Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 3.45 people per square kilometre in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
3.45 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
207th
of 215 countries
All-time high
3.45 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
0.172 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Papua New Guinea, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Papua New Guinea stood at 3.45 people per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.1% on the previous year and up 44.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Papua New Guinea peaked at 3.45 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.172 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
Papua New Guinea ranks 207th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.172 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 0.193 people per square kilometre | +12.2% |
| 1963 | 0.216 people per square kilometre | +11.9% |
| 1964 | 0.2407 people per square kilometre | +11.5% |
| 1965 | 0.2675 people per square kilometre | +11.1% |
| 1966 | 0.2966 people per square kilometre | +10.9% |
| 1967 | 0.3421 people per square kilometre | +15.4% |
| 1968 | 0.4101 people per square kilometre | +19.9% |
| 1969 | 0.489 people per square kilometre | +19.3% |
| 1970 | 0.5664 people per square kilometre | +15.8% |
| 1971 | 0.6281 people per square kilometre | +10.9% |
| 1972 | 0.6776 people per square kilometre | +7.9% |
| 1973 | 0.7267 people per square kilometre | +7.2% |
| 1974 | 0.7719 people per square kilometre | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 0.8093 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 0.8349 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 0.8524 people per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1978 | 0.8691 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 0.8856 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 0.903 people per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 0.9247 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 0.9556 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 0.9944 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 1.04 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1985 | 1.09 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1986 | 1.14 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 1.19 people per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 1.24 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 1.28 people per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1990 | 1.32 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1991 | 1.36 people per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 1.4 people per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 1.43 people per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 1.45 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 1.47 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 1.49 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 1.51 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 1.54 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 1.57 people per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 1.62 people per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 1.67 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 1.72 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 1.77 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 1.83 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 1.89 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 1.94 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 2 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 2.06 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 2.13 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 2.19 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 2.26 people per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 2.32 people per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 2.39 people per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 2.47 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 2.56 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 2.64 people per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 2.74 people per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 2.84 people per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 2.96 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 3.07 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 3.19 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 3.32 people per square kilometre | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 3.45 people per square kilometre | +4.1% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 3.45 people per square kilometre is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 33.53 people per square kilometre, 10% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 3.45 people per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 81.73 people per square kilometre, 4% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2919 people per square kilometre | 0.172 people per square kilometre | 0.489 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.7622 people per square kilometre | 0.5664 people per square kilometre | 0.8856 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.08 people per square kilometre | 0.903 people per square kilometre | 1.28 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.45 people per square kilometre | 1.32 people per square kilometre | 1.57 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.86 people per square kilometre | 1.62 people per square kilometre | 2.13 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.54 people per square kilometre | 2.19 people per square kilometre | 2.96 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.26 people per square kilometre | 3.07 people per square kilometre | 3.45 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 204 Libya 3.65 people per square kilometre compare
- 205 Iceland 3.62 people per square kilometre compare
- 206 Central African Republic 3.61 people per square kilometre compare
- 208 Australia 3.01 people per square kilometre compare
- 209 Botswana 2.93 people per square kilometre compare
- 210 Mauritania 2.91 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for Papua New Guinea
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0564 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.3478 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0564 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0669 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 14,910 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.58 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5424 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Population density 41.16 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.15 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Papua New Guinea?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Papua New Guinea was 3.45 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 3.45 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.172 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 207th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.