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

Health

be 22.5% less likely to be obese

In Papua New Guinea, 21.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Swaziland, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2016.

be 29.8 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Papua New Guinea, 0.9% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 26.8% of people as of 2020.

live 9.7 years less

In Papua New Guinea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 60 years (58 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 2.4 times more money

Papua New Guinea has a GDP per capita of $3,800 as of 2022, while in Swaziland, the GDP per capita is $9,100 as of 2022.

pay a 21.4% lower top tax rate

Papua New Guinea has a top tax rate of 42.0% as of 2016. In Swaziland, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

be 8.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Papua New Guinea, 2.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Swaziland, that number is 22.6% as of 2022.

be 59.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Papua New Guinea, 37.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Swaziland, however, that number is 58.9% as of 2016.

Life

be 37.7% more likely to be literate

In Papua New Guinea, the literacy rate is 64.2% as of 2015. In Swaziland, it is 88.4% as of 2018.

be 2.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 192.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Swaziland, 437.0 women do as of 2017.

be 18.0% more 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 39.6 children do as of 2022.

have 20.6% fewer children

In Papua New Guinea, there are approximately 28.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 22.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 4.0 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 21% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 14% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Swaziland, that number is 83% of people on average (94% in urban areas, and 79% in rural areas) as of 2021.

be 84.4% more likely to have internet access

In Papua New Guinea, approximately 32.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Swaziland, about 59.0% do as of 2021.

be 69.1% 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 Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 3.6 times more on education

Papua New Guinea spends 1.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Swaziland spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 2.6 times more on healthcare

Papua New Guinea spends 2.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.


The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Swaziland Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Commission, Papua New Guinea.

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
Read more

How big is Swaziland compared to Papua New Guinea? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Swaziland.or Papua New Guinea It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.