Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 23.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
23.35 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
182nd
of 216 countries
All-time high
23.35 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
4.52 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Papua New Guinea, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Papua New Guinea recorded 23.35 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Papua New Guinea peaked at 23.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.52 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Papua New Guinea ranks 182nd of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.52 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 4.62 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 4.73 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 4.83 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1965 | 4.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 5.05 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 5.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1968 | 5.28 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 5.4 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 5.53 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 5.67 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 5.8 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 5.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 6.08 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 6.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 6.35 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 6.49 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 6.63 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 6.77 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 6.91 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 7.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 7.21 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 7.36 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 7.52 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 7.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 7.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 8.02 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 8.2 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 8.38 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 8.6 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 8.88 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 1992 | 9.2 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 9.54 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 9.89 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 10.26 people per sq. km of land area | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 10.63 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 11.01 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 11.41 people per sq. km of land area | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 11.81 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 12.23 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 12.65 people per sq. km of land area | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 13.08 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 13.52 people per sq. km of land area | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 13.97 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 14.43 people per sq. km of land area | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 14.9 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 15.38 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 15.86 people per sq. km of land area | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 16.35 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 16.86 people per sq. km of land area | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 17.35 people per sq. km of land area | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 17.85 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 18.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 18.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 19.31 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 19.79 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 20.27 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 20.74 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 21.22 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 21.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 22.11 people per sq. km of land area | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 22.53 people per sq. km of land area | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 22.94 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 23.35 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 23.35 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 82.92 people per sq. km of land area, 28% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 23.35 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 140.28 people per sq. km of land area, 17% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.95 people per sq. km of land area | 4.52 people per sq. km of land area | 5.4 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 6.15 people per sq. km of land area | 5.53 people per sq. km of land area | 6.77 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.62 people per sq. km of land area | 6.91 people per sq. km of land area | 8.38 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.12 people per sq. km of land area | 8.6 people per sq. km of land area | 11.81 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.24 people per sq. km of land area | 12.23 people per sq. km of land area | 16.35 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.05 people per sq. km of land area | 16.86 people per sq. km of land area | 21.22 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.52 people per sq. km of land area | 21.68 people per sq. km of land area | 23.35 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 179 Chile 26.64 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 180 Sweden 25.95 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 181 Brazil 25.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 183 Niger 21.34 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 184 Bhutan 20.75 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 185 New Zealand 20.09 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Papua New Guinea
- Population in the largest city 25.4% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in largest city 431,903 (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 22.19 Hectares (2020)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
- Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen 229,690 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Papua New Guinea?
- Population density in Papua New Guinea was 23.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 23.35 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.52 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for population density?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 182nd out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.