Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
be 49.4% less likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 15.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Afghanistan, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 1.5% of people as of 2024.
be 36.1% more likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 59.7% less spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 80.8% fewer doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 26.8% less access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 80.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 7.2 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
be 63.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, 189.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to be literate
In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 87.0% as of 2022.
be 35.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, on the other hand, 31.3 children do as of 2024.
have 30.6% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, there are 24.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 16.9% more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 76.0% less likely to have access to electricity
In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 20% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 13% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 34.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 53% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 48% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 73.1% less on education
Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 80.9% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 38.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, they kill 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.9 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
live with 99.8% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
Environment
be 73.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 85.7% more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Papua New Guinea emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.