Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 15.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
15.8%
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
234th
of 238 countries
All-time high
15.8%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Papua New Guinea, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Papua New Guinea is 15.8%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Papua New Guinea peaked at 15.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Papua New Guinea 234th out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.0% | -54.8% |
| 1720 | 0.0% | +16.7% |
| 1730 | 0.0% | +16.7% |
| 1740 | 0.0% | +16.7% |
| 1750 | 0.1% | +16.7% |
| 1760 | 0.1% | +16.7% |
| 1770 | 0.1% | +16.7% |
| 1780 | 0.1% | +16.7% |
| 1790 | 0.1% | +16.7% |
| 1800 | 0.1% | +16.7% |
| 1810 | 0.1% | +16.7% |
| 1820 | 0.2% | +16.7% |
| 1830 | 0.2% | +16.7% |
| 1840 | 0.2% | +16.7% |
| 1850 | 0.3% | +16.7% |
| 1860 | 0.3% | +16.7% |
| 1870 | 0.3% | +16.7% |
| 1880 | 0.4% | +16.7% |
| 1890 | 0.5% | +16.7% |
| 1900 | 0.5% | +16.7% |
| 1910 | 0.6% | +16.7% |
| 1920 | 0.7% | +16.7% |
| 1930 | 0.9% | +16.7% |
| 1940 | 1.0% | +16.7% |
| 1950 | 1.7% | +68.7% |
| 1951 | 1.7% | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 1.8% | +3.4% |
| 1953 | 1.9% | +5.3% |
| 1954 | 2.0% | +7.0% |
| 1955 | 2.2% | +8.2% |
| 1956 | 2.4% | +9.1% |
| 1957 | 2.6% | +9.7% |
| 1958 | 2.9% | +10.0% |
| 1959 | 3.1% | +10.1% |
| 1960 | 3.5% | +10.1% |
| 1961 | 3.8% | +9.9% |
| 1962 | 4.2% | +9.7% |
| 1963 | 4.6% | +9.4% |
| 1964 | 5.0% | +9.1% |
| 1965 | 5.4% | +8.7% |
| 1966 | 5.9% | +8.5% |
| 1967 | 6.6% | +12.8% |
| 1968 | 7.8% | +17.2% |
| 1969 | 9.1% | +16.5% |
| 1970 | 10.2% | +13.1% |
| 1971 | 11.1% | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 11.7% | +5.3% |
| 1973 | 12.2% | +4.8% |
| 1974 | 12.7% | +3.8% |
| 1975 | 13.0% | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 13.1% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 13.1% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 13.1% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 13.1% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 13.1% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 13.1% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 13.3% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 13.5% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 13.8% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 14.2% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 14.5% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 14.8% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 15.1% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 15.3% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 15.4% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 15.3% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 15.2% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 14.9% | -1.5% |
| 1994 | 14.7% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 14.4% | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 14.0% | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 13.7% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 13.5% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 13.3% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 13.2% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 13.2% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 13.1% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 13.0% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 13.0% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 13.0% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 13.0% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 13.0% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 13.0% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 13.0% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 13.1% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 13.2% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 13.4% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 13.5% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 13.7% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 13.9% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 14.2% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 15.1% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 15.4% | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 15.8% | +2.4% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 15.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 31% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 15.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 24% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Papua New Guinea changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1810s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1820s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1830s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1840s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1850s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1860s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1870s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1880s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1890s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1900s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1910s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1920s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1930s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1940s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 2.2% | 1.7% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.6% | 3.5% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 12.3% | 10.2% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.1% | 13.1% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.4% | 13.3% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.1% | 13.0% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.3% | 13.0% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.9% | 14.2% | 15.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 231 Niger 18.4% compare
- 232 Malawi 17.6% compare
- 233 Samoa 17.5% compare
- 235 Liechtenstein 14.6% compare
- 236 Montserrat 9.0% compare
- 237 Tokelau 0.0%
- 237 Wallis and Futuna 0.0%
More reference data data for Papua New Guinea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2042 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.3515 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0007 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.3515 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6846 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.5295 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2811 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0038 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Papua New Guinea?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Papua New Guinea was 15.8% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 15.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Papua New Guinea ranks 234th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.