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

Health

be 19.2% less likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Namibia, that number is 17.2% of people as of 2016.

be 12.9 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Papua New Guinea, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Namibia, that number is 11.6% of people as of 2020.

live 3.0 years less

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Namibia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 2.7 times more money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $4,200 as of 2023, while in Namibia, the GDP per capita is $11,500 as of 2023.

be 53.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Namibia, however, that number is 17.4% as of 2015.

pay a 11.9% lower top tax rate

Papua New Guinea has a top tax rate of 42.0% as of 2016. In Namibia, the top tax rate is 37.0% as of 2016.

be 7.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 19.4% as of 2023.

Life

be 43.8% more likely to be literate

In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 64.2% as of 2015. In Namibia, it is 92.3% as of 2021.

be 12.4% 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 Namibia, on the other hand, 29.4 children do as of 2022.

have 13.5% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Namibia, there are 24.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 3.0 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 Namibia, that number is 56% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 33% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 65.6% more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Namibia, about 53.0% do as of 2021.

be 92.4% 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 Namibia, that number is 91% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 83% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 6.9 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Namibia spends 9.6% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 3.6 times more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Namibia, that number is 8.9% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 69.5% less coastline

Papua New Guinea has a total of 5,152 km of coastline. In Namibia, that number is 1,572 km.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Commission, Papua New Guinea, Inland Revenue Department.

Namibia: At a glance

Namibia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 823,290 sq km. South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.
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How big is Namibia compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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