Papua New Guinea Overview People
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Papua New Guinea Demographics

What is the population of Papua New Guinea?

Population 7,259,456
Population Growth Rate 1.89%
Urban Population 12.5%
Population in Major Urban Areas PORT MORESBY (capital) 343,000
Nationality Noun Papua New Guinean(s)
Nationality Adjective Papua New Guinean
Ethnic Groups Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
Languages Spoken Melanesian Pidgin serves as the lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region
Language Note In Papua New Guinea, languages fall within two basic language stocks: Melanesian and Papuan. English is the official language and is taught in public schools. The language used at home, however, is almost always that of one’s language group. Melanesian Pidgin (Tok Pisin) is the most widely used language. Motu is the most common indigenous language, used primarily in the Papuan region.

Papua New Guinea Health Information

What are the health conditions in Papua New Guinea?

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 15-49 32.4%
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 6.54
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved 32.8%
Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved 60.3%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 88%
Food or Waterborne Disease (s) bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP 4.3%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 0.9%
HIV/Aids Deaths 1,000
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births 36.97
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births 44.53
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 40.84
Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk very high
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 230
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 16.2%
People Living with HIV/AIDS 34,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population .05
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved 81.3%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 56.4%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved 13.3%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 3.31
Underweight - percent of children under five years 18.1%
Vectorborne Disease (s) dengue fever and malaria

Papua New Guinea Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Papua New Guinea?

Life Expectancy at Birth 66 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female 69 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male 64 Years
Median Age 22 Years
Median Age - female 21 Years
Median Age - male 22 Years

Papua New Guinea Infant Mortality - per 1,000 live births

Papua New Guinea median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 25
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 6.54
Median Age 22 Years
Median Age - female 21 Years
Median Age - male 22 Years
Population Growth Rate 1.89%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female 1.04
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female 1.03
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female 1.07
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female 1.05
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.05
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female 1.05
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female 1.14

Papua New Guinea Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Papua New Guinea?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Medical facilities in Papua New Guinea vary greatly between larger towns and remote areas. Medical facilities in larger towns are usually adequate for routine problems and some emergencies. However, equipment failures and shortages of common medications can mean that even routine treatments and procedures (such as X-rays) may be unavailable. Medical facilities may be inaccessible in some rural areas. A hyperbaric recompression chamber for diving emergencies is available in Port Moresby. Pharmacies in Papua New Guinea are found only in urban centers. Pharmacies are generally small and may be inadequately stocked. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for medical services. Please see the U.S. Embassy website for a list of medical facilities in Papua New Guinea.

Diving injuries will almost always require medical evacuation to Australia, where more sophisticated facilities are available. Medical evacuation companies could charge thousands of dollars for transport to Australia or the U.S. If you anticipate the possible need for medical treatment in Australia, obtain a visa or entry permission for Australia in advance.

Papua New Guinea Education

What is school like in Papua New Guinea?

Literacy - female 57.7%
Literacy - male 71.1%
Literacy - total population 57.3%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write

Papua New Guinea Literacy

Can people in Papua New Guinea read?

Literacy - female 57.7%
Literacy - male 71.1%
Literacy - total population 57.3%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language Melanesian Pidgin serves as the lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2%, Motu spoken in Papua region

Papua New Guinea Crime

Is Papua New Guinea a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Papua New Guinea has a high crime rate. U.S. citizens have occasionally been victims of violent crime, including rape, carjacking, and armed robberies. You are at a greater risk of violent crimes such as robbery or rape if you travel alone, especially if you plan to hike in isolated rural areas. You may want to consider travelling as part of an organized tour or escort. Crime rates are highest in and around major cities such as Port Moresby, Lae, Mount Hagen, and Goroka, but can occur anywhere. Pickpockets and opportunistic bag-snatchers frequent crowded public areas including parks, golf courses, beaches, and cemeteries. Bag-snatchers may try to open doors of automobiles that are stopped or moving slowly in traffic. Please consult the State Department’s Primer on Personal Security for Visitors to Papua New Guinea.

Organized tours booked through travel agencies remain the safest means to visit Papua New Guinea although on rare occasions, even persons participating in organized tours may be subject to violent robbery, assault, serious injury, or death. In Papua New Guinea, avoid using local taxis or buses, known as Public Motor Vehicles (PMV's). Rely on your sponsor or hotel to arrange for hotel transportation or a rental car. Road travel outside of major towns can be hazardous due to criminal roadblocks near bridges, curves in the road, or other features that restrict vehicle speed and mobility. Lock your doors and keep your window rolled up. Please consult with the U.S. Embassy or with local law enforcement officials concerning security conditions before driving between towns. (See the Traffic Safety and Road Conditions section below.) Travel to isolated places in Papua New Guinea is possible primarily by small passenger aircraft to the many small airstrips throughout the country. Security measures at these airports are often inadequate.

Hiking Trails: Exercise caution if you plan to hike the Kokoda Track, the Black Cat Track, or other trails in Papua New GuineaTravel with guides from a reputable tour company. This is particularly important given the occasional threats by villagers to close parts of the track due to local land and compensation disputes. Check with your travel agent and/or tour operator for contingency plans in the event that the track is blocked. Hikers have been attacked even though they are part of an organized tour, sustaining serious injuries and death. You should purchase appropriate travelers/medical insurance before arriving in Papua New Guinea. The Kokoda Track Authority (KTA) has stationed rangers along the track and at airports to collect fees from trekkers who have not obtained a valid trekking permit. The KTA can be contacted by telephone at 675-325-5540 or 675-325-1887 regarding payment of applicable fees.

Papua New Guinea Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Papua New Guinea, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. If you break the law in Papua New Guinea, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. Laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. Criminal penalties will vary from country to country. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going.

Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Papua New Guinea, you may request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby of your arrest. You may request to have communications from you forwarded to the U.S. Embassy.

Papua New Guinea Population Comparison

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