The indigenous population of Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous in the world. Papua New Guinea has several thousand separate communities, most with only a few hundred people. Divided by language, customs, and tradition, it is the second most populous nation in Oceania, with a total population estimated variously as being between 9.5 and 10.1 million inhabitants.
The isolation created by the mountainous terrain is so great that some groups, until recently, were unaware of the existence of neighboring groups only a few kilometers away. The diversity, reflected in a folk saying, "For each village, a different culture", is perhaps best shown in the local languages. The island of New Guinea contains about 850 languages. The languages that are neither Austronesian nor Australian are considered Papuan languages; this is a geographical rather than linguistic demarcation. Of the Papuan languages, the largest linguistic grouping is considered to be Trans-New Guinean, with between 300 and 500 languages likely belonging to the group in addition to a huge variety of dialects. The remainder of the Papuan languages belong to smaller, unrelated groupings as well as to isolates. Native languages are spoken by a few hundred to a few thousand, although the Enga language, used in Enga Province, is spoken by some 130,000 people.
Tok Pisin serves as the lingua franca. English is the language of business and government, and all schooling from Grade 2 Primary is in English.
The overall population density is low, although pockets of overpopulation exist. Papua New Guinea's Western Province averages one person per square kilometer (3 per sq. mi.). The Simbu Province in the New Guinea highlands averages and has areas containing up to 200 people farming a square kilometer of land. The highlands have 40% of the population.
A considerable urban drift towards Port Moresby and other major centers has occurred in recent years. Between 1978 and 1988, Port Moresby grew nearly 8% per year, Lae 6%, Mount Hagen 6.5%, Goroka 4%, and Madang 3%. The trend toward urbanization accelerated in the 1990s, bringing in its wake squatter settlements, unemployment, and attendant social problems. Almost two-thirds of the population is Christian. Of these, more than 700,000 are Roman Catholic, more than 500,000 Lutheran, and the balance are members of other Protestant denominations. Although the major churches are under indigenous leadership, a large number of missionaries remain in the country. The non-Christian portion of the indigenous population practices a wide variety of indigenous religions that are an integral part of traditional culture. These religions are mainly types of animism and veneration of the dead.
The World Bank estimates the number of international migrants in Papua New Guinea to be about 0.3% of the population. According to the 2000 and 2011 census, the most common places of origin for international migrants were the United States, Australia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Since independence, about 900 foreigners have become naturalized citizens as of August 1999. An estimated 20,000 Chinese people live in Papua New Guinea.
The traditional Papua New Guinea social structure includes the following characteristics: The practice of subsistence economy; Recognition of bonds of kinship with obligations extending beyond the immediate family group; Generally egalitarian relationships with an emphasis on acquired, rather than inherited, status; and A strong attachment of the people to land.
Most Papua New Guineans still adhere strongly to this traditional social structure, which has its roots in village life.
Population
The population estimate as of 2020 was 8.95 million inhabitants. Government estimates reported the country's population to be 11.8 million. With the National Census deferred during 2020/2021, ostensibly on the grounds of the COVID-19 pandemic, an interim assessment was conducted using satellite imagery. In December 2022, a report by the UN, based upon a survey conducted with the University of Southampton using satellite imagery and ground-truthing, suggested a new population estimate of 17 million, nearly double the country's official estimate. In July 2023 the UN officially revised its estimate to 11.8 million. While decadal censuses have been carried out since 1961, the reliability of past censuses is unsure. Nonetheless, the population is thought to have grown greatly since independence. Despite this growth, urbanisation remains either the same or only slightly increased. Papua New Guinea is the most populous Pacific island country.
Structure of the population
Age groupTotalPercent Total 8 151 300 100 0–14 2 970 800 36.45 15–24 1 641 400 20.14 25-59 3 177 700 38.98 60+ 361 400 4.43
Demographic and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR): Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR CBR TFR CBR TFR 2016-18 29 4.2 (3.0) 28 3.5 (2.6) 29 4.3 (3.1)
The gender ratio in 2016 was 51% male and 49% female. The number of households headed by a male was 82.5%, or 17.5% were headed by females. The median age of marriage is 20, while 18% of women are in polygynous relationships. The population is young, with a median age under 22 in 2011, when 36% of the population was younger than 15. The dependency ratio in urban areas was 64% in the late 2010s, while it was 83% in rural areas.
UN estimates Registration of vital events in Papua New Guinea is not complete. The website Our World in Data prepared the following estimates based on statistics from the Population Department of the United Nations.
Mid-year populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Total fertility rate (TFR)Infant mortality (per 1000 live births)Life expectancy (in years)19501,543,00070,00033,00037,00045.321.623.75.71169.739.1319511,574,00072,00038,00035,00045.924.021.95.74170.336.4919521,608,00074,00033,00041,00046.220.825.45.76161.540.4319531,648,00077,00034,00043,00046.520.426.15.79157.541.1219541,690,00078,00034,00045,00046.319.826.45.78153.641.8319551,735,00080,00034,00047,00046.219.426.95.82149.942.4619561,782,00082,00034,00048,00046.018.927.15.84146.243.0919571,831,00084,00034,00050,00045.718.327.45.89142.543.8319581,882,00086,00034,00052,00045.417.827.65.93138.944.5019591,933,00087,00034,00053,00044.917.427.65.96135.345.0819601,986,00089,00034,00055,00044.716.927.86.02131.745.6819612,036,00091,00034,00057,00044.416.428.06.07128.246.2919622,083,00093,00034,00059,00044.516.228.36.14125.246.6619632,129,00095,00033,00061,00044.315.528.86.15121.447.6019642,175,00097,00033,00064,00044.315.129.26.19118.148.2019652,222,00099,00033,00066,00044.214.729.66.20114.848.8219662,271,000101,00032,00069,00044.314.230.16.23111.649.5119672,323,000103,00032,00071,00044.113.730.46.24108.550.1419682,375,000105,00032,00073,00044.113.330.86.25105.450.8419692,431,000107,00031,00076,00043.912.831.16.26102.451.4119702,489,000109,00031,00078,00043.712.431.36.2599.552.1319712,549,000111,00031,00080,00043.312.031.36.2396.852.5819722,611,000112,00030,00082,00042.811.631.36.2094.053.2219732,672,000113,00030,00083,00042.011.130.96.1691.453.8719742,733,000113,00029,00084,00041.210.730.66.1189.054.4819752,794,000114,00029,00085,00040.510.330.26.0786.655.0419762,856,000114,00029,00086,00039.910.029.96.0284.455.5719772,918,000115,00028,00087,00039.29.729.65.9682.256.0419782,980,000116,00028,00087,00038.69.429.25.8880.256.5519793,042,000116,00028,00088,00038.09.228.85.7978.357.0019803,105,000117,00028,00089,00037.59.028.55.7176.557.4419813,169,000119,00028,00091,00037.38.828.55.6574.857.8319823,235,000121,00028,00093,00037.28.728.55.5973.158.1119833,304,000124,00029,00095,00037.38.628.75.5671.858.3719843,374,000126,00029,00097,00037.38.528.85.5170.258.5919853,448,000129,00029,000100,00037.38.428.85.4768.958.8719863,523,000132,00030,000102,00037.28.428.85.4267.758.9619873,600,000134,00030,000104,00037.28.328.85.3666.559.2119883,680,000137,00031,000106,00037.18.328.85.3065.359.3419893,764,000139,00031,000109,00037.08.228.85.2464.159.5819903,865,000142,00031,000111,00036.78.128.65.1863.059.7219913,991,000144,00032,000112,00036.38.028.25.1162.159.9119924,137,000148,00033,000116,00036.07.928.05.0360.960.2219934,292,000153,00033,000120,00035.87.828.04.9660.060.5119944,452,000157,00034,000123,00035.47.727.74.8759.060.7619954,616,000161,00035,000126,00035.07.627.44.7858.161.0519964,786,000166,00036,000130,00034.97.627.34.7357.261.1119974,960,000172,00037,000134,00034.77.527.24.6856.461.3819985,139,000177,00041,000137,00034.67.926.74.6356.760.6319995,321,000183,00040,000143,00034.47.527.04.5954.761.6720005,508,000187,00041,000146,00034.27.526.74.5353.961.7220015,698,000193,00042,000150,00033.97.526.44.4753.161.7720025,893,000198,00044,000153,00033.77.526.14.4252.461.7020036,091,000203,00046,000157,00033.47.525.94.3651.561.8020046,293,000206,00047,000159,00032.97.625.34.2850.661.7620056,499,000211,00049,000162,00032.57.624.94.2249.761.8020066,708,000214,00050,000164,00032.17.524.54.1548.861.9220076,921,000218,00052,000166,00031.67.524.14.0847.962.0320087,138,000222,00052,000170,00031.27.323.94.0246.862.5720097,359,000226,00053,000173,00030.87.223.63.9445.962.7920107,583,000230,00054,000176,00030.47.123.33.8844.963.0420117,807,000234,00054,000180,00030.07.023.13.8243.963.5320128,027,000237,00055,000182,00029.66.922.73.7543.063.7320138,246,000240,00056,000183,00029.16.822.33.6842.063.9620148,464,000242,00057,000185,00028.76.722.03.6341.064.2620158,682,000244,00057,000187,00028.26.621.63.5640.064.7020168,899,000246,00058,000188,00027.76.621.13.5039.064.8420179,115,000248,00059,000188,00027.26.520.73.4338.065.1020189,329,000250,00061,000189,00026.86.520.33.3837.065.1820199,542,000251,00062,000190,00026.46.519.93.3235.965.4720209,750,000253,00062,000191,00026.06.419.63.2734.965.7920219,949,000254,00066,000187,00025.56.718.83.2233.965.35
Ethnic groups Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous nations in the world. There are hundreds of ethnic groups indigenous to Papua New Guinea, the majority being from the group known as Papuans, whose ancestors arrived in the New Guinea region tens of thousands of years ago. The other indigenous peoples are Austronesians, their ancestors having arrived in the region less than four thousand years ago.
Melanesians Papuans Micronesians Polynesians
Ethnic identity in the country is complex. In some areas, it roughly correlates with linguistic diversity, which by itself creates hundreds of identities. However, ethnic identity is also shaped by the geography which physically divides different groups, by kinship ties, and by external pressures. Clan identity has become an important factor in politics, with politicians often relying on bloc voting from members of their clan. In turn, this has reinforced the practical importance of clan identity, and even spurred the creation of new clan identities.
There are also numerous people from other parts of the world now resident, including Chinese,"Chinese targeted in PNG riots – report ." News.com.au. 15 May 2009. Europeans, Australians, Indonesians, Filipinos, Polynesians, and Micronesians (the last four belonging to the Austronesian family). Around 50,000 expatriates, mostly from Australia and China, were living in Papua New Guinea in 1975, but most of these had moved by the 21st century. As of 2015, about 0.3% of the population was international migrants.
Immigration Chinese