Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of North Korea, you would:
Health
be 80.5% less likely to die by suicide
North Korea has a suicide rate of 9.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.5 years less
In North Korea, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 76 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 2.3 times more likely to be obese
In North Korea, 11.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
have 55.9% less access to essential health services
North Korea scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 27.4% less likely to be unemployed
In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
Life
have 88.9% more children
In North Korea, there are approximately 12.9 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 2.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In North Korea, approximately 67.0 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 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy
In North Korea, approximately 13.3 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.
Basic Needs
be 64.3% less likely to have access to electricity
In North Korea, approximately 58% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% 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 43.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In North Korea, approximately 94% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 89% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 53% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 48% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Geography
see 2.1 times more coastline
North Korea has a total of 2,495 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.
Infrastructure
live with 99.5% less strain on fresh water
North Korea withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
Environment
be 55.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In North Korea, air pollution causes 86.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 79.2% less CO2
North Korea emits 2.5 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: North Korea vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.