Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Democratic Republic of the Congo, you would:
Health
live 4.2 years longer
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 62 years (60 years for men, 64 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 2.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends $58 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
be 79.2% less likely to die by suicide
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 8.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 0.7% 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 4.2 times more likely to be obese
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 6.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
have 70.7% fewer doctors per person
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 28.6% less access to essential health services
Democratic Republic of the Congo scores 42 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 42.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, 4.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 3.7 times more money
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $807 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
be 55.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 427.0 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 27.0% more likely to be literate
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 68.5% as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, it is 87.0% as of 2022.
be 44.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 56.4 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 40.6% fewer children
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 40.9 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 49.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately 36% of people have access to drinking water (59% in urban areas, and 14% 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 72.5% less on education
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 2.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 22.0% less on healthcare
Democratic Republic of the Congo spends 3.7% 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 139.2 times more coastline
Democratic Republic of the Congo has a total of 37 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.
Infrastructure
find 7.7 times more home broadband
Democratic Republic of the Congo has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
live with 43.5% less strain on fresh water
Democratic Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
Environment
be 47.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, air pollution causes 72.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 8.7 times more CO2
Democratic Republic of the Congo emits 0.1 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. How we calculate this
Compare further: Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Papua New Guinea
MORE COMPARISONS
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Democratic Republic of the Congo? See an in-depth size comparison.