Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Tajikistan, you would:
Health
be 25.1% less likely to die by suicide
Tajikistan has a suicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 7.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Tajikistan, 0.2% 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 5.7 years less
In Tajikistan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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 21.3% more likely to be obese
In Tajikistan, 23.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 63.5% less spent on your healthcare
Tajikistan spends $364 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 96.7% fewer doctors per person
Tajikistan has 18.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 55.2% less access to essential health services
Tajikistan scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 62.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Tajikistan, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 84.4% more money
Tajikistan has a GDP per capita of $1,637 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
be 13.5 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Tajikistan, approximately 14.0 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 33.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Tajikistan, approximately 23.5 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 Tajikistan, 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 66.3% less likely to have internet access
In Tajikistan, approximately 55.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 40.2% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Tajikistan, approximately 89% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 87% 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 85.7% less on education
Tajikistan spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 61.4% less on healthcare
Tajikistan spends 7.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 99.8% less strain on fresh water
Tajikistan withdraws 70% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 76.5% less home broadband
Tajikistan has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 76.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Tajikistan, air pollution causes 159.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 43.5% less CO2
Tajikistan emits 0.9 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: Tajikistan vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Tajikistan? See an in-depth size comparison.