Papua New Guinea: GDP per capita (constant LCU)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Papua New Guinea's GDP per capita (constant LCU) rose 259.93 on 2024 (from 6,824 to 7,084).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.3 and a typical year strayed about 259.76 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 820.49 in 1993 and the biggest yearly fall was 481.41 in 1997. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Papua New Guinea had the 169th highest value of the 186 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Papua New Guinea in the 2025 ranking

• Sierra Leone — 166th of 186: 7,701
• Montenegro — 167th of 186: 7,474
• Oman — 168th of 186: 7,151
• Tuvalu — 170th of 186: 6,532
• Ecuador — 171st of 186: 6,409
• Marshall Islands — 172nd of 186: 6,174

What this measures

Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate.This indicator is expressed in constant prices, meaning the series has been adjusted to account for price changes over time. The reference year for this adjustment varies by country. This series is expressed in local currency units.

All 66 values

GDP per capita (constant LCU) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 13,342 (2022)
• Australia — 98,362 (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — 42,475 (2025)
• Cambodia — 8.97 million (2025)
• China — 95,671 (2025)
• Fiji — 13,496 (2025)
• French Polynesia — 2.03 million (2024)
• Guam — 32,813 (2022)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 422,236 (2025)
• Indonesia — 47.53 million (2025)
• Japan — 4.79 million (2025)

More economic policy & debt data for Papua New Guinea

• GDP (current US$) — US$32.5 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 133.98 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$28.68 billion (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 76.24 billion (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$3,020 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 12,449 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$2,665 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$30.16 billion (2025)
• GNI (current LCU) — 124.34 billion (2025)
• GNI per capita (current LCU) — 11,553 (2025)
• Net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Papua New Guinea's GDP per capita (constant LCU)?

7,084 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 103.01% from 3,489 in 1960 (1.1% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 7,084 in 2025 and the lowest 3,489 in 1960.

How does Papua New Guinea rank?

169th highest of 186 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in GDP per capita (constant LCU) unusual for Papua New Guinea?

In 2025, Papua New Guinea's GDP per capita (constant LCU) rose 259.93 on 2024 (from 6,824 to 7,084). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.3 and a typical year strayed about 259.76 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.GDP.PCAP.KN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks; National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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