Australia vs Papua New Guinea: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 158 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more ā latest data through 2026.
Summary
Australia has 2.5 times as many people as Papua New Guinea (27.23 million vs 10.95 million). Australia's economy is 54.6 times the size of Papua New Guinea's ($2.02 trillion vs $37.09 billion GDP).
Comparing Australia and Papua New Guinea: Papua New Guinea leads on Major Urban Areas Population (410,000 people) against Australia (5.24 people); Australia leads on Tourism Receipts per Capita (53.82 billion USD) against Papua New Guinea (1.60 million USD); Papua New Guinea leads on Refined Petroleum Products Consumption (37,000) against Australia (1.18). Across 158 compared metrics, Australia wins on 91 and Papua New Guinea wins on 56.
- Communications: 9 metrics compared
- Economy: 56 metrics compared
- Environment: 12 metrics compared
- Geography: 7 metrics compared
- Government: 10 metrics compared
- Health: 20 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
- People and Society: 35 metrics compared
- Transportation: 4 metrics compared
- Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
- Other: 1 metric compared
Communications
9 metrics| Metric | š¦šŗ Australia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Broadband Penetration | 36.48 subscriptions per 100 inhabitantsā | 0.23 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | |
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 96.13 %ā | 18.81 % | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 97.06 %ā | 24.07 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 97% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 24% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 36.48 Mbpsā | 0.23 Mbps | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 75.15 pointsā | 58.35 points | |
| Radios | 25.5 | 410,000ā | |
| Televisions | 10.15 | 59,841ā | |
| Waterways | 2,000 | 11,000ā |
Economy
56 metricsEnvironment
12 metrics| Metric | š¦šŗ Australia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual COā Emissions Growth (abs) | 2.42M | -12,308ā | |
| Annual Forest Area Change Rate | 54,093.75 %ā | -3,750 % | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 22.64 Ā°C | 24.08 Ā°Cā | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 394.65 | 5.8ā | |
| Continental Shelf | 200 | 200 | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 454.91 mm | 4,152.24 mmā | |
| Population Distribution | population is primarily located on the periphery, with the highest concentration of people residing in the east and southeast; a secondary population center is located in and around Perth in the west; of the states and territories, New South Wales has, by | population concentrated in the highlands and eastern coastal areas on the island of New Guinea; predominantly a rural distribution with only about one fifth of the population residing in urban areas | |
| Protected Land Area for Adaptation | 22.48 sq kmā | 3.7 sq km | |
| Protected Land Area Percentage | 22 %ā | 3.7 % | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 72 Cubic meters per year | 211.6 Cubic meters per yearā | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 492 | 801ā | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 69 species | 51 speciesā |
Geography
7 metrics| Metric | š¦šŗ Australia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 0.18 % | 0.86 %ā | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 83.98 | 176ā | |
| Agricultural land | 3.67M sq. kmā | 14,050 sq. km | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 7.69Mā | 452,860 | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 25,760 kmā | 5,152 km | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 2,840.49 cubic meters per inhabitantā | 0 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 19,450ā | 0 |
Government
10 metrics| Metric | š¦šŗ Australia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 90.34 %ā | 34.23 % | |
| Administrative Divisions | 6 | 20ā | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 77 index | 31 indexā | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 77 indexā | 31 index | |
| Independence | 1 | 16ā | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | 9.57ā | -0.39 | |
| Political Stability Index | 80 indexā | 27 index | |
| Prison Population Rate | 172 per 100,000 | 60 per 100,000ā | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 77 | 31ā | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
20 metricsMilitary and Security
3 metrics| Metric | š¦šŗ Australia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Military Personnel | 60,000 personnelā | 4,000 personnel | |
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 1.92 % | 0.35 %ā | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 60,000ā | 4,000 |
People and Society
35 metricsTransportation
4 metrics| Metric | š¦šŗ Australia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 3.09ā | 0.25 | |
| Airports | 2,257ā | 569 | |
| Civil Air Travel | about 150 major transport aircraft | about 15 major transport aircraft | |
| Heliports | 392ā | 3 |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | š¦šŗ Australia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 53.82B USDā | 1.60M USD |
Other
1 metric| Metric | š¦šŗ Australia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Bank Rate | 4.35 % | 5 %ā |
Frequently Asked Questions About Australia vs Papua New Guinea
Which has a larger population, Australia or Papua New Guinea?ā¾
Australia. Australia has 2.5 times as many people as Papua New Guinea (27.23 million vs 10.95 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, Australia or Papua New Guinea?ā¾
Australia. Australia's economy is 54.6 times the size of Papua New Guinea's ($2.02 trillion vs $37.09 billion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, Australia or Papua New Guinea?ā¾
Australia is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $74,342 in Australia vs $3,387 in Papua New Guinea (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).