112 km.

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

Micronesia, Federated States of: At a glance

Micronesia, Federated States of is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 702 sq km. The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean; they became part of a UN Trust Territory under US administration following World War II. The eastern four island groups adopted a constitution in 1979 and chose to become the Federated States of Micronesia. (The fifth, westernmost island group became Palau.) Independence came in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.
Read more

How big is Micronesia, Federated States of compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Micronesia, Federated States of.or Papua New Guinea It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.