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

Health

live 1.1 years longer

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 3.6 times more spent on your healthcare

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

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have 16.0 times more doctors per person

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

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have 60.0% more access to essential health services

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

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be 73.8% more likely to be obese

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

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be 10.9 times more likely to die by suicide

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

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Economy

make 46.2% more money

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

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Life

be 31.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 189.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Micronesia, Federated States of, 129.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 35.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 31.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Micronesia, Federated States of, on the other hand, 20.3 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 4.2 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 20% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 13% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Micronesia, Federated States of, that number is 87% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.1 times more likely to have internet access

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

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Expenditures

spend 14.8 times more on education

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

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spend 4.5 times more on healthcare

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

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Geography

see 18.6% more coastline

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

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Infrastructure

find 25.3 times more home broadband

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

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Environment

be 42.1% more likely to die from air pollution

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

Micronesia, Federated States of: At a glance

Micronesia, Federated States of is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 702 sq km. The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean; they became part of a UN Trust Territory under US administration following World War II. The eastern four island groups adopted a constitution in 1979 and chose to become the Federated States of Micronesia. (The fifth, westernmost island group became Palau.) Independence came in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association with the US, which was amended and renewed in 2004. Present concerns include large-scale unemployment, overfishing, and overdependence on US aid.
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