East Asia & Pacific · Lower middle income

Papua New Guinea: the economy in numbers

Per person: $3,020, or $5,215 at purchasing power parity. Population: 10.8 million (2025).

$32.5B+5.6%real GDP growth, 2025

GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #111 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +3.1%.

GDP per capita

$3,020

2025 · #159 of 204

GDP per capita, PPP

$5,215

2025 · #163 of 197

Inflation

4.4%

2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 4.8%

Government debt

51.6%

2025 · % of GDP, general government

Population

10.8M

2025 · #91 of 217

Unemployment

2.6%

2025 · ILO estimate

Stock market capitalization

7.4%

2017 · % of GDP · $1.68B

Life expectancy

66.3 years

2024

GDP

Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $2.51 billion in 1960, $32.5 billion in 2025.

Current US dollars; “In 2025 dollars” removes US inflationSource: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

GDP per capita

In 2025 dollars: $1,259 per person in 1960, $3,020 in 2025.

GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)

PPP: purchasing power parity, international dollarsSource: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Real GDP growth

Average over 2016–2025: 2.8% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 17 of 65.

Shaded: IMF forecasts from 2026Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)

Inflation

Consumer prices rose 3.65 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 23.2% in 1974.

Shaded: IMF forecasts from 2026Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)

Government debt, % of GDP

Highest since 1994: 54.8% of GDP in 2023. IMF forecast for 2031: 31.9%.

General government (IMF)Central government only (World Bank)

Shaded: IMF forecasts from 2026Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Stock market capitalization, % of GDP

In 2017 listed domestic companies were worth $1.68 billion, or 7.4% of GDP.

Listed domestic companies, end of year (the “Buffett indicator”)Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Population

1960: 2 million · 2025: 10.8 million.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Unemployment rate

1991: 2.8% · 2025: 2.6%.

% of the labor force, ILO modeled estimatesSource: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Life expectancy at birth

1960: 45.8 years · 2024: 66.3 years.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Exports of goods and services

1961: 16.1% · 2004: 72.2%.

% of GDPSource: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)

Data by year

Show the year-by-year table

Year	GDP	GDP per capita	Per capita, PPP	Real growth	Inflation	Gov. debt, % GDP	Population	Unemployment	Stock market, % GDP	Life expectancy	Exports, % GDP
2031				3.1%^f	4.5%^f	31.9%^f
2030				3.1%^f	4.5%^f	34.1%^f
2029				3.1%^f	4.5%^f	36.6%^f
2028				3.4%^f	4.5%^f	39.1%^f
2027				4.0%^f	5.1%^f	42.0%^f
2026				3.1%^f	4.8%^f	46.8%^f
2025	$32.5B	$3,020	$5,215	5.6%	4.4%	51.6%	10.8M	2.6%
2024	$30.8B	$2,912	$4,887	3.9%	0.6%	53.3%	10.6M	2.6%		66.3
2023	$30.8B	$2,966	$4,672	3.8%	2.3%	54.8%	10.4M	2.6%		66.1
2022	$31.7B	$3,102	$4,419	5.7%	5.3%	49.2%	10.2M	2.7%		65.3
2021	$26.1B	$2,608	$3,977	−0.5%	4.5%	53.8%	10M	3.0%		64.4
2020	$23.8B	$2,430	$3,900	−3.2%	4.9%	48.7%	9.82M	2.9%		65.1
2019	$24.8B	$2,576	$4,060	4.5%	3.9%	38.2%	9.61M	2.7%		65.3
2018	$24.1B	$2,566	$3,910	−0.3%	4.4%	36.7%	9.39M	2.6%		65.1
2017	$22.7B	$2,478	$3,923	3.5%	5.4%	32.5%	9.18M	2.6%	7.4%	64.9
2016	$20.8B	$2,316	$3,813	5.5%	6.7%	33.7%	8.96M	2.5%	7.9%	64.7
2015	$21.7B	$2,485	$3,670	6.6%	6.0%	29.9%	8.74M	2.5%	7.9%	64.5
2014	$23.2B	$2,723	$3,500	13.5%	5.2%	26.9%	8.52M	2.5%	14.3%	64.2
2013	$21.3B	$2,561	$3,110	3.8%	5.0%	24.9%	8.3M	2.7%	13.8%	63.9
2012	$21.3B	$2,635	$3,026	4.7%	4.5%	19.1%	8.08M	2.6%		63.6
2011	$18B	$2,288	$2,919	1.1%	4.4%	16.3%	7.86M	2.6%	70.0%	63.4
2010	$14.3B	$1,867	$2,912	10.1%	6.0%	17.3%	7.63M	2.0%	77.4%	63.1
2009	$11.6B	$1,569	$2,692	6.8%	6.9%	21.7%	7.41M	2.1%	150.7%	62.8
2008	$11.7B	$1,625	$2,583	−0.3%	10.8%	21.6%	7.18M	2.2%	95.8%	62.5
2007	$9.55B	$1,371	$2,622	7.8%	0.9%	22.2%	6.96M	2.2%	135.8%	62.2
2006	$8.35B	$1,238	$2,444	5.4%	2.4%	26.0%	6.75M	2.3%	92.7%	62.0
2005	$4.87B	$744	$2,322	6.3%	1.8%	31.6%	6.54M	2.4%	126.2%	61.9
2004	$3.93B	$621	$2,187	2.7%	2.2%	37.2%	6.33M	2.5%	97.4%	61.8	72.2%
2003	$3.54B	$577	$2,142	2.2%	14.7%	40.4%	6.12M	2.6%	83.8%	61.7	69.4%
2002	$3.0B	$506	$2,125	−0.2%	11.8%	48.4%	5.92M	2.8%		61.6	60.9%
2001	$3.08B	$538	$2,168	−0.1%	9.3%	47.7%	5.73M	2.8%		61.6	65.3%
2000	$3.52B	$636	$2,196	−2.5%	15.6%	42.3%	5.54M	2.9%		61.6	66.2%
1999	$3.48B	$650	$2,280	1.9%	14.9%	41.8%	5.35M	2.9%		61.5	63.1%
1998	$3.79B	$733	$2,285	−3.8%	13.6%	45.7%	5.17M	2.9%		60.4	54.0%
1997	$4.94B	$990	$2,432	−3.9%	4.0%	43.9%	4.99M	2.9%		61.3	49.2%
1996	$5.16B	$1,071	$2,578	7.7%	11.6%	37.8%	4.81M	2.7%		61.1	59.4%
1995	$4.64B	$998	$2,436	−3.3%	17.3%	36.6%	4.64M	2.6%		60.9	61.0%
1994	$5.5B	$1,228	$2,558	5.9%	2.9%	40.1%	4.48M	2.4%		60.7	53.5%
1993	$4.97B	$1,151	$2,451	18.2%	5.0%		4.32M	2.4%		60.5	52.6%
1992	$4.38B	$1,051	$2,100	13.8%	4.3%		4.17M	2.6%		60.3	47.8%
1991	$3.79B	$942	$1,869	9.5%	7.0%		4.02M	2.8%		59.9	42.3%
1990	$3.22B	$826	$1,703	−3.0%	7.0%		3.9M			59.8	40.6%
1989	$3.55B	$934		−1.4%	4.5%		3.8M			59.6	40.6%
1988	$3.66B	$985		2.9%	5.4%		3.71M			59.4	43.3%
1987	$3.14B	$865		2.8%	3.3%		3.63M			59.2	43.2%
1986	$2.65B	$745		4.7%	5.5%		3.55M			59.0	43.6%
1985	$2.42B	$697		4.0%	3.7%		3.48M			58.8	42.1%
1984	$2.55B	$750		−0.4%	7.4%		3.41M			58.6	39.4%
1983	$2.56B	$769		3.2%	7.9%		3.33M			58.3	36.2%
1982	$2.37B	$726		0.4%	5.5%		3.26M			58.1	36.8%
1981	$2.5B	$781		−0.3%	8.1%		3.2M			57.8	38.2%
1980	$2.55B	$813		−2.3%	12.1%		3.13M			57.4	43.2%
1979	$2.29B	$748		1.8%	5.8%		3.07M			57.0	45.5%
1978	$1.95B	$648		8.5%	5.8%		3.0M			56.5	41.9%
1977	$1.64B	$558		0.8%	4.5%		2.94M			56.0	45.0%
1976	$1.51B	$525		−3.4%	7.7%		2.88M			55.5	41.8%
1975	$1.36B	$482		−0.9%	10.5%		2.81M			55.0	40.0%
1974	$1.47B	$533		2.6%	23.2%		2.75M			54.4	46.9%
1973	$1.3B	$483		6.5%	8.3%		2.69M			53.9	44.9%
1972	$859M	$327		5.6%	6.1%		2.63M			53.2	31.2%
1971	$718M	$280		6.3%			2.57M			52.6	21.4%
1970	$646M	$258		10.8%			2.51M			52.1	18.5%
1969	$551M	$225		8.3%			2.45M			51.5	18.9%
1968	$485M	$203		4.4%			2.39M			50.9	18.9%
1967	$442M	$189		4.1%			2.34M			50.2	17.4%
1966	$391M	$171		5.8%			2.29M			49.6	16.8%
1965	$344M	$154		10.3%			2.24M			48.9	18.0%
1964	$305M	$140		8.6%			2.19M			48.3	18.3%
1963	$276M	$129		4.1%			2.14M			47.7	17.4%
1962	$261M	$125		6.4%			2.09M			46.7	16.2%
1961	$245M	$120		6.2%			2.05M			46.4	16.1%
1960	$230M	$116					2.0M			45.8

e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.

Nearby economies in East Asia & Pacific

Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.

Solomon Islands

$2,086 per person (2025)

Micronesia

$4,414 per person (2025)

Palau

$19,532 per person (2025)

Timor-Leste

$1,341 per person (2025)

Nauru

$14,640 per person (2025)

Vanuatu

$4,039 per person (2025)

New Caledonia

$29,213 per person (2024)

Guam

$41,833 per person (2022)

American Samoa · Australia · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Fiji · French Polynesia · Guam · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Japan · Kiribati · Laos · Macao · Malaysia · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · North Korea · Northern Mariana Islands · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Korea · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Vietnam

Rankings

GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country

Data and methods

GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)