Australia vs Papua New Guinea
Australia vs Papua New Guinea: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 87.7% in Australia and 15.8% in Papua New Guinea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Australia, by 71.9 percentage points, or 5.56 times that in Papua New Guinea.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Australia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Australia ranked 44 and Papua New Guinea ranked 226 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Australia at 89.6% and Papua New Guinea at 32.4% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Australia | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 87.7 | 15.8 |
| 2024 | 87.6 | 15.4 |
| 2023 | 87.5 | 15.1 |
| 2022 | 87.3 | 14.7 |
| 2021 | 87.2 | 14.4 |
| 2020 | 87.3 | 14.2 |
| 2019 | 87.3 | 13.9 |
| 2018 | 87.2 | 13.7 |
| 2017 | 87.1 | 13.5 |
| 2016 | 87 | 13.4 |
| 2015 | 86.9 | 13.2 |
| 2014 | 86.7 | 13.1 |
| 2013 | 86.6 | 13.1 |
| 2012 | 86.5 | 13 |
| 2011 | 86.3 | 13 |
| 2010 | 86.2 | 13 |
| 2009 | 86.1 | 13 |
| 2008 | 86 | 13 |
| 2007 | 85.9 | 13 |
| 2006 | 85.8 | 13.1 |
| 2005 | 85.6 | 13.1 |
| 2004 | 85.5 | 13.1 |
| 2003 | 85.4 | 13.1 |
| 2002 | 85.3 | 13.2 |
| 2001 | 85.2 | 13.2 |
| 2000 | 85.1 | 13.2 |
| 1999 | 85.1 | 13.3 |
| 1998 | 85.2 | 13.5 |
| 1997 | 85.2 | 13.8 |
| 1996 | 85.2 | 14 |
| 1995 | 85.3 | 14.4 |
| 1994 | 85.3 | 14.7 |
| 1993 | 85.4 | 14.9 |
| 1992 | 85.4 | 15.2 |
| 1991 | 85.4 | 15.3 |
| 1990 | 85.4 | 15.4 |
| 1989 | 85.4 | 15.3 |
| 1988 | 85.4 | 15.1 |
| 1987 | 85.4 | 14.9 |
| 1986 | 85.4 | 14.5 |
| 1985 | 85.4 | 14.2 |
| 1984 | 85.5 | 13.8 |
| 1983 | 85.5 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | 85.6 | 13.3 |
| 1981 | 85.7 | 13.1 |
| 1980 | 85.8 | 13.1 |
| 1979 | 85.9 | 13.1 |
| 1978 | 85.9 | 13.1 |
| 1977 | 86 | 13.1 |
| 1976 | 86 | 13.1 |
| 1975 | 86 | 13 |
| 1974 | 85.9 | 12.7 |
| 1973 | 85.8 | 12.2 |
| 1972 | 85.7 | 11.7 |
| 1971 | 85.6 | 11.1 |
| 1970 | 85.3 | 10.2 |
| 1969 | 84.8 | 9.1 |
| 1968 | 84.2 | 7.8 |
| 1967 | 83.6 | 6.6 |
| 1966 | 83.2 | 5.9 |
| 1965 | 82.9 | 5.4 |
| 1964 | 82.7 | 5 |
| 1963 | 82.5 | 4.6 |
| 1962 | 82.2 | 4.2 |
| 1961 | 81.9 | 3.8 |
| 1960 | 81.6 | 3.5 |
| 1959 | 81.2 | 3.1 |
| 1958 | 80.8 | 2.9 |
| 1957 | 80.3 | 2.6 |
| 1956 | 79.8 | 2.4 |
| 1955 | 79.3 | 2.2 |
| 1954 | 78.7 | 2 |
| 1953 | 78.1 | 1.9 |
| 1952 | 77.4 | 1.8 |
| 1951 | 76.6 | 1.7 |
| 1950 | 75.8 | 1.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Australia | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 87.8 | 16.2 |
| 2027 | 88 | 16.6 |
| 2028 | 88.1 | 17.1 |
| 2029 | 88.2 | 17.5 |
| 2030 | 88.3 | 18 |
| 2031 | 88.4 | 18.5 |
| 2032 | 88.5 | 19.1 |
| 2033 | 88.6 | 19.6 |
| 2034 | 88.7 | 20.2 |
| 2035 | 88.8 | 20.8 |
| 2036 | 88.9 | 21.5 |
| 2037 | 89 | 22.1 |
| 2038 | 89.1 | 22.8 |
| 2039 | 89.1 | 23.5 |
| 2040 | 89.2 | 24.2 |
| 2041 | 89.3 | 24.9 |
| 2042 | 89.3 | 25.7 |
| 2043 | 89.4 | 26.5 |
| 2044 | 89.4 | 27.2 |
| 2045 | 89.5 | 28.1 |
| 2046 | 89.5 | 28.9 |
| 2047 | 89.6 | 29.7 |
| 2048 | 89.6 | 30.6 |
| 2049 | 89.6 | 31.5 |
| 2050 | 89.6 | 32.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia vs Papua New Guinea
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023Papua New Guinea: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Papua New Guinea: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Papua New Guinea: 32.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017Papua New Guinea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Papua New Guinea: 23.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023Papua New Guinea: 10.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023Papua New Guinea: 1.8% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023Papua New Guinea: 3.1 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023Papua New Guinea: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023Papua New Guinea: 3.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Papua New Guinea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personAustralia: $61,370 in 2025Papua New Guinea: $2,665 in 2025
- GDP growthAustralia: 2% a year in 2025Papua New Guinea: 3.9% a year in 2024
- InflationAustralia: 2.8% a year in 2025Papua New Guinea: 4.4% a year in 2025
- Government debtAustralia: 51.9% of GDP in 2025Papua New Guinea: 51.6% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAustralia: 1.92% of GDP in 2025Papua New Guinea: 0.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAustralia: $35.3B in 2025Papua New Guinea: $110M in 2025
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025Papua New Guinea: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAustralia: 4.9% of government spending in 2025Papua New Guinea: 1.6% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAustralia: 60,000 people in 2020Papua New Guinea: 4,000 people in 2020
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022Papua New Guinea: 0.03% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAustralia: 0.44% of the labour force in 2020Papua New Guinea: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025Papua New Guinea: 9 million TIV in 2023