Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea
Malaysia vs Papua New Guinea: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 77.4% in Malaysia and 15.8% in Papua New Guinea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 61.6 percentage points, or 4.9 times that in Papua New Guinea.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Malaysia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Malaysia ranked 74 and Papua New Guinea ranked 226 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Malaysia at 91% and Papua New Guinea at 32.4% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Malaysia | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 77.4 | 15.8 |
| 2024 | 76.9 | 15.4 |
| 2023 | 76.4 | 15.1 |
| 2022 | 76 | 14.7 |
| 2021 | 75.5 | 14.4 |
| 2020 | 75.1 | 14.2 |
| 2019 | 74.8 | 13.9 |
| 2018 | 74.6 | 13.7 |
| 2017 | 74.2 | 13.5 |
| 2016 | 73.9 | 13.4 |
| 2015 | 73.4 | 13.2 |
| 2014 | 73 | 13.1 |
| 2013 | 72.5 | 13.1 |
| 2012 | 72 | 13 |
| 2011 | 71.4 | 13 |
| 2010 | 70.9 | 13 |
| 2009 | 70.3 | 13 |
| 2008 | 69.5 | 13 |
| 2007 | 68.8 | 13 |
| 2006 | 67.9 | 13.1 |
| 2005 | 67 | 13.1 |
| 2004 | 66.1 | 13.1 |
| 2003 | 65.1 | 13.1 |
| 2002 | 64.1 | 13.2 |
| 2001 | 63 | 13.2 |
| 2000 | 62 | 13.2 |
| 1999 | 60.9 | 13.3 |
| 1998 | 59.7 | 13.5 |
| 1997 | 58.5 | 13.8 |
| 1996 | 57.2 | 14 |
| 1995 | 55.9 | 14.4 |
| 1994 | 54.6 | 14.7 |
| 1993 | 53.2 | 14.9 |
| 1992 | 51.9 | 15.2 |
| 1991 | 50.5 | 15.3 |
| 1990 | 49 | 15.4 |
| 1989 | 47.4 | 15.3 |
| 1988 | 45.8 | 15.1 |
| 1987 | 44 | 14.9 |
| 1986 | 42.3 | 14.5 |
| 1985 | 40.6 | 14.2 |
| 1984 | 39 | 13.8 |
| 1983 | 37.5 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | 36.2 | 13.3 |
| 1981 | 35.1 | 13.1 |
| 1980 | 34.2 | 13.1 |
| 1979 | 33.6 | 13.1 |
| 1978 | 33 | 13.1 |
| 1977 | 32.4 | 13.1 |
| 1976 | 31.9 | 13.1 |
| 1975 | 31.4 | 13 |
| 1974 | 30.9 | 12.7 |
| 1973 | 30.5 | 12.2 |
| 1972 | 30.1 | 11.7 |
| 1971 | 29.8 | 11.1 |
| 1970 | 29.4 | 10.2 |
| 1969 | 29.1 | 9.1 |
| 1968 | 28.8 | 7.8 |
| 1967 | 28.5 | 6.6 |
| 1966 | 28.1 | 5.9 |
| 1965 | 27.8 | 5.4 |
| 1964 | 27.5 | 5 |
| 1963 | 27.2 | 4.6 |
| 1962 | 26.8 | 4.2 |
| 1961 | 26.5 | 3.8 |
| 1960 | 26.1 | 3.5 |
| 1959 | 25.7 | 3.1 |
| 1958 | 25.2 | 2.9 |
| 1957 | 24.7 | 2.6 |
| 1956 | 24.2 | 2.4 |
| 1955 | 23.7 | 2.2 |
| 1954 | 23.1 | 2 |
| 1953 | 22.5 | 1.9 |
| 1952 | 21.9 | 1.8 |
| 1951 | 21.3 | 1.7 |
| 1950 | 20.6 | 1.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Malaysia | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 77.9 | 16.2 |
| 2027 | 78.4 | 16.6 |
| 2028 | 78.9 | 17.1 |
| 2029 | 79.4 | 17.5 |
| 2030 | 79.9 | 18 |
| 2031 | 80.4 | 18.5 |
| 2032 | 80.9 | 19.1 |
| 2033 | 81.4 | 19.6 |
| 2034 | 81.9 | 20.2 |
| 2035 | 82.4 | 20.8 |
| 2036 | 83 | 21.5 |
| 2037 | 83.5 | 22.1 |
| 2038 | 84 | 22.8 |
| 2039 | 84.6 | 23.5 |
| 2040 | 85.1 | 24.2 |
| 2041 | 85.7 | 24.9 |
| 2042 | 86.3 | 25.7 |
| 2043 | 86.8 | 26.5 |
| 2044 | 87.4 | 27.2 |
| 2045 | 88 | 28.1 |
| 2046 | 88.6 | 28.9 |
| 2047 | 89.2 | 29.7 |
| 2048 | 89.8 | 30.6 |
| 2049 | 90.4 | 31.5 |
| 2050 | 91 | 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
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
- 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