Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of French Polynesia, you would:
Health
be 43.1% less likely to be obese
In French Polynesia, 49.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
live 17.9 years less
In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 87 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
be 78.0% less likely to be unemployed
In French Polynesia, 11.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 86.5% less money
French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $22,440 as of 2024, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In French Polynesia, there are approximately 10.7 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 7.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In French Polynesia, approximately 4.4 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 79.5% less likely to have access to electricity
In French Polynesia, 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 74.1% less likely to have internet access
In French Polynesia, approximately 72.7% 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 French Polynesia, 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 2.0 times more coastline
French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.
Safety
be 31.3 times more likely to be murdered
French Polynesia has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2009. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 9.4 per 100,000 as of 2010.
Infrastructure
find 99.4% less home broadband
French Polynesia has 35.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 85.0% less CO2
French Polynesia emits 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Papua New Guinea emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), The World Factbook (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2009–2010). How we calculate this
Compare further: French Polynesia vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.