Papua New Guinea Population Pyramid 1978
Papua New Guinea in 1978
As of 1978, Papua New Guinea counted 3,003,714 inhabitants. A decade earlier, in 1968, the population was 2,390,803; it has grown by 25.6% since.
The median age was 17.7 years, and for every 100 people of working age (15–64) there were 81.8 children under 15 and 2.2 people aged 65 or over. The pyramid is expansive: its wide base of young cohorts reflects high fertility and a rapidly growing population.
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 | 3,003,714 | 17.7 | |
| Fiji | 612,091 | 18.9 | |
| Solomon Islands | 222,029 | 15.8 | |
| New Caledonia | 146,392 | 20.2 | |
| Vanuatu | 109,963 | 17.3 |





