Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of China, you would:
Health
be 79.7% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 11.8 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 91.1% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 98.0% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 63.0% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 44.4% less likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 78.2% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.6 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 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 11.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 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 China, the literacy rate is 96.7% as of 2020. In Papua New Guinea, it is 87.0% as of 2022.
be 7.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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 China, 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 79.5% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 44.5% less likely to have access to drinking water
In China, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 94% 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 80.0% less on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 51.7% less on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 64.5% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.
Safety
be 14.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, they kill 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.7% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.5% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 40.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 94.4% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Papua New Guinea emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.