New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea: Population, per square kilometre

New Zealand
19.92 units per square kilometre
in 2023
Papua New Guinea
22.94 units per square kilometre
in 2023
New Zealand rank
157th
Papua New Guinea rank
154th

Population, per square kilometre over time

  • New Zealand
  • Papua New Guinea
510152025196119922023

How they compare

Papua New Guinea currently reports 22.94 units per square kilometre against 19.92 units per square kilometre in New Zealand, a difference of 3.02 units per square kilometre.

That makes Papua New Guinea's figure about 1.2 times New Zealand's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was New Zealand ahead.

New Zealand ranks 157th and Papua New Guinea ranks 154th of 186 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, New Zealand averaged higher in 5 and Papua New Guinea in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade New Zealand Papua New Guinea Difference Ahead
1960s 9.95 units per square kilometre 4.95 units per square kilometre 5 units per square kilometre New Zealand
1970s 11.43 units per square kilometre 6.15 units per square kilometre 5.28 units per square kilometre New Zealand
1980s 12.22 units per square kilometre 7.62 units per square kilometre 4.6 units per square kilometre New Zealand
1990s 13.82 units per square kilometre 10.12 units per square kilometre 3.69 units per square kilometre New Zealand
2000s 15.54 units per square kilometre 14.24 units per square kilometre 1.3 units per square kilometre New Zealand
2010s 17.51 units per square kilometre 19.05 units per square kilometre 1.54 units per square kilometre Papua New Guinea
2020s 19.52 units per square kilometre 22.31 units per square kilometre 2.79 units per square kilometre Papua New Guinea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population, per square kilometre, New Zealand or Papua New Guinea?
Papua New Guinea, at 22.94 units per square kilometre against 19.92 units per square kilometre in New Zealand as of 2023.
What is the difference in population, per square kilometre between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea?
3.02 units per square kilometre, with Papua New Guinea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Papua New Guinea?
63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
How do New Zealand and Papua New Guinea rank globally for population, per square kilometre?
New Zealand ranks 157th and Papua New Guinea ranks 154th of 186 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Statizoid (derived), published as Population, per square kilometre. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea: Population, per square kilometre. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/compare/population-per-square-kilometre/new-zealand/papua-new-guinea/

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About this data

Indicator
Population, per square kilometre
Unit
units per square kilometre
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
186 places, 10,641 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed

Population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.