Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of American Samoa, you would:
Health
be 63.1% less likely to be obese
In American Samoa, 75.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
live 6.7 years less
In American Samoa, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
make 83.2% less money
American Samoa has a GDP per capita of $18,017 as of 2022, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
have 62.0% more children
In American Samoa, there are approximately 15.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, there are 24.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In American Samoa, approximately 10.1 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, 31.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 65.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In American Samoa, approximately 59% of people have electricity access (60% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2020. 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 53.3% less likely to have internet access
In American Samoa, approximately 40.3% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 46.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In American Samoa, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, 53% of people do as of 2024.
Geography
see 44.4 times more coastline
American Samoa has a total of 116 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2020–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: American Samoa vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to American Samoa? See an in-depth size comparison.