Papua New Guinea vs United States: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 164 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
United States has 31.9 times as many people as Papua New Guinea (349.13 million vs 10.95 million). United States's economy is 888 times the size of Papua New Guinea's ($32.95 trillion vs $37.09 billion GDP).
Comparing Papua New Guinea and United States: Papua New Guinea leads on Electricity Installed Capacity (900,900) against United States (1.09); United States leads on Tourism Receipts per Capita (251.65 billion USD) against Papua New Guinea (1.60 million USD); Papua New Guinea leads on Major Urban Areas Population (410,000 people) against United States (18.94 people). Across 164 compared metrics, Papua New Guinea wins on 59 and United States wins on 97.
- Communications: 9 metrics compared
- Economy: 60 metrics compared
- Environment: 12 metrics compared
- Geography: 7 metrics compared
- Government: 10 metrics compared
- Health: 21 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 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Broadband Penetration | 0.23 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | 38.86 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants★ | |
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 18.81 % | 94.69 %★ | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 24.07 % | 93.14 %★ | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 24% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 93% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 0.23 Mbps | 38.86 Mbps★ | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 58.35 points | 65.49 points★ | |
| Radios | 410,000★ | 575 | |
| Televisions | 59,841★ | 219 | |
| Waterways | 11,000 | 41,009★ |
Economy
60 metricsEnvironment
12 metrics| Metric | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | -12,308 | -14.29M★ | |
| Annual Forest Area Change Rate | -3,750 %★ | -72,000 % | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 24.08 °C★ | 10.43 °C | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 5.8 | 4.8★ | |
| Continental Shelf | 200 | not specified; | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 4,152.24 mm★ | 810.4 mm | |
| Population Distribution | 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 | large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western-tier states; mountainous areas such as the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, deserts in the southwest | |
| Protected Land Area for Adaptation | 3.7 sq km | 12.85 sq km★ | |
| Protected Land Area Percentage | 3.7 % | 12.9 %★ | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 211.6 Cubic meters per year | 1,383 Cubic meters per year★ | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 801★ | 3.07 | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 51 species | 43 species★ |
Geography
7 metrics| Metric | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 0.86 % | 2.11 %★ | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 176★ | 94.67 | |
| Agricultural land | 14,050 sq. km | 4.17M sq. km★ | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 452,860 | 9.15M★ | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 5,152 km | 19,924 km★ | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 0 cubic meters per inhabitant | 2,113 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | |
| Irrigated Land | 0 | 234,782★ |
Government
10 metrics| Metric | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 34.23 % | 88.3 %★ | |
| Administrative Divisions | 20 | 50★ | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 31 index★ | 65 index | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 31 index | 65 index★ | |
| Independence | 16★ | 4 | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | -0.39 | 7.08★ | |
| Political Stability Index | 27 index | 47 index★ | |
| Prison Population Rate | 60 per 100,000★ | 642 per 100,000 | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 31★ | 65 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
21 metricsMilitary and Security
3 metrics| Metric | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Military Personnel | 4,000 personnel | 1.36M personnel★ | |
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 0.35 %★ | 3.12 % | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 4,000 | 1.40M★ |
People and Society
36 metricsTransportation
4 metrics| Metric | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 0.25 | 2.06★ | |
| Airports | 569 | 16,116★ | |
| Civil Air Travel | about 15 major transport aircraft | 8,252 | |
| Heliports | 3 | 8,130★ |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 1.60M USD | 251.65B USD★ |
Other
1 metric| Metric | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 🇺🇸 United States | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Bank Rate | 5 %★ | 3.75 % |
Frequently Asked Questions About Papua New Guinea vs United States
Which has a larger population, Papua New Guinea or United States?▾
United States. United States has 31.9 times as many people as Papua New Guinea (349.13 million vs 10.95 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, Papua New Guinea or United States?▾
United States. United States's economy is 888 times the size of Papua New Guinea's ($32.95 trillion vs $37.09 billion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, Papua New Guinea or United States?▾
United States is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $94,373 in United States vs $3,387 in Papua New Guinea (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).