PNG · PG · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea had a population of 10,947,848 people in 2026, ranking 89 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 10,947,848 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #89/ 237 Oceania #2 / 23
- Share of world population
- 0.13% 2026
- Density
- 24.2 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 23.0 years
- Life expectancy
- 66.51 years
Country or area overview
Papua New Guinea is in Oceania. In 2026, its population was 10,947,848 people, about 0.13% of the world total. It ranks #89 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 1,543,429 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 18,640,541 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 1.68%. The median age is 23.0. 32.8% of the population is under 15 and 3.7% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 66.51 and the total fertility rate is 2.99. Within Oceania, it ranks #2 of 23 by population and #19 of 23 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Papua New Guinea map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 640,222 | 598,237 | 1,238,459 | 11.31% |
| 5–9 | 622,595 | 581,240 | 1,203,835 | 11.00% |
| 10–14 | 597,174 | 551,343 | 1,148,517 | 10.49% |
| 15–19 | 562,524 | 511,822 | 1,074,346 | 9.81% |
| 20–24 | 524,953 | 475,224 | 1,000,177 | 9.14% |
| 25–29 | 479,202 | 440,269 | 919,471 | 8.40% |
| 30–34 | 434,500 | 409,527 | 844,027 | 7.71% |
| 35–39 | 386,130 | 380,798 | 766,928 | 7.01% |
| 40–44 | 324,756 | 334,189 | 658,945 | 6.02% |
| 45–49 | 275,645 | 285,269 | 560,914 | 5.12% |
| 50–54 | 231,588 | 236,576 | 468,164 | 4.28% |
| 55–59 | 187,154 | 185,151 | 372,305 | 3.40% |
| 60–64 | 147,124 | 137,504 | 284,628 | 2.60% |
| 65–69 | 100,451 | 91,809 | 192,260 | 1.76% |
| 70–74 | 58,056 | 56,172 | 114,228 | 1.04% |
| 75–79 | 30,113 | 31,094 | 61,207 | 0.56% |
| 80–84 | 13,032 | 14,594 | 27,626 | 0.25% |
| 85–89 | 4,165 | 5,186 | 9,351 | 0.09% |
| 90–94 | 907 | 1,203 | 2,110 | 0.02% |
| 95–99 | 137 | 178 | 315 | 0.00% |
| 100+ | 15 | 19 | 34 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 10,947,848 people | 18,640,541 people | people |
| Male population | 5,620,442 people | 9,283,496 people | people |
| Female population | 5,327,406 people | 9,357,046 people | people |
| Population density | 24.2 people/km² | 41.2 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 105.5 | 99.2 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 23.0 | 37.2 | years |
| Natural change | 184,835 | 10,443 | people |
| Natural change rate | 16.88 ‰ | 0.56 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 184,312 | 9,031 | people |
| Population growth rate | 1.68% | 0.05% | % |
| Population doubling time | 41.2 | — | years |
| Births | 257,492 people | 229,406 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 26,560 | 9,966 | people |
| Birth rate | 23.52 ‰ | 12.31 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 2.99 | 1.88 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 1.349 | 0.887 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 29.18 | 29.87 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 107.6 | 107.6 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 72,657 people | 218,963 people | people |
| Male deaths | 43,545 | 115,219 | people |
| Female deaths | 29,112 | 103,744 | people |
| Death rate | 6.64 ‰ | 11.75 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 66.51 | 74.76 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 64.04 | 71.93 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 69.47 | 77.73 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 54.59 | 60.89 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 12.89 | 15.94 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 5.67 | 7.47 | years |
| Infant deaths | 7,923 | 2,501 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 30.76 ‰ | 10.90 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 250,611 | 227,225 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 9,792 | 3,017 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 38.07 ‰ | 13.11 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | -534 | -1,408 | people |
| Net migration rate | -0.05 ‰ | -0.08 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Papua New Guinea?
- In 2026, Papua New Guinea had a population of 10,947,848 people. It ranks #89 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Papua New Guinea changed?
- The population was 1,543,429 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 18,640,541 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Papua New Guinea?
- The median age is 23.0. 32.8% of the population is under 15 and 3.7% is 65 or older.
- How does Papua New Guinea compare within Oceania?
- By total population, Papua New Guinea ranks #2 of 23 in Oceania and #89 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.