Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea: Resource Production Figures Are Nearly a Decade Old

Papua New Guinea's GDP was $31.80 billion in 2024, per World Bank WDI, with a population of 10,576,502 the same year and source. GDP per capita came to $3,006.71 in 2024 (World Bank WDI).

Government debt is projected at 49.2 percent of GDP in 2026, per the IMF's World Economic Outlook — a moderate level. Foreign reserves were $3.71 billion in 2024, per World Bank WDI.

Defense spending came to $106.48 million in 2025, per SIPRI's Military Expenditure Database, or 0.35 percent of GDP by SIPRI's own GDP series for that year — the lowest milex-to-GDP ratio in this bundle's structure; this ratio should not be recalculated against the 2024 World Bank GDP figure above, as the two draw on separate series. The Correlates of War National Material Capabilities dataset recorded 4,000 active personnel in 2022 and a Composite Index of National Capability score of 0.000345, also 2022.

V-Dem's 2025 release gives Papua New Guinea an electoral democracy index of 0.467, a liberal democracy index of 0.384, and a state capacity score of 0.511.

Data gaps

The resource-production figures in this bundle are the most dated. Oil production is listed at 33.705 terawatt-hours and gas production at 119.242 terawatt-hours, both dated to 2016 — nearly a decade old. These are substantial figures suggesting Papua New Guinea is a notable hydrocarbon producer, but because no more recent production data is available in this bundle, they should not be read as describing current output levels. Primary energy consumption (0.0963 exajoules, 2023) and electricity generation (4.73 terawatt-hours, 2024), both per Our World in Data's Energy dataset, are more current but measure different things than production and cannot be used to update the stale oil and gas figures.

All other metrics in this file — GDP, debt, reserves, milex, personnel, CINC, and governance — fall between 2022 and 2026 and should be read against their stated years rather than treated as a uniform current snapshot.

Sources: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, SIPRI Milex, Correlates of War National Material Capabilities, V-Dem v15, Our World in Data (Energy).