Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu: Population density

Papua New Guinea
22.94 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
Vanuatu
26.28 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
Papua New Guinea rank
182nd
Vanuatu rank
179th

Population density over time

  • Papua New Guinea
  • Vanuatu
510152025196119922023

How they compare

Vanuatu currently reports 26.28 people per sq. km of land area against 22.94 people per sq. km of land area in Papua New Guinea, a difference of 3.34 people per sq. km of land area.

That makes Vanuatu's figure about 1.1 times Papua New Guinea's.

Across all 63 years both countries report, Vanuatu has been ahead every year.

Papua New Guinea ranks 182nd and Vanuatu ranks 179th of 216 countries.

Vanuatu has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Papua New Guinea Vanuatu Difference Ahead
1960s 4.95 people per sq. km of land area 6.12 people per sq. km of land area 1.18 people per sq. km of land area Vanuatu
1970s 6.15 people per sq. km of land area 8.13 people per sq. km of land area 1.99 people per sq. km of land area Vanuatu
1980s 7.62 people per sq. km of land area 10.6 people per sq. km of land area 2.98 people per sq. km of land area Vanuatu
1990s 10.12 people per sq. km of land area 13.55 people per sq. km of land area 3.42 people per sq. km of land area Vanuatu
2000s 14.24 people per sq. km of land area 17.12 people per sq. km of land area 2.88 people per sq. km of land area Vanuatu
2010s 19.05 people per sq. km of land area 21.65 people per sq. km of land area 2.6 people per sq. km of land area Vanuatu
2020s 22.31 people per sq. km of land area 25.39 people per sq. km of land area 3.08 people per sq. km of land area Vanuatu

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population density, Papua New Guinea or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu, at 26.28 people per sq. km of land area against 22.94 people per sq. km of land area in Papua New Guinea as of 2023.
What is the difference in population density between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu?
3.34 people per sq. km of land area, with Vanuatu ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu?
63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu rank globally for population density?
Papua New Guinea ranks 182nd and Vanuatu ranks 179th of 216 countries.
Where does this data come from?
FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu: Population density. Statizoid, drawing on FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://urban.statizoid.com/compare/population-density-people-per-sq-km-of-land-area/papua-new-guinea/vanuatu/

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<a href="https://urban.statizoid.com/compare/population-density-people-per-sq-km-of-land-area/papua-new-guinea/vanuatu/">Papua New Guinea vs Vanuatu: Population density</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Population density (people per sq. km of land area)
Unit
people per sq. km of land area
Source
FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
264 places, 15,342 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.