Labor force — all countries

Labor force — Papua New Guinea

Labor force in Papua New Guinea in 2025 — 3,746,653 people. Ranked 95 in the world out of 182. Since 1990, the indicator has risen by 241.9%.

2025 3.75M people +2.49% vs 2024
World rank 95of 182
Period maximum 3.75M people2025
Period minimum 1.1M people1990

Trend over time

1990–2025 · people

Labor force — Papua New Guinea, 1990–202501M2M3M4M19901994199820022006201020142018202220251990: 1,095,939 people1991: 1,131,883 people1992: 1,172,546 people1993: 1,213,780 people1994: 1,262,329 people1995: 1,317,891 people1996: 1,368,621 people1997: 1,428,038 people1998: 1,489,097 people1999: 1,548,084 people2000: 1,611,797 people2001: 1,675,955 people2002: 1,742,551 people2003: 1,809,703 people2004: 1,878,745 people2005: 1,946,354 people2006: 2,015,655 people2007: 2,084,385 people2008: 2,162,147 people2009: 2,235,349 people2010: 2,306,745 people2011: 2,404,038 people2012: 2,498,151 people2013: 2,594,645 people2014: 2,682,110 people2015: 2,778,064 people2016: 2,876,659 people2017: 2,979,396 people2018: 3,089,167 people2019: 3,193,903 people2020: 3,269,241 people2021: 3,393,679 people2022: 3,494,880 people2023: 3,573,686 people2024: 3,655,667 people2025: 3,746,653 people
Change over the period: +2.65M (+241.87%) Average annual rate: 3.57 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea 3.75M people
World 3.74B people
East Asia & Pacific 1.28B people
Melanesia computed 4.84M people
Lower-middle-income countries computed 1.34B people
Labor force — Papua New Guinea, by year Papua New Guinea All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 3.75M +90,986 +2.49%
2024 3.66M +81,981 +2.29%
2023 3.57M +78,806 +2.25%
2022 3.49M +101,201 +2.98%
2021 3.39M +124,438 +3.81%
2020 3.27M +75,338 +2.36%
2019 3.19M +104,736 +3.39%
2018 3.09M +109,771 +3.68%
2017 2.98M +102,737 +3.57%
2016 2.88M +98,595 +3.55%
2015 2.78M +95,954 +3.58%
2014 2.68M +87,465 +3.37%
2013 2.59M +96,494 +3.86%
2012 2.5M +94,113 +3.91%
2011 2.4M +97,293 +4.22%
2010 2.31M +71,396 +3.19%
2009 2.24M +73,202 +3.39%
2008 2.16M +77,762 +3.73%
2007 2.08M +68,730 +3.41%
2006 2.02M +69,301 +3.56%
2005 1.95M +67,609 +3.6%
2004 1.88M +69,042 +3.82%
2003 1.81M +67,152 +3.85%
2002 1.74M +66,596 +3.97%
2001 1.68M +64,158 +3.98%
2000 1.61M +63,713 +4.12%
1999 1.55M +58,987 +3.96%
1998 1.49M +61,059 +4.28%
1997 1.43M +59,417 +4.34%
1996 1.37M +50,730 +3.85%
1995 1.32M +55,562 +4.4%
1994 1.26M +48,549 +4%
1993 1.21M +41,234 +3.52%
1992 1.17M +40,663 +3.59%
1991 1.13M +35,944 +3.28%
1990 1.1M

Melanesia, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The economically active population — everyone aged 15 and over who either works or actively looks for work. It covers the employed, the unemployed and first-time job seekers; it leaves out students, homemakers and other people who do not offer their labor on the market. The size of the labor force is the basic constraint on the growth potential of an economy.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.