Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 164 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more ā latest data through 2026.
Summary
Malaysia has 3.3 times as many people as Papua New Guinea (36.4 million vs 10.95 million). Malaysia's economy is 12.6 times the size of Papua New Guinea's ($466.53 billion vs $37.09 billion GDP).
Comparing Malaysia and Papua New Guinea: Papua New Guinea leads on Major Urban Areas Population (410,000 people) against Malaysia (8.62 people); Papua New Guinea leads on Radios (410,000) against Malaysia (10.90); Papua New Guinea leads on Electricity Installed Capacity (900,900) against Malaysia (33). Across 164 compared metrics, Malaysia wins on 98 and Papua New Guinea wins on 58.
- Communications: 9 metrics compared
- Economy: 59 metrics compared
- Environment: 12 metrics compared
- Geography: 7 metrics compared
- Government: 10 metrics compared
- Health: 22 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
- People and Society: 36 metrics compared
- Transportation: 4 metrics compared
- Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
- Other: 1 metric compared
Communications
9 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Broadband Penetration | 13.55 subscriptions per 100 inhabitantsā | 0.23 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | |
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 98.02 %ā | 18.81 % | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 97.69 %ā | 24.07 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 98% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 24% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 13.55 Mbpsā | 0.23 Mbps | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 56.09 points | 58.35 pointsā | |
| Radios | 10.9 | 410,000ā | |
| Televisions | 10.8 | 59,841ā | |
| Waterways | 7,200 | 11,000ā |
Economy
59 metricsEnvironment
12 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual COā Emissions Growth (abs) | 13.93M | -12,308ā | |
| Annual Forest Area Change Rate | -60,000 % | -3,750 %ā | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 25.87 Ā°Cā | 24.08 Ā°C | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 260.01 | 5.8ā | |
| Continental Shelf | 200 | 200 | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 3,150.09 mm | 4,152.24 mmā | |
| Population Distribution | a highly uneven distribution, with over 80% of the population residing on the Malay Peninsula | 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 | 13.3 sq kmā | 3.7 sq km | |
| Protected Land Area Percentage | 13.3 %ā | 3.7 % | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 64 Cubic meters per year | 211.6 Cubic meters per yearā | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 580 | 801ā | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 80 species | 51 speciesā |
Geography
7 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 4.11 %ā | 0.86 % | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 209.87ā | 176 | |
| Agricultural land | 85,710 sq. kmā | 14,050 sq. km | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 328,550 | 452,860ā | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 4,675 km | 5,152 kmā | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 611.58 cubic meters per inhabitantā | 0 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 4,420ā | 0 |
Government
10 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 67.87 %ā | 34.23 % | |
| Administrative Divisions | 13 | 20ā | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 50 index | 31 indexā | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 50 indexā | 31 index | |
| Independence | 31ā | 16 | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | -2.46 | -0.39ā | |
| Political Stability Index | 51 indexā | 27 index | |
| Prison Population Rate | 188 per 100,000 | 60 per 100,000ā | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 50 | 31ā | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
22 metricsMilitary and Security
3 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Military Personnel | 113,000 personnelā | 4,000 personnel | |
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 1.04 % | 0.35 %ā | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 136,000ā | 4,000 |
People and Society
36 metricsTransportation
4 metrics| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 1.58ā | 0.25 | |
| Airports | 100 | 569ā | |
| Civil Air Travel | 53 | about 15 major transport aircraft | |
| Heliports | 24ā | 3 |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 24.59B USDā | 1.60M USD |
Other
1 metric| Metric | š²š¾ Malaysia | šµš¬ Papua New Guinea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Bank Rate | 2.75 % | 5 %ā |
Frequently Asked Questions About Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea
Which has a larger population, Malaysia or Papua New Guinea?ā¾
Malaysia. Malaysia has 3.3 times as many people as Papua New Guinea (36.4 million vs 10.95 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, Malaysia or Papua New Guinea?ā¾
Malaysia. Malaysia's economy is 12.6 times the size of Papua New Guinea's ($466.53 billion vs $37.09 billion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, Malaysia or Papua New Guinea?ā¾
Malaysia is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $12,818 in Malaysia vs $3,387 in Papua New Guinea (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).