Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
be 75.1% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Vietnam, 0.4% 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 8.5 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 11.7 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 80.7% less spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 94.5% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 55.9% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 69.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 40.4% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
have 81.0% more children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 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 3.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 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 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 Vietnam, 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 77.6% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 46.0% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Vietnam, approximately 99% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 98% 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 73.0% less on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 37.1% less on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 49.6% more coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 5,152 km.
Safety
be 15.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, they kill 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 6.3 times more likely to be murdered
Vietnam has a homicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 9.4 per 100,000 as of 2010.
Infrastructure
live with 99.3% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 99.0% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 26.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 87.8% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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 (2010–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.