If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Micronesia, Federated States of, you would:

Health

be 42.5% less likely to be obese

In Micronesia, Federated States of, 48.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.

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be 90.8% less likely to die by suicide

Micronesia, Federated States of has a suicide rate of 19.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 1.1 years less

In Micronesia, Federated States of, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 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.

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see 72.4% less spent on your healthcare

Micronesia, Federated States of spends $482 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.

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have 93.7% fewer doctors per person

Micronesia, Federated States of has 9.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.

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have 37.5% less access to essential health services

Micronesia, Federated States of scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 31.6% less money

Micronesia, Federated States of has a GDP per capita of $4,414 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.

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Life

be 46.5% more likely to die during childbirth

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 129.0 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.

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be 54.2% more likely to die during infancy

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 20.3 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.

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Basic Needs

be 76.4% less likely to have access to electricity

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 87% of people have electricity access (97% in urban areas, and 84% 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.

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be 52.4% less likely to have internet access

In Micronesia, Federated States of, approximately 39.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 93.3% less on education

Micronesia, Federated States of spends 11.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 77.7% less on healthcare

Micronesia, Federated States of spends 12.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 15.7% less coastline

Micronesia, Federated States of has a total of 6,112 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.

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Infrastructure

find 96.0% less home broadband

Micronesia, Federated States of has 5.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.

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Environment

be 29.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Micronesia, Federated States of, air pollution causes 54.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Papua New Guinea: At a glance

Papua New Guinea (sometimes abbreviated PNG) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 452,860 sq km. The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives.
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How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Micronesia, Federated States of? See an in-depth size comparison.

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