Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea
Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea: GDP growth
GDP growth: 5.2% a year in Malaysia in 2025 and 3.9% a year in Papua New Guinea in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 1.3 percentage points, or 1.33 times that in Papua New Guinea.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Malaysia has been higher since 2024, when it overtook Papua New Guinea.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Malaysia at 4.3% a year and Papua New Guinea at 3.1% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Malaysia | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.2 | 6.2 |
| 2024 | 5.2 | 3.9 |
| 2023 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
| 2022 | 9 | 5.7 |
| 2021 | 3.3 | -0.5 |
| 2020 | -5.5 | -3.2 |
| 2019 | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| 2018 | 4.8 | -0.3 |
| 2017 | 5.8 | 3.5 |
| 2016 | 4.5 | 5.5 |
| 2015 | 5 | 6.6 |
| 2014 | 6 | 13.5 |
| 2013 | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| 2012 | 5.5 | 4.7 |
| 2011 | 5.3 | 1.1 |
| 2010 | 7.5 | 10.1 |
| 2009 | -1.5 | 6.8 |
| 2008 | 4.8 | -0.3 |
| 2007 | 6.3 | 7.8 |
| 2006 | 5.6 | 2.5 |
| 2005 | 5 | 4.3 |
| 2004 | 6.8 | 0.6 |
| 2003 | 5.8 | 9 |
| 2002 | 5.4 | -0.2 |
| 2001 | 0.5 | -0.1 |
| 2000 | 8.7 | -2.5 |
| 1999 | 6.1 | 1.9 |
| 1998 | -7.4 | 4.7 |
| 1997 | 7.3 | -6.3 |
| 1996 | 10 | 6.6 |
| 1995 | 9.8 | -3.4 |
| 1994 | 9.2 | 10.5 |
| 1993 | 9.9 | 13.3 |
| 1992 | 8.9 | 13.8 |
| 1991 | 9.5 | 9.6 |
| 1990 | 9 | -3.1 |
| 1989 | 9.1 | -1.4 |
| 1988 | 9.9 | 2.9 |
| 1987 | 5.4 | 2.8 |
| 1986 | 1.2 | 5.7 |
| 1985 | -0.9 | 3.6 |
| 1984 | 7.8 | -1 |
| 1983 | 6.3 | 3.4 |
| 1982 | 5.9 | 0.8 |
| 1981 | 6.9 | 1.1 |
| 1980 | 7.4 | -2.3 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Malaysia | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5.2 | 3.1 |
| 2027 | 4.6 | 4 |
| 2028 | 4.3 | 3.4 |
| 2029 | 4.3 | 3.1 |
| 2030 | 4.3 | 3.1 |
| 2031 | 4.3 | 3.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 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
Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea
Health
- Life expectancyMalaysia: 76.7 years in 2023Papua New Guinea: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024Papua New Guinea: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Papua New Guinea: 32.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalaysia: 3.52% in 2017Papua New Guinea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Papua New Guinea: 23.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023Papua New Guinea: 10.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023Papua New Guinea: 1.8% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023Papua New Guinea: 3.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalaysia: 77.4% in 2025Papua New Guinea: 15.8% in 2025
- Median ageMalaysia: 30.1 years in 2023Papua New Guinea: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalaysia: 7.5% in 2023Papua New Guinea: 3.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Papua New Guinea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalaysia: 1.04% of GDP in 2025Papua New Guinea: 0.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalaysia: $4.55B in 2025Papua New Guinea: $110M in 2025
- Military spending per personMalaysia: $138 in 2025Papua New Guinea: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Papua New Guinea: 1.6% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalaysia: 136,000 people in 2020Papua New Guinea: 4,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022Papua New Guinea: 0.03% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalaysia: 0.81% of the labour force in 2020Papua New Guinea: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024Papua New Guinea: 9 million TIV in 2023