Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Mongolia, you would:
Health
be 90.2% less likely to die by suicide
Mongolia has a suicide rate of 18.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 15.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Mongolia, 0.1% 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 6.1 years less
In Mongolia, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 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 11.5% more likely to be obese
In Mongolia, 25.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 88.0% less spent on your healthcare
Mongolia spends $1,109 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 98.5% fewer doctors per person
Mongolia has 41.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 53.8% less access to essential health services
Mongolia scores 65 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 50.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Mongolia, 5.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 57.5% less money
Mongolia has a GDP per capita of $7,108 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
have 43.7% more children
In Mongolia, there are approximately 16.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, there are 24.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Mongolia, approximately 41.0 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 11.8% less likely to be literate
In Mongolia, the literacy rate is 98.6% as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, it is 87.0% as of 2022.
be 2.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Mongolia, approximately 11.2 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 Mongolia, 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 77.9% less likely to have internet access
In Mongolia, approximately 85.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 38.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Mongolia, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 64% 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 85.0% less on education
Mongolia spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 52.7% less on healthcare
Mongolia spends 6.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 20.2% more likely to die in a road accident
In Mongolia, road accidents kill 12.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, they kill 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 96.2% less strain on fresh water
Mongolia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 98.5% less home broadband
Mongolia has 15.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 68.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Mongolia, air pollution causes 120.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 93.4% less CO2
Mongolia emits 7.8 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Mongolia vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Mongolia? See an in-depth size comparison.