Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of Papua New Guinea, you would:

Health

live 5.2 years longer

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.5 times more likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Marshall Islands, that number is 52.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 14.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Marshall Islands, that number is 36.0% as of 2006.

Life

be 53.1% more likely to be literate

In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 64.2% as of 2015. In Marshall Islands, it is 98.3% as of 2011.

be 35.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 33.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, on the other hand, 21.7 children do as of 2022.

have 21.5% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 29.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Marshall Islands, there are 22.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 63.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 59% of people have electricity access (82% in urban areas, and 55% in rural areas) as of 2018. In Marshall Islands, that number is 96% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2018.

be 3.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 11.0% of the population has internet access as of 2019. In Marshall Islands, about 39.0% do as of 2019.

be 2.1 times more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 48% of people have improved drinking water access (86% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Marshall Islands, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 5.1 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Marshall Islands spends 9.6% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 7.1 times more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Marshall Islands, that number is 16.3% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 92.8% less coastline

Papua New Guinea has a total of 5,152 km of coastline. In Marshall Islands, that number is 370 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Marshall Islands: At a glance

Marshall Islands (sometimes abbreviated RMI) is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 181 sq km. After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.
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How big is Marshall Islands compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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