Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Bolivia, you would:
Health
be 56.7% less likely to die by suicide
Bolivia has a suicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bolivia, 0.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 1.5% of people as of 2024.
live 2.5 years less
In Bolivia, the average life expectancy is 69 years (66 years for men, 71 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.
see 82.4% less spent on your healthcare
Bolivia spends $756 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 95.2% fewer doctors per person
Bolivia has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 53.8% less access to essential health services
Bolivia scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 13.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Bolivia, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 41.3% less money
Bolivia has a GDP per capita of $5,148 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
have 15.5% more children
In Bolivia, there are approximately 21.0 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 29.5% more likely to die during childbirth
In Bolivia, approximately 146.0 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 10.1% less likely to be literate
In Bolivia, the literacy rate is 96.7% as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, it is 87.0% as of 2022.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bolivia, approximately 14.2 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.
Basic Needs
be 79.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bolivia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 76.4% less likely to have internet access
In Bolivia, approximately 79.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 42.9% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bolivia, approximately 93% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 79% 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 89.7% less on education
Bolivia spends 7.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 58.5% less on healthcare
Bolivia spends 6.9% 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 15.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bolivia, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, they kill 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 35.0% less strain on fresh water
Bolivia withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 98.1% less home broadband
Bolivia has 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 29.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bolivia, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 77.3% less CO2
Bolivia emits 2.3 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bolivia vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Bolivia? See an in-depth size comparison.