Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Guatemala, you would:
Health
be 63.2% less likely to die by suicide
Guatemala has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 7.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Guatemala, 0.2% 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 6.5 years less
In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 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 85.8% less spent on your healthcare
Guatemala spends $935 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
Guatemala has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 49.2% less access to essential health services
Guatemala scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
make 54.2% less money
Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
have 17.8% more children
In Guatemala, there are approximately 20.6 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 2.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Guatemala, approximately 94.0 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 82.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Guatemala, approximately 17.2 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 Guatemala, 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 68.8% less likely to have internet access
In Guatemala, approximately 60.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 42.8% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Guatemala, approximately 93% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 89% 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 74.7% less on education
Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 57.8% less on healthcare
Guatemala spends 6.8% 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 12.9 times more coastline
Guatemala has a total of 400 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.
Safety
be 18.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Guatemala, road accidents kill 12.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, they kill 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 97.7% less strain on fresh water
Guatemala withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 95.7% less home broadband
Guatemala has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 53.2% less CO2
Guatemala emits 1.1 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 (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Guatemala vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.