Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.1 years longer

In Tuvalu, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 71 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 58.7% less likely to be obese

In Tuvalu, 51.6% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 21.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 19.2% less money

Tuvalu has a GDP per capita of $5,200 as of 2023, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $4,200 as of 2023.

be 40.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Tuvalu, 26.3% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Papua New Guinea, however, that number is 37.0% as of 2002.

Life

have 23.8% more children

In Tuvalu, there are approximately 22.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 16.1% more likely to die during infancy

In Tuvalu, approximately 28.9 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 81.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Tuvalu, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 99% 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 34.7% less likely to have internet access

In Tuvalu, approximately 49.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, about 32.0% do as of 2021.

be 52.5% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Tuvalu, approximately 100% of people have improved drinking water access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 88.4% less on healthcare

Tuvalu spends 21.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 214.7 times more coastline

Tuvalu has a total of 24 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 Tuvalu? See an in-depth size comparison.

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