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Papua New Guinea vs South Korea
How Papua New Guinea and South Korea compare on 37 measures, from 1789 to 2025. The main differences:
- Life expectancy · In 2023, South Korea was higher: 84.3 years against 66.1 years
- GDP per person · In 2025, South Korea was higher: $37,470 against $2,665
- Population · In 2023, South Korea was higher: 51.8 million people against 10.4 million people
- Military spending · In 2025, South Korea was higher: 2.6% of GDP against 0.35% of GDP
- CO₂ per person · In 2024, South Korea was higher: 11.36 tonnes against 0.52 tonnes
- Life expectancyPapua New Guinea: 66.1 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- PopulationPapua New Guinea: 10.4 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- GDP per personPapua New Guinea: $2,665 in 2025South Korea: $37,470 in 2025
- TemperaturePapua New Guinea: 24.1 °C in 2025South Korea: 13.5 °C in 2025
Every measure
Health
- Life expectancyPapua New Guinea: 66.1 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPapua New Guinea: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPapua New Guinea: 32.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionPapua New Guinea: 3.17% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide ratePapua New Guinea: 23.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPapua New Guinea: 10.4 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthPapua New Guinea: 1.8% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePapua New Guinea: 3.1 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationPapua New Guinea: 15.8% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median agePapua New Guinea: 22.3 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPapua New Guinea: 3.3% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration ratePapua New Guinea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personPapua New Guinea: $2,665 in 2025South Korea: $37,470 in 2025
- GDP growthPapua New Guinea: 3.9% a year in 2024South Korea: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationPapua New Guinea: 4.4% a year in 2025South Korea: 2.1% a year in 2025
- Government debtPapua New Guinea: 51.6% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 49.6% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPapua New Guinea: 0.35% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPapua New Guinea: $110M in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personPapua New Guinea: $10 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPapua New Guinea: 1.6% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPapua New Guinea: 4,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerPapua New Guinea: 0.03% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPapua New Guinea: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPapua New Guinea: 9 million TIV in 2023South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personPapua New Guinea: 0.52 tonnes in 2024South Korea: 11.36 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersPapua New Guinea: 18.8% in 2024South Korea: 97.9% in 2024
- Access to electricityPapua New Guinea: 43.3% in 2024South Korea: 100% in 2024
- Forest areaPapua New Guinea: 75.2% in 2024South Korea: 64.4% in 2024
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Sources: UN, Gapminder and UN IGME, IHME, World Bank, IMF, UNESCO, Our World in Data, V-Dem, UCDP, SIPRI, IISS, Correlates of War, ERA5, CMIP6, EDGAR, ITU and FAO. Each measure’s page names its own and what it counts.
- Values are drawn on today’s borders. Years without a published value are left empty, never filled in.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time