Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.0 years less

In Nepal, the average life expectancy is 72 years (72 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.2 times more likely to be obese

In Nepal, 4.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 21.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 74.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Nepal, 10.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.8% as of 2022.

be 46.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Nepal, 25.2% live below the poverty line as of 2011. In Papua New Guinea, however, that number is 37.0% as of 2002.

Life

have 60.3% more children

In Nepal, there are approximately 17.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, there are 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 33.7% more likely to die during infancy

In Nepal, approximately 25.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, on the other hand, 33.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 76.8% less likely to have access to electricity

In Nepal, approximately 90% of people have electricity access (94% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 21% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 38.5% less likely to have internet access

In Nepal, approximately 52.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, about 32.0% do as of 2021.

be 49.5% less likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Nepal, approximately 94% of people have improved drinking water access (93% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 48% of people on average (86% in urban areas, and 42% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 66.7% less on education

Nepal spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 51.9% less on healthcare

Nepal spends 5.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Papua New Guinea: At a glance

Papua New Guinea (sometimes abbreviated PNG) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 452,860 sq km. The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives.
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How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Nepal? See an in-depth size comparison.

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