Total population (thousands) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Total population (thousands) was 10,670 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
10,670 thousands
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
90th
of 233 countries
All-time high
10,670 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
2,476 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in Papua New Guinea, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
The most recent figure for total population in Papua New Guinea is 10,670 thousands, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 23.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Papua New Guinea peaked at 10,670 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2,476 thousands, in 1970.
Papua New Guinea ranks 90th of 233 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,476 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 2,536 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 2,597 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 2,660 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 2,722 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 2,784 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 2,846 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 2,909 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 2,972 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 3,035 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1980 | 3,099 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 3,164 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 3,230 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 3,298 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 3,369 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 3,442 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 3,516 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 3,593 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 3,672 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 3,752 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 3,840 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 3,953 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 4,091 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 4,242 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 4,399 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 4,561 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 4,727 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 4,899 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 5,076 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 5,256 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2000 | 5,442 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 5,632 thousands | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 5,825 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 6,023 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 6,225 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 6,431 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 6,641 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 6,855 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 7,072 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 7,294 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 7,519 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 7,748 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 7,971 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 8,192 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 8,413 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 8,634 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 8,853 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 9,071 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 9,287 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 9,502 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 9,716 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 9,916 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 10,110 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 10,296 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 10,483 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2025 | 10,670 thousands | +1.8% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 10,670 thousands is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,314 thousands, 87% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 10,670 thousands is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1,410 thousands, 7.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,754 thousands | 2,476 thousands | 3,035 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,414 thousands | 3,099 thousands | 3,752 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,505 thousands | 3,840 thousands | 5,256 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,344 thousands | 5,442 thousands | 7,294 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 8,519 thousands | 7,519 thousands | 9,502 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,198 thousands | 9,716 thousands | 10,670 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
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 total population in Papua New Guinea?
- Total population in Papua New Guinea was 10,670 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 10,670 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,476 thousands in 1970.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for total population?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 90th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release