Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Papua New Guinean(s)
adjective:
Papua New Guinean
Ethnic groups:
Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
Languages:
Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 860 indigenous languages spoken (over 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%
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)
Population:
6,310,129 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.9% (male 1,153,908/female 1,114,109)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
19.4% (male 620,624/female 604,208)
25-54 years:
35.8% (male 1,171,656/female 1,088,723)
55-64 years:
5.1% (male 162,748/female 158,653)
65 years and over:
3.7% (male 125,449/female 110,051) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 22 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
22.3 years
female:
21.8 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.936% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
25.92 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
6.56 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 13% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
2.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
PORT MORESBY (capital) 314,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.14 male(s)/female
total population:
1.05 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
230 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 50
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 42.05 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 55
male:
45.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
38.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.46 years
country comparison to the world: 163
male:
64.23 years
female:
68.79 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.39 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
3.1% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 176
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
0.053 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 71% of population
rural: 41% of population
total: 45% of population
unimproved:
