Papua New Guinea vs Thailand
Papua New Guinea vs Thailand: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 15.8% in Papua New Guinea and 62.8% in Thailand, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Thailand, by 47 percentage points, or 3.98 times that in Papua New Guinea.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Thailand has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Papua New Guinea ranked 226 and Thailand ranked 124 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Papua New Guinea at 32.4% and Thailand at 79.2% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Papua New Guinea | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15.8 | 62.8 |
| 2024 | 15.4 | 61.9 |
| 2023 | 15.1 | 60.9 |
| 2022 | 14.7 | 59.7 |
| 2021 | 14.4 | 58.5 |
| 2020 | 14.2 | 57.2 |
| 2019 | 13.9 | 55.9 |
| 2018 | 13.7 | 54.6 |
| 2017 | 13.5 | 49.2 |
| 2016 | 13.4 | 47.9 |
| 2015 | 13.2 | 47 |
| 2014 | 13.1 | 46.3 |
| 2013 | 13.1 | 45.8 |
| 2012 | 13 | 45.4 |
| 2011 | 13 | 44.8 |
| 2010 | 13 | 44 |
| 2009 | 13 | 43 |
| 2008 | 13 | 41.9 |
| 2007 | 13 | 40.7 |
| 2006 | 13.1 | 39.4 |
| 2005 | 13.1 | 38.1 |
| 2004 | 13.1 | 36.8 |
| 2003 | 13.1 | 35.4 |
| 2002 | 13.2 | 34.1 |
| 2001 | 13.2 | 32.7 |
| 2000 | 13.2 | 31.5 |
| 1999 | 13.3 | 30.2 |
| 1998 | 13.5 | 28.7 |
| 1997 | 13.8 | 27.2 |
| 1996 | 14 | 25.6 |
| 1995 | 14.4 | 24.1 |
| 1994 | 14.7 | 22.7 |
| 1993 | 14.9 | 21.3 |
| 1992 | 15.2 | 20.2 |
| 1991 | 15.3 | 19.4 |
| 1990 | 15.4 | 18.8 |
| 1989 | 15.3 | 18.5 |
| 1988 | 15.1 | 18.3 |
| 1987 | 14.9 | 18.1 |
| 1986 | 14.5 | 18 |
| 1985 | 14.2 | 17.8 |
| 1984 | 13.8 | 17.7 |
| 1983 | 13.5 | 17.6 |
| 1982 | 13.3 | 17.4 |
| 1981 | 13.1 | 17.3 |
| 1980 | 13.1 | 17.1 |
| 1979 | 13.1 | 16.8 |
| 1978 | 13.1 | 16.5 |
| 1977 | 13.1 | 16.1 |
| 1976 | 13.1 | 15.7 |
| 1975 | 13 | 15.2 |
| 1974 | 12.7 | 14.8 |
| 1973 | 12.2 | 14.3 |
| 1972 | 11.7 | 13.9 |
| 1971 | 11.1 | 13.6 |
| 1970 | 10.2 | 13.3 |
| 1969 | 9.1 | 13.1 |
| 1968 | 7.8 | 12.9 |
| 1967 | 6.6 | 12.8 |
| 1966 | 5.9 | 12.6 |
| 1965 | 5.4 | 12.5 |
| 1964 | 5 | 12.3 |
| 1963 | 4.6 | 12.2 |
| 1962 | 4.2 | 12.1 |
| 1961 | 3.8 | 12 |
| 1960 | 3.5 | 11.8 |
| 1959 | 3.1 | 11.7 |
| 1958 | 2.9 | 11.5 |
| 1957 | 2.6 | 11.4 |
| 1956 | 2.4 | 11.2 |
| 1955 | 2.2 | 11.1 |
| 1954 | 2 | 11 |
| 1953 | 1.9 | 10.8 |
| 1952 | 1.8 | 10.7 |
| 1951 | 1.7 | 10.5 |
| 1950 | 1.7 | 10.4 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Papua New Guinea | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 16.2 | 63.7 |
| 2027 | 16.6 | 64.6 |
| 2028 | 17.1 | 65.6 |
| 2029 | 17.5 | 66.4 |
| 2030 | 18 | 67.3 |
| 2031 | 18.5 | 68.2 |
| 2032 | 19.1 | 69 |
| 2033 | 19.6 | 69.9 |
| 2034 | 20.2 | 70.7 |
| 2035 | 20.8 | 71.5 |
| 2036 | 21.5 | 72.2 |
| 2037 | 22.1 | 72.9 |
| 2038 | 22.8 | 73.6 |
| 2039 | 23.5 | 74.3 |
| 2040 | 24.2 | 75 |
| 2041 | 24.9 | 75.6 |
| 2042 | 25.7 | 76.1 |
| 2043 | 26.5 | 76.7 |
| 2044 | 27.2 | 77.2 |
| 2045 | 28.1 | 77.6 |
| 2046 | 28.9 | 78 |
| 2047 | 29.7 | 78.4 |
| 2048 | 30.6 | 78.7 |
| 2049 | 31.5 | 78.9 |
| 2050 | 32.4 | 79.2 |
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
Papua New Guinea vs Thailand
Health
- Life expectancyPapua New Guinea: 66.1 years in 2023Thailand: 76.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPapua New Guinea: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024Thailand: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPapua New Guinea: 32.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Thailand: 6.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionPapua New Guinea: 3.17% in 2017Thailand: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide ratePapua New Guinea: 23.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Thailand: 10.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPapua New Guinea: 10.4 million people in 2023Thailand: 71.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthPapua New Guinea: 1.8% a year in 2023Thailand: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePapua New Guinea: 3.1 births per woman in 2023Thailand: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Median agePapua New Guinea: 22.3 years in 2023Thailand: 39.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPapua New Guinea: 3.3% in 2023Thailand: 14.7% in 2023
- Net migration ratePapua New Guinea: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Thailand: 0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personPapua New Guinea: $2,665 in 2025Thailand: $6,783 in 2025
- GDP growthPapua New Guinea: 3.9% a year in 2024Thailand: 2.4% a year in 2025
- InflationPapua New Guinea: 4.4% a year in 2025Thailand: -0.1% a year in 2025
- Government debtPapua New Guinea: 51.6% of GDP in 2025Thailand: 62.9% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPapua New Guinea: 0.35% of GDP in 2025Thailand: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPapua New Guinea: $110M in 2025Thailand: $5.57B in 2025
- Military spending per personPapua New Guinea: $10 in 2025Thailand: $84 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPapua New Guinea: 1.6% of government spending in 2025Thailand: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelPapua New Guinea: 4,000 people in 2020Thailand: 455,000 people in 2020
- National powerPapua New Guinea: 0.03% of world capability in 2022Thailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPapua New Guinea: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020Thailand: 1.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPapua New Guinea: 9 million TIV in 2023Thailand: 33 million TIV in 2025