MigrantoImmigrants in Papua New Guinea
30K foreign-born residents — the #173 largest immigrant population in the world
Where immigrants come from
The top 3 countries account for 82% of all immigrants
| Country | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| Indonesia | 13638 |
| Australia | 9250 |
| New Zealand | 1789 |
| United Kingdom | 1626 |
| Philippines | 1468 |
| USA | 735 |
| Japan | 259 |
| Canada | 236 |
| Solomon Islands | 221 |
| India | 157 |
| Vanuatu | 98 |
| China | 87 |
| Fiji | 83 |
| Sri Lanka | 78 |
| Malaysia | 78 |
| South Korea | 63 |
| Singapore | 50 |
| Ireland | 41 |
| Tanzania | 27 |
| Tonga | 26 |
| Russia | 25 |
By region of origin
Asia is the leading region of origin at 53%
15.9K
11.5K
1.7K
971
27
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about immigration in Papua New Guinea.
Indonesia is the leading source of immigration by a wide margin
Indonesia accounts for 45% of all immigrants, far ahead of the second-largest source at just 31%.
The share of immigrants from Asia has grown since 1990
The share of immigrants from Asia has shifted from 34.8% to 52.9% since 1990.
How immigration changed over time
Total immigrant population by year
| Year | Immigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 32047 |
| 1995 | 31809 |
| 2000 | 25008 |
| 2005 | 28779 |
| 2010 | 29304 |
| 2015 | 29831 |
| 2020 | 29936 |
| 2024 | 30035 |
Top sources over time
Immigration from the 5 largest source countries
| Year | Indonesia | Australia | New Zealand | United Kingdom | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8108 | 13916 | 2540 | 2192 | 2005 |
| 1995 | 7293 | 14258 | 2602 | 2245 | 2054 |
| 2000 | 6663 | 10675 | 1948 | 1680 | 1537 |
| 2005 | 9806 | 10675 | 2068 | 1880 | 1697 |
| 2010 | 13219 | 9056 | 1754 | 1594 | 1439 |
| 2015 | 13527 | 9183 | 1778 | 1616 | 1459 |
| 2020 | 13592 | 9219 | 1783 | 1621 | 1463 |
| 2024 | 13638 | 9250 | 1789 | 1626 | 1468 |
Fastest-changing origins
How immigration from each country has changed since the selected year
Papua New Guinea as a destination, by diaspora
Share of each country's emigrants who settled in Papua New Guinea
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many immigrants live in Papua New Guinea?
Around 30K foreign-born residents live in Papua New Guinea, making it the #173-largest immigrant population in the world.
Where do most immigrants in Papua New Guinea come from?
Most immigrants in Papua New Guinea come from Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand — these three countries account for about 82% of all foreign-born residents.
What share of the population of Papua New Guinea are immigrants?
Immigrants make up around 0% of the population of Papua New Guinea — that's 30K out of a total population of 10.6M.
How has immigration to Papua New Guinea changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the immigrant population in Papua New Guinea has changed from 29.8K to 30K people, a change of about 1%.
Where to live?
Match a country to your priorities
Explore other countries
See where people move around the world