Moving to Papua New GuineaShare
Papua New Guinea is a solid destination for global professionals, featuring a moderate tax burden of 16.6%. It hosts a vibrant and diverse expat community, notably drawing a significant number of residents from Indonesia.
Lifestyle & Vibe
Papua New Guinea has one of the highest violent crime rates in the world, with Port Moresby consistently ranked among the most dangerous capital cities globally - it is not a safe destination for foreign remote workers. Internet infrastructure is severely underdeveloped, costly, and unreliable, and basic services outside major urban areas are essentially nonexistent. The cost of living is surprisingly high due to import dependency and the oil/gas expat economy, making the risk-to-value ratio extremely poor. Papua New Guinea is strictly for resource sector professionals with organizational security support, not independent remote workers.
Digital Freedom & Remote Work
Censorship and network interference data is currently being collected for Papua New Guinea.
Society & Demographics
Papua New Guinea exhibits a predominantly male-populated society with 51.43% of the population being male, while 48.57% are female. The country faces significant socio-economic challenges, as indicated by its high GINI index at 41.9000, reflecting moderate to high levels of income inequality. Urbanization is low at just 15.41%, with a mere 2.7027% of women participating in parliament, underscoring both economic disparities and gender imbalances. Despite these issues, internet penetration stands at 18.81%, suggesting potential for rapid technological adoption despite the overall Gini index indicating income inequality.
Gender Distribution
Aging Society
Population over 65 years old
Education Spending
UNESCO Data. Indicates focus on public schooling.
Quality of Life
Papua New Guinea faces significant challenges with its quality of life, healthcare, and well-being indicators. Life expectancy stands at 65.49 years, influenced by factors such as the low number of medical doctors per 10,000 people (just 0.46) and a Universal Health Coverage Index of only 32.00. While air quality is relatively good with an average PM2.5 level of 17.31 µg/m³, safety concerns persist as indicated by a homicide rate of 9.34 per 100,000 people. Despite these challenges, the country's obesity rate at 27.99% suggests lifestyle issues that could impact overall health.
Economic Freedom & Business Climate
Papua New Guinea's economy exhibits a mixed picture with an inflation rate of 0.6%, slightly under control but indicative of potential deflationary pressures. The unemployment rate stands at 2.57%, suggesting relatively strong labor market conditions. However, the country's overall economic freedom score of 54.3 out of 100 and its fiscal health score of 65.3 highlight areas for improvement in terms of government spending and taxation policies. Notably, Papua New Guinea scores particularly low in investment freedom (25) and financial freedom (30), which could constrain business growth and limit access to capital, posing significant challenges despite the favorable labor market conditions and robust trade freedoms.
Evaluated across 12 quantitative factors. Scores span 0-100, where higher scores indicate greater economic liberty, lighter tax burdens, and stronger property rights.
Climate Profile (Port Moresby)
Political Stability & Governance
Evaluated across Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI). Scores span approximately -2.5 to 2.5, where higher scores indicate stronger governance, better stability, and lower corruption.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the tax burden in Papua New Guinea?
The tax burden in Papua New Guinea is approximately 16.6%, according to World Bank data.
Is Papua New Guinea safe?
The homicide rate in Papua New Guinea is 9.3 per 100,000 people (World Bank).