Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea
Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea: Adult literacy
Adult literacy in 2022: 95.8% in Malaysia and 87% in Papua New Guinea, by UNESCO estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 8.8 percentage points, or 1.1 times that in Papua New Guinea.
% of adults · UNESCO
What the numbers say
- Malaysia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- The world as a whole: 87.4% in 2022.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | Malaysia | Papua New Guinea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | – | 87.7 |
| 2023 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | 95.8 | 87 | 87.4 |
| 2021 | – | – | 87.2 |
| 2020 | – | – | 87 |
| 2019 | 95 | – | 86.8 |
| 2018 | 94.9 | – | 86.8 |
| 2017 | 95.1 | 70.1 | 86.5 |
| 2016 | 94.9 | – | 86.3 |
| 2015 | – | – | 86 |
| 2014 | – | – | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | – | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | – | 84.9 |
| 2011 | – | – | 84.7 |
| 2010 | 93.1 | 69 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | – | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | – | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | – | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | 88.7 | 57.3 | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | 82.9 | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | – | – | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | – | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | 69.5 | – | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | – | 65.6 |
| 1975 | – | – | 65.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
- Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
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
- GDP per personMalaysia: $12,350 in 2025Papua New Guinea: $2,665 in 2025
- GDP growthMalaysia: 5.2% a year in 2025Papua New Guinea: 3.9% a year in 2024
- InflationMalaysia: 1.4% a year in 2025Papua New Guinea: 4.4% a year in 2025
- Government debtMalaysia: 70.5% of GDP in 2025Papua New Guinea: 51.6% of GDP in 2025
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