Papua New Guinea Population Pyramid 1972
Papua New Guinea in 1972
In 1972, Papua New Guinea had a total population of 2,628,432 people. A decade earlier, in 1962, the population was 2,093,919; it has grown by 25.5% since.
With a median age of 17.1 years, Papua New Guinea had a youth dependency ratio of 87.0 and an old-age dependency ratio of 2.0 per 100 people of working age. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.
Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.
In 2023 women in Papua New Guinea had on average 3.10 children, above the replacement level of 2.1.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
Life expectancy at birth was 66.1 years in 2023: 69.1 for women and 63.7 for men.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.
30,035 immigrants live in Papua New Guinea, 0.3% of the population.
| Indonesia | 13,638 |
| Australia | 9,250 |
| New Zealand | 1,789 |
| United Kingdom | 1,626 |
| Philippines | 1,468 |
35,031 people born in Papua New Guinea live in other countries.
| Australia | 34,316 |
| Solomon Islands | 538 |
| Vanuatu | 69 |
| Samoa | 34 |
| Guinea | 14 |
Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.
| Country | Population | Median age | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 2,628,433 | 17.1 | |
| Fiji | 550,499 | 17.6 | |
| Solomon Islands | 184,995 | 16.6 | |
| New Caledonia | 119,931 | 20.2 | |
| Vanuatu | 91,562 | 17.0 |





