Share of population living in rural areas in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Share of population living in rural areas was 53.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Papua New Guinea, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Papua New Guinea recorded 53.7% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Papua New Guinea peaked at 90.7% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 53.7%, in 2020.
Papua New Guinea ranks 25th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 90.7% | — |
| 1955 | 89.5% | -1.3% |
| 1960 | 88.0% | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 86.5% | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 84.8% | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 83.0% | -2.2% |
| 1980 | 81.8% | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 79.2% | -3.2% |
| 1990 | 76.9% | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 74.3% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 71.9% | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 67.7% | -5.9% |
| 2010 | 62.9% | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 58.2% | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 53.7% | -7.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 90.1% | 89.5% | 90.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 87.2% | 86.5% | 88.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 83.9% | 83.0% | 84.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 80.5% | 79.2% | 81.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 75.6% | 74.3% | 76.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 69.8% | 67.7% | 71.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 60.6% | 58.2% | 62.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 53.7% | 53.7% | 53.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 22 Greenland 57.5% compare
- 23 Madagascar 57.1% compare
- 24 Dominica 57.1% compare
- 26 Mali 52.9% compare
- 27 Timor-Leste 50.6% compare
- 28 Burkina Faso 50.6% compare
More population data for Papua New Guinea
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0669 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0564 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.15 million people (2100)
- Population density 41.16 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5424 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.58 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Papua New Guinea?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Papua New Guinea was 53.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 90.7% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.7% in 2020.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 25th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.