2015 Edition

Background

The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives. Since 2001, Bougainville has experienced autonomy. Under the terms of a peace accord, 2015 is the year that a five-year window opens for a referendum on the question of independence.

Area

land

452,860 sq km

total

462,840 sq km

water

9,980 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than California

Climate

tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

5,152 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

rain forest subject to deforestation as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; pollution from mining projects; severe drought

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

61.3 cu m/yr (2005)

total

0.39 cu km/yr (57%/43%/0%)

Geographic coordinates

6 00 S, 147 00 E

Geography - note

shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (1)

Indonesia 824 km

total

824 km

Land use

arable land 0.7%; permanent crops 1.5%; permanent pasture 0.4%

agricultural land

2.6%

forest

63.1%

other

34.3% (2011 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

active volcanism; situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire"; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamis

volcanism

severe volcanic activity; Ulawun (elev. 2,334 m), one of Papua New Guinea's potentially most dangerous volcanoes, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Rabaul (elev. 688 m) destroyed the city of Rabaul in 1937 and 1994; Lamington erupted in 1951 killing 3,000 people; Manam's 2004 eruption forced the island's abandonment; other historically active volcanoes include Bam, Bagana, Garbuna, Karkar, Langila, Lolobau, Long Island, Pago, St. Andrew Strait, Victory, and Waiowa

Natural resources

gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries

Terrain

mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills

Total renewable water resources

801 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

34.45% (male 1,169,870/female 1,128,631)

15-24 years

19.77% (male 668,327/female 650,672)

25-54 years

36.43% (male 1,253,827/female 1,177,004)

55-64 years

5.3% (male 179,075/female 174,721)

65 years and over

4.05% (male 139,060/female 131,242) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

24.38 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

27.9% (2011)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

32.4% (2006/07)

Death rate

6.53 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5%

potential support ratio

19.9% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

67.1%

youth dependency ratio

62.1%

Drinking water source

urban: 88% of population

rural: 32.8% of population

total: 40% of population

urban: 12% of population

rural: 67.2% of population

total: 60% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Health expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.72% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

900 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

31,900 (2013 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

34.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

42.12 deaths/1,000 live births

total

38.55 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 836 indigenous languages spoken (about 12% of the world's total); most languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers

note

Tok Pisin, a creole language, is widely used and understood; English is spoken by 1%-2%; Hiri Motu is spoken by less than 2%

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.36 years (2015 est.)

male

64.81 years

total population

67.03 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

62.8% (2015 est.)

male

65.6%

total population

64.2%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever and malaria (2013)

Major urban areas - population

PORT MORESBY (capital) 345,000 (2015)

Median age

female

22.5 years (2015 est.)

male

22.8 years

total

22.6 years

Nationality

adjective

Papua New Guinean

noun

Papua New Guinean(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.5% (2014)

People - note

the indigenous population of Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous in the world; PNG has several thousand separate communities, most with only a few hundred people; divided by language, customs, and tradition, some of these communities have engaged in low-scale tribal conflict with their neighbors for millennia; the advent of modern weapons and modern migrants into urban areas has greatly magnified the impact of this lawlessness

Physicians density

0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population

6,672,429 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.78% (2015 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 27%, Protestant 69.4% (Evangelical Lutheran 19.5%, United Church 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, Pentecostal 8.6%, Evangelical Alliance 5.2%, Anglican 3.2%, Baptist 2.5%, other Protestant 8.9%), Baha'i 0.3%, indigenous beliefs and other 3.3% (2000 census)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 56.4% of population

rural: 13.3% of population

total: 18.9% of population

urban: 43.6% of population

rural: 86.7% of population

total: 81.1% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.07 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.06 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.05 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.16 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.12% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

13% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

20 provinces, 1 autonomous region*, and 1 district**; Bougainville*, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Hela, Jiwaka, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital**, New Ireland, Northern, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain, West Sepik

Capital

geographic coordinates

9 27 S, 147 11 E

name

Port Moresby

time difference

UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

adopted 15 August 1975, effective at independence 16 September 1975; amended many times, last in 2003 (2013)

Country name

abbreviation

PNG

conventional long form

Independent State of Papua New Guinea

conventional short form

Papua New Guinea

former

Territory of Papua and New Guinea

local short form

Papuaniugini

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Walter E. NORTH (since 7 November 2012); note - also accredited to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

embassy

Douglas Street, Port Moresby, N.C.D.

FAX

[675] 321-3423

mailing address

4240 Port Moresby Place, US Department of State, Washington DC 20521-4240

telephone

[675] 321-1455

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036

chief of mission

Ambassador Rupa Abraham MALINA (since 10 March 2014)

FAX

[1] (202) 745-3679

telephone

[1] (202) 745-3680

Executive branch

cabinet

National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Michael OGIO (since 25 February 2011)

election results

Peter Paire O'NEILL (PNC) elected prime minister; National Parliament vote - 94 to 12

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general nominated by the National Parliament and appointed by the chief of state; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general pending the outcome of a National Parliament vote

head of government

Prime Minister Peter Paire O'NEILL (since 2 August 2011); Deputy Prime Minister Leo DION (since 9 August 2012)

Flag description

divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered; red, black, and yellow are traditional colors of Papua New Guinea; the bird of paradise - endemic to the island of New Guinea - is an emblem of regional tribal culture and represents the emergence of Papua New Guinea as a nation; the Southern Cross, visible in the night sky, symbolizes Papua New Guinea's connection with Australia and several other countries in the South Pacific

Government type

constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

16 September 1975 (from the Australian-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (observer), C, CD, CP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, and 28 other judges); National Courts (10 courts located in the province capitals, with a total of 16 resident judges)

judge selection and term of office

chief justice appointed by the governor-general upon advice of the National Executive Council (cabinet) after consultation with the National Justice Administration Minister; deputy chief justice and other justices appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body to include the Supreme Court chief and deputy chief justices, the chief ombudsman, and a member of the National Parliament; citizen judges appointed for 10-year renewable terms; non-citizen judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; appointment and tenure of National Court resident judges NA

subordinate courts

district, village, and juvenile courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Parliament (111 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies - 91 local and 20 provincial - by majority preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the constitution allows up to 126 seats

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's National Congress Party 27, Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party 12, PNG Party 8, National Alliance Party 7, United Resources Party 7, People's Party 6, People's Progess Party 6, other 22, independent 16

elections

last held from 23 June 2012 to 27 July 2012 (next to be held in June 2017)

note

14 other parties won 3 or fewer seats; association with political parties is fluid

National anthem

lyrics/music

Thomas SHACKLADY

name

"O Arise All You Sons"

note

adopted 1975

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 September (1975)

National symbol(s)

bird of paradise; national colors: red, black

Political parties and leaders

National Alliance Party or NA [Patrick PRUAITCHI]

Papua New Guinea Party or PNGP [Beldan NEMAH]

People's National Congress Party or PNC [Peter Paire O'NEILL]

People's Party or PP (merged with People's National Congress Party)

People's Progress Party or PPP [Sir Julius CHAN]

Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party or THE [Don POYLE]

United Resources Party or URP [William DUMA]

note

as of 13 March 2012, 41 political parties were registered

Political pressure groups and leaders

Centre for Environment Law and Community Rights or Celcor [Damien ASE]

Community Coalition Against Corruption

National Council of Women

Transparency International Papau New Guinea or TI PNG (chapter of Transparency International)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

coffee, cocoa, copra, palm kernels, tea, sugar, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, vanilla; poultry, pork; shellfish

Budget

expenditures

$5.592 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$4.464 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

14% (31 December 2010)

6.92% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.1% (31 December 2014 est.)

10.13% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.947 billion (2014 est.)

-$2.914 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$30.87 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$28.07 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

50.9 (1996)

Economy - overview

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain, land tenure issues, and the high cost of developing infrastructure. The economy has a small formal sector, focused mainly on the export of those natural resources, and an informal sector, employing the majority of the population. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the people. Mineral deposits, including copper, gold, and oil, account for nearly two-thirds of export earnings. Natural gas reserves amount to an estimated 155 billion cubic meters. A consortium led by a major American oil company is constructing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility that could begin exporting in 2014. As the largest investment project in the country's history, it has the potential to double GDP in the near-term and triple Papua New Guinea's export revenue. An American-owned firm also opened PNG's first oil refinery in 2004 and is building a second LNG production facility. The government faces the challenge of ensuring transparency and accountability for revenues flowing from this and other large LNG projects. In 2011 and 2012, the National Parliament passed legislation that created an offshore Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) to manage government surpluses from mineral, oil, and natural gas projects. In recent years, the government has opened up markets in telecommunications and air transport, making both more affordable to the people. Numerous challenges still face the government of Peter O'NEILL, including providing physical security for foreign investors, regaining investor confidence, restoring integrity to state institutions, promoting economic efficiency by privatizing moribund state institutions, and maintaining good relations with Australia, its former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural challenges could upend the economy including chronic law and order and land tenure issues. The global financial crisis had little impact because of continued foreign demand for PNG's commodities.

Exchange rates

kina (PGK) per US dollar -

2.435 (2014 est.)

2.2445 (2013 est.)

2.08 (2012 est.)

2.371 (2011 est.)

2.7193 (2010 est.)

Exports

$7.418 billion (2014 est.)

$5.564 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish, prawns

Exports - partners

Australia 23.6%, Japan 15.6%, China 9.1% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

68.5%

government consumption

10.6%

household consumption

58.6%

imports of goods and services

-52.2%

investment in fixed capital

14%

investment in inventories

0.5%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

26.3%

industry

39%

services

34.8% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,400 (2014 est.)

$2,300 (2013 est.)

$2,100 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

5.8% (2014 est.)

5.5% (2013 est.)

8.1% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$16.06 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$18.07 billion (2014 est.)

$17.07 billion (2013 est.)

$16.18 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

9.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

-6.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

-27.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

40.5% (1996)

lowest 10%

1.7%

Imports

$4.255 billion (2014 est.)

$5.229 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners

Australia 26.5%, Algeria 23.2%, Singapore 11.4%, China 8.7%, Malaysia 5.9% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

7.1% (2014 est.)

Industries

copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining (gold, silver, copper); crude oil and petroleum products; construction, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.3% (2014 est.)

3.5% (2013 est.)

Labor force

4.171 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

85%

industry

NA%

services

NA% (2005 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$10.71 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$8.999 billion (31 December 2011)

$9.742 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

37% (2002 est.)

Public debt

32.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

27.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.647 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.826 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$8.085 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.477 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$5.922 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.312 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$5.388 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.975 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

27.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

1.9% (2008 est.)

1.7% (2004)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.385 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

28,400 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

14,880 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

28,090 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

185.9 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

3.092 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

61.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

30.9% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

8% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

700,000 kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

3.325 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

100 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

100 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

155.3 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

22,170 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

3,536 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,937 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

17,330 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

2 TV stations, 1 commercial station operating since the late 1980s, and 1 state-run station launched in 2008; satellite and cable TV services are available; state-run National Broadcasting Corporation operates 3 radio networks with multiple repeaters and about 20 provincial stations; several commercial radio stations with multiple transmission points as well as several community stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible (2009)

Internet country code

.pg

Internet users

percent of population

2.5% (2014 est.)

total

164,500

Radio broadcast stations

AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 28 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic

access to telephone services is not widely available although combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has increased to roughly 40 per 100 persons

general assessment

services are minimal; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services

international

country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international radio communication service (2009)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

150,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

51 (2014 est.)

total

3.4 million

Television broadcast stations

3 (all in the Port Moresby area; stations at Mt. Hagen, Goroka, Lae, and Rabaul are planned) (2004)

Airports

561 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

12

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

5

over 3,047 m

1

total

21

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

476 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

11

914 to 1,523 m

53

total

540

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 7, cargo 22, petroleum tanker 2

foreign-owned

8 (Germany 1, Malaysia 1, UAE 6) (2010)

total

31

Pipelines

oil 264 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Port Moresby

major seaport(s)

Kimbe, Lae, Madang, Rabaul, Wewak

Roadways

paved

3,000 km

total

9,349 km

unpaved

6,349 km (2011)

Waterways

11,000 km (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

1,478,965 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,568,210

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,137,753 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,130,951

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

65,820 (2010 est.)

male

67,781

Military branches

Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF; includes Maritime Operations Element, Air Operations Element) (2013)

Military expenditures

0.54% of GDP (2012)

0.6% of GDP (2011)

0.54% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

16 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription; graduation from grade 12 required (2013)

Disputes - international

relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and secessionists

Illicit drugs

major consumer of cannabis

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

22,500 (natural disasters, tribal conflict, inter-communal violence, development projects) (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

9,368 (Indonesia) (2014)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Papua New Guinea is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; foreign and Papua New Guinean women and children are subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude; parents may sell girls into forced marriages to settle debts or as peace offerings, leaving them vulnerable to forced domestic service, or may prostitute their children for income or to pay school fees; local and Chinese men are forced to labor in logging and mining camps through debt bondage schemes; migrant women from Malaysia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines are subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude at logging and mining camps, fisheries, and entertainment sites

tier rating

Tier 3 - Papua New Guinea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; no law enforcement or government officials were investigated in 2013, despite reports of complicity in human trafficking at the highest levels of government; parliament in 2012 passed legislation prohibiting all forms of trafficking, but the bill did not enter into force during the reporting period; trafficking-related crimes were prosecuted in village courts rather than criminal courts, resulting in restitution to the victim but no prison time for offenders; no formal victim identification or referral mechanism exists, and the government did not fund shelters run by NGOS or international organizations (2014)