Papua New Guinea's internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin was 70,000 in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 1,011% from 6,300 in 2015 (27.23% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 70,000 | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 13,000 | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 6,300 | 2015 |
| Highest | 84,000 | 2023 |
| Lowest | 6,300 | 2015 |
| Average since 2016 | 42,267 | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 7,500 | 2014 |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Papua New Guinea's internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin fell 16.7% on 2024 (from 84,000 to 70,000).
Across the 8 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2024), the average change was +8.9% and a typical year strayed about 20.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below 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 42.9% in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 16.7% in 2025. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about 10,062 a year. A straight line explains 79% of the movement over 9 observed years.
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 36th highest value of the 44 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 70,000 | 2025 |
| World | 68.6 million | 2025 |
| East Asia & Pacific | 4.56 million | 2025 |
| Lower middle income | 13.73 million | 2025 |
Closest to Papua New Guinea in the 2025 ranking
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 33rd of 44: 95,000
- Libya — 34th of 44: 85,000
- Peru — 35th of 44: 82,000
- Lebanon — 37th of 44: 64,000
- Indonesia — 38th of 44: 36,000
- Philippines — 39th of 44: 28,000
What this measures
Internally displaced people (IDPs) are persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of, or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, and violations of human rights, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.
Limitations: Collecting accurate data on internally displaced people (IDPs) is challenging in conflict zones and areas with limited access, leading to potential underreporting or incomplete coverage. Repeated displacements and the complex dynamics of internal conflicts can result in double counting or misclassification of IDPs. Additionally, differing definitions of IDPs across countries and regions can hinder the comparability and reliability of the data, complicating international efforts to address internal displacement.
All 11 values
| Year | Internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 70,000 |
| 2024 | 84,000 |
| 2023 | 84,000 |
| 2022 | 83,000 |
| 2021 | no data |
| 2020 | 13,000 |
| 2019 | 14,000 |
| 2018 | 12,000 |
| 2017 | 12,000 |
| 2016 | 8,400 |
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin in nearby economies
- Indonesia — 36,000 (2025)
- Myanmar — 3.64 million (2025)
- Philippines — 28,000 (2025)
- Thailand — 273,000 (2025)
More social protection & labor data for Papua New Guinea
- Net migration — -284 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 7,727 (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 29.35% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 27.16% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 28.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 51.62% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 54.1% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Papua New Guinea's internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin?
- 70,000 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2014?
- It is up 833.33% from 7,500 in 2014 (22.51% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 84,000 in 2023 and the lowest 6,300 in 2015.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank?
- 36th highest of 44 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in internally displaced persons (IDPs) by country or territory of asylum / origin unusual for Papua New Guinea?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.IDPC, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), uri: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download; Global Internal Displacement Database, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), uri: https://www.internal-displacement.org/database/displacement-data/ 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.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
Legal entity
Devansh Yadav
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Governing law: Courts at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Phone: +91 8433475698
Legal: legal@analyzeit.in