Papua New Guinea: Net secondary income (current US$, BoP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Papua New Guinea's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) rose US$178.4 million on 2023 (from US$97.87 million to US$276.26 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +US$1.83 million and a typical year strayed about US$89.91 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 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 US$307.1 million in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was US$149.64 million in 1993. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 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 2024, Papua New Guinea had the 20th highest value of the 29 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 2024 ranking

• Niger — 16th of 29: US$420.92 million
• Sierra Leone — 17th of 29: US$387.6 million
• Mauritania — 18th of 29: US$335.3 million
• Guinea-Bissau — 20th of 29: US$152.44 million
• Solomon Islands — 21st of 29: US$146.26 million
• Marshall Islands — 22nd of 29: US$124.43 million

What this measures

Net secondary income (from abroad) comprises transfers of income between residents of the reporting country and the rest of the world that carry no provisions for repayment. Net secondary income is equal to the unrequited transfers of income from nonresidents to residents minus the unrequited transfers from residents to nonresidents. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Limitations: Discrepancies may arise in the balance of payments because there is no single source for balance of payments data and therefore no way to ensure that the data are fully consistent. Sources include customs data, monetary accounts of the banking system, external debt records, information provided by enterprises, surveys to estimate service transactions, and foreign exchange records. Differences in collection methods - such as in timing, definitions of residence and ownership, and the exchange rate used to value transactions - contribute to net errors and omissions. In addition, smuggling and other illegal or quasi-legal transactions may be unrecorded or misrecorded.

All 49 values

Net secondary income (current US$, BoP) in nearby economies

• Australia — −US$1.1 billion (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — −US$718.16 million (2025)
• Cambodia — US$2.44 billion (2025)
• China — US$22.12 billion (2025)
• Fiji — US$510.04 million (2024)
• French Polynesia — US$531.65 million (2016)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — −US$3.01 billion (2025)
• Indonesia — US$6.72 billion (2025)
• Japan — −US$37.35 billion (2025)
• Kiribati — US$98.25 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$2,665 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 7,084 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$30.16 billion (2025)
• GNI (current LCU) — 124.34 billion (2025)
• GNI per capita (current LCU)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Papua New Guinea's net secondary income (current US$, BoP)?

US$276.26 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is up 185.69% from US$96.7 million in 1976 (2.21% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$493.4 million in 2018 and the lowest −US$4.94 million in 2000.

How does Papua New Guinea rank?

20th highest of 29 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in net secondary income (current US$, BoP) unusual for Papua New Guinea?

In 2024, Papua New Guinea's net secondary income (current US$, BoP) rose US$178.4 million on 2023 (from US$97.87 million to US$276.26 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +US$1.83 million and a typical year strayed about US$89.91 million from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 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 BN.TRF.CURR.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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