Papua New Guinea
Urban population in Papua New Guinea
Urban population in Papua New Guinea: 1.7% in 1950 and 15.8% in 2025, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 15.8%
- Since 1950
- +14.1 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 226 of 229
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2050
- 32.4%
- UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts it at 32.4% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 15.8 |
| 2024 | 15.4 |
| 2023 | 15.1 |
| 2022 | 14.7 |
| 2021 | 14.4 |
| 2020 | 14.2 |
| 2019 | 13.9 |
| 2018 | 13.7 |
| 2017 | 13.5 |
| 2016 | 13.4 |
| 2015 | 13.2 |
| 2014 | 13.1 |
| 2013 | 13.1 |
| 2012 | 13 |
| 2011 | 13 |
| 2010 | 13 |
| 2009 | 13 |
| 2008 | 13 |
| 2007 | 13 |
| 2006 | 13.1 |
| 2005 | 13.1 |
| 2004 | 13.1 |
| 2003 | 13.1 |
| 2002 | 13.2 |
| 2001 | 13.2 |
| 2000 | 13.2 |
| 1999 | 13.3 |
| 1998 | 13.5 |
| 1997 | 13.8 |
| 1996 | 14 |
| 1995 | 14.4 |
| 1994 | 14.7 |
| 1993 | 14.9 |
| 1992 | 15.2 |
| 1991 | 15.3 |
| 1990 | 15.4 |
| 1989 | 15.3 |
| 1988 | 15.1 |
| 1987 | 14.9 |
| 1986 | 14.5 |
| 1985 | 14.2 |
| 1984 | 13.8 |
| 1983 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | 13.3 |
| 1981 | 13.1 |
| 1980 | 13.1 |
| 1979 | 13.1 |
| 1978 | 13.1 |
| 1977 | 13.1 |
| 1976 | 13.1 |
| 1975 | 13 |
| 1974 | 12.7 |
| 1973 | 12.2 |
| 1972 | 11.7 |
| 1971 | 11.1 |
| 1970 | 10.2 |
| 1969 | 9.1 |
| 1968 | 7.8 |
| 1967 | 6.6 |
| 1966 | 5.9 |
| 1965 | 5.4 |
| 1964 | 5 |
| 1963 | 4.6 |
| 1962 | 4.2 |
| 1961 | 3.8 |
| 1960 | 3.5 |
| 1959 | 3.1 |
| 1958 | 2.9 |
| 1957 | 2.6 |
| 1956 | 2.4 |
| 1955 | 2.2 |
| 1954 | 2 |
| 1953 | 1.9 |
| 1952 | 1.8 |
| 1951 | 1.7 |
| 1950 | 1.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 16.2 |
| 2027 | 16.6 |
| 2028 | 17.1 |
| 2029 | 17.5 |
| 2030 | 18 |
| 2031 | 18.5 |
| 2032 | 19.1 |
| 2033 | 19.6 |
| 2034 | 20.2 |
| 2035 | 20.8 |
| 2036 | 21.5 |
| 2037 | 22.1 |
| 2038 | 22.8 |
| 2039 | 23.5 |
| 2040 | 24.2 |
| 2041 | 24.9 |
| 2042 | 25.7 |
| 2043 | 26.5 |
| 2044 | 27.2 |
| 2045 | 28.1 |
| 2046 | 28.9 |
| 2047 | 29.7 |
| 2048 | 30.6 |
| 2049 | 31.5 |
| 2050 | 32.4 |
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 in numbers
Every measure for Papua New Guinea on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending0.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$110M in 2025
- Military spending per person$10 in 2025
- Military share of state spending1.6% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel4,000 people in 2020
- National power0.03% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.12% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports9 million TIV in 2023