PopulationTracker

Papua New Guinea population

Current population of Papua New Guinea

10,970,305

Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures

Births today
149
Deaths today
40
Change today (UTC)
+107
World rank
92nd of 218
0.13% of world population
Population
10,762,817
2025 estimate
Annual growth
+1.75%
2025
Density
23 /km²
2023
Land area
452,860 km²
Urban population
16%
2025
Median age
22.8 yrs
2025 (UN WPP)
Fertility rate
3.07
births per woman, 2024
Life expectancy
66.3 yrs
2024
Net migration
−284
2025
Capital
Port Moresby
Region
East Asia & Pacific

Population of Papua New Guinea: overview

Papua New Guinea has a population of 10,762,817 according to the latest official estimates (2025), the 92nd largest in the world. Papua New Guinea is part of the East Asia & Pacific region and its capital is Port Moresby.

The population is expanding quickly, at 1.75% per year. In absolute terms that meant roughly 186,315 additional people over the past year.

The country is sparsely settled, with only about 23 people per km², spread across 452,860 km² of land. It is one of the least urbanized countries in the world — just 16% of people live in cities.

The population is young, with a median age of 22.8 years. The fertility rate of 3.07 children per woman sits above the replacement level of 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years (2024).

The UN projects strong growth ahead: 14.91 million people by 2050, about 39% more than today. The 2030 projection is 11,671,424.

Papua New Guinea population, 1960–2025 and projections

03M6M9M12M15M19601980200020202040projected2025: 10.76M1960: 1,995,1101961: 2,046,1271962: 2,093,9191963: 2,141,3761964: 2,188,3251965: 2,235,8201966: 2,285,7741967: 2,337,5321968: 2,390,8031969: 2,446,9271970: 2,505,6281971: 2,566,4211972: 2,628,4321973: 2,690,6291974: 2,752,6711975: 2,814,8201976: 2,877,3271977: 2,940,3271978: 3,003,7141979: 3,067,3411980: 3,131,5121981: 3,197,0191982: 3,264,2911983: 3,333,6331984: 3,405,1981985: 3,478,9361986: 3,554,7931987: 3,632,5431988: 3,711,8801989: 3,796,0781990: 3,896,4811991: 4,021,8371992: 4,166,6991993: 4,320,8721994: 4,480,2081995: 4,644,2781996: 4,813,3611997: 4,987,8831998: 5,166,3901999: 5,349,3332000: 5,537,0642001: 5,728,4352002: 5,924,0032003: 6,123,9972004: 6,328,0412005: 6,535,9052006: 6,747,7202007: 6,963,3452008: 7,183,0022009: 7,406,4382010: 7,633,5232011: 7,859,3462012: 8,081,3902013: 8,302,6982014: 8,523,4412015: 8,743,2462016: 8,961,7182017: 9,178,7142018: 9,394,5132019: 9,609,0102020: 9,815,7462021: 10,012,8962022: 10,203,1692023: 10,389,6352024: 10,576,5022025: 10,762,8172030: 11,671,4242050: 14,906,590
Population of Papua New Guinea by year
YearPopulationGrowth rateAnnual change
202510,762,817+1.75%+186,315
202410,576,502+1.78%+186,867
202310,389,635+1.81%+186,466
202210,203,169+1.88%+190,273
202110,012,896+1.99%+197,150
20209,815,746+2.13%+206,736
20199,609,010+2.26%+214,497
20189,394,513+2.32%+215,799
20179,178,714+2.39%+216,996
20168,961,718+2.47%+218,472
20158,743,246+2.55%+219,805
20148,523,441+2.62%+220,743
20107,633,523+3.02%+227,085
20056,535,905+3.23%+207,864
20005,537,064+3.45%+187,731
19954,644,278+3.60%+164,070
19903,896,481+2.61%+100,403
19853,478,936+2.14%+73,738
19803,131,512+2.07%+64,171
19752,814,820+2.23%+62,149
19702,505,628+2.37%+58,701
19652,235,820+2.15%+47,495
19601,995,110––

Recent years annually, earlier years at five-year steps. Annual change compares against the immediately preceding year.

Papua New Guinea population forecast

United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.

Projected population of Papua New Guinea
YearProjected populationvs today
203011,671,424+8.4%
205014,906,590+38.5%

Papua New Guinea population pyramid (2025)

Age and sex structure from UN World Population Prospects 2024: 33.1% of Papua New Guinea's population is under 15, 63.3% is of working age (15–64), and 3.6% is 65 or older. Hover any bar for the group's size.

MaleFemale
0%2%2%4%4%6%6%0-4 male: 639,100 (5.9%)0-4 female: 597,235 (5.5%)0-45-9 male: 618,010 (5.7%)5-9 female: 576,048 (5.4%)10-14 male: 592,048 (5.5%)10-14 female: 544,961 (5.1%)10-1415-19 male: 555,565 (5.2%)15-19 female: 503,904 (4.7%)20-24 male: 517,501 (4.8%)20-24 female: 468,764 (4.4%)20-2425-29 male: 471,504 (4.4%)25-29 female: 434,657 (4.0%)30-34 male: 426,923 (4.0%)30-34 female: 404,835 (3.8%)30-3435-39 male: 376,247 (3.5%)35-39 female: 374,627 (3.5%)40-44 male: 315,513 (2.9%)40-44 female: 325,262 (3.0%)40-4445-49 male: 269,385 (2.5%)45-49 female: 277,507 (2.6%)50-54 male: 225,374 (2.1%)50-54 female: 228,046 (2.1%)50-5455-59 male: 183,006 (1.7%)55-59 female: 177,617 (1.7%)60-64 male: 142,665 (1.3%)60-64 female: 130,336 (1.2%)60-6465-69 male: 95,522 (0.9%)65-69 female: 86,090 (0.8%)70-74 male: 55,200 (0.5%)70-74 female: 53,320 (0.5%)70-7475-79 male: 29,034 (0.3%)75-79 female: 29,220 (0.3%)80-84 male: 12,495 (0.1%)80-84 female: 13,925 (0.1%)80-8485-89 male: 4,051 (0.0%)85-89 female: 4,933 (0.0%)90-94 male: 892 (0.0%)90-94 female: 1,142 (0.0%)90-9495-99 male: 144 (0.0%)95-99 female: 177 (0.0%)100+ male: 16 (0.0%)100+ female: 19 (0.0%)100+

Papua New Guinea population FAQ

What is the population of Papua New Guinea in 2026?

Papua New Guinea's population is estimated at about 10.97 million in 2026, extrapolated from the latest official figure of 10,762,817 (2025). Papua New Guinea ranks 92nd in the world by population.

Is the population of Papua New Guinea growing or shrinking?

Papua New Guinea's population is growing at about 1.75% per year, an increase of roughly 186,315 people over the past year.

How densely populated is Papua New Guinea?

Papua New Guinea has about 23 people per square kilometre across a land area of 452,860 km².

What share of the world's population lives in Papua New Guinea?

Papua New Guinea is home to about 0.13% of the world's population.

What is Papua New Guinea's projected population in 2050?

United Nations medium-variant projections put Papua New Guinea's population at 14,906,590 in 2050, passing through 11,671,424 in 2030.

What is the median age in Papua New Guinea?

The median age in Papua New Guinea is 22.8 years (2025 estimate) — half the population is younger and half older than that.

Sources: World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0); median age and projections from UN World Population Prospects 2024. Live figures are estimates extrapolated from the latest official data — see methodology.