Topic: Photos of Papua New Guinea

Topic: Introduction
Background: Papua New Guinea (PNG) was first settled between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. PNG’s harsh geography consisting of mountains, jungles, and numerous river valleys, kept many of the arriving groups isolated, giving rise to PNG’s incredible ethnic and linguistic diversity. Agriculture was independently developed by some of these groups. Around 500 B.C., Austronesian voyagers settled along the coast. Spanish and Portuguese explorers periodically visited the island starting in the 1500s but none made it into the country’s interior. American and British whaling ships frequented the islands off the coast of New Guinea in the mid-1800s. In 1884, Germany declared a protectorate - and eventually a colony - over the northern part of what would become PNG and named it German New Guinea; days later the UK followed suit on the southern part and nearby islands and called it Papua. Most of their focus was on the coastal regions, leaving the highlands largely unexplored.

The UK put its colony under Australian administration in 1902 and formalized the act in 1906. At the outbreak of World War I, Australia occupied German New Guinea and continued to rule it after the war as a League of Nations Mandate. The discovery of gold along the Bulolo River in the 1920s, led prospectors to venture into the highlands, where they found about 1 million people living in isolated communities. Japan invaded New Guinea in 1941 and reached Papua the following year. Allied victories during the New Guinea campaign pushed out the Japanese, and after the end of the war, Australia combined the two territories into one administration. Sir Michael SOMARE won elections in 1972 on the promise of achieving independence, which was realized in 1975.

A secessionist movement in Bougainville, an island well endowed in copper and gold resources, reignited in 1988 with debates about land use, profits, and an influx of outsiders at the Panguna Copper Mine. Following elections in 1992, the PNG government took a hardline stance against Bougainville rebels and the resulting civil war led to about 20,000 deaths. In 1997, the PNG government hired mercenaries to support its troops in Bougainville, sparking an army mutiny and forcing the prime minister to resign. PNG and Bougainville signed a truce in 1997 and a peace agreement in 2001, which granted Bougainville autonomy. An internationally-monitored nonbinding referendum asking Bougainvilleans to chose independence or greater self rule occurred in November 2019, with 98% of voters opting for independence.Papua New Guinea (PNG) was first settled between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. PNG’s harsh geography consisting of mountains, jungles, and numerous river valleys, kept many of the arriving groups isolated, giving rise to PNG’s incredible ethnic and linguistic diversity. Agriculture was independently developed by some of these groups. Around 500 B.C., Austronesian voyagers settled along the coast. Spanish and Portuguese explorers periodically visited the island starting in the 1500s but none made it into the country’s interior. American and British whaling ships frequented the islands off the coast of New Guinea in the mid-1800s. In 1884, Germany declared a protectorate - and eventually a colony - over the northern part of what would become PNG and named it German New Guinea; days later the UK followed suit on the southern part and nearby islands and called it Papua. Most of their focus was on the coastal regions, leaving the highlands largely unexplored.

The UK put its colony under Australian administration in 1902 and formalized the act in 1906. At the outbreak of World War I, Australia occupied German New Guinea and continued to rule it after the war as a League of Nations Mandate. The discovery of gold along the Bulolo River in the 1920s, led prospectors to venture into the highlands, where they found about 1 million people living in isolated communities. Japan invaded New Guinea in 1941 and reached Papua the following year. Allied victories during the New Guinea campaign pushed out the Japanese, and after the end of the war, Australia combined the two territories into one administration. Sir Michael SOMARE won elections in 1972 on the promise of achieving independence, which was realized in 1975.

A secessionist movement in Bougainville, an island well endowed in copper and gold resources, reignited in 1988 with debates about land use, profits, and an influx of outsiders at the Panguna Copper Mine. Following elections in 1992, the PNG government took a hardline stance against Bougainville rebels and the resulting civil war led to about 20,000 deaths. In 1997, the PNG government hired mercenaries to support its troops in Bougainville, sparking an army mutiny and forcing the prime minister to resign. PNG and Bougainville signed a truce in 1997 and a peace agreement in 2001, which granted Bougainville autonomy. An internationally-monitored nonbinding referendum asking Bougainvilleans to chose independence or greater self rule occurred in November 2019, with 98% of voters opting for independence.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia
Geographic coordinates: 6 00 S, 147 00 E
Map references: Oceania
Area: total: 462,840 sq km

land: 452,860 sq km

water: 9,980 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: total: 824 km

border countries (1): Indonesia 824 km
Coastline: 5,152 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Elevation: highest point: Mount Wilhelm 4,509 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 667 m
Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries
Land use: agricultural land: 2.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 63.1% (2018 est.)

other: 34.3% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km): Sepik river source and mouth (shared with Indonesia) - 1,126 km; Fly river source and mouth (shared with Indonesia) - 1,050 km
Population distribution: population concentrated in the highlands and eastern coastal areas on the island of New Guinea; predominantly a rural distribution with only about one-fifth of the population residing in urban areas
Natural hazards: active volcanism; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamisvolcanism: severe volcanic activity; Ulawun (2,334 m), one of Papua New Guinea's potentially most dangerous volcanoes, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Rabaul (688 m) destroyed the city of Rabaul in 1937 and 1994; Lamington erupted in 1951 killing 3,000 people; Manam's 2004 eruption forced the island's abandonment; other historically active volcanoes include Bam, Bagana, Garbuna, Karkar, Langila, Lolobau, Long Island, Pago, St. Andrew Strait, Victory, and Waiowa; see note 2 under "Geography - note"active volcanism; the country is subject to frequent and sometimes severe earthquakes; mud slides; tsunamisvolcanism: severe volcanic activity; Ulawun (2,334 m), one of Papua New Guinea's potentially most dangerous volcanoes, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Rabaul (688 m) destroyed the city of Rabaul in 1937 and 1994; Lamington erupted in 1951 killing 3,000 people; Manam's 2004 eruption forced the island's abandonment; other historically active volcanoes include Bam, Bagana, Garbuna, Karkar, Langila, Lolobau, Long Island, Pago, St. Andrew Strait, Victory, and Waiowa; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
Geography - note: note 1: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; generally east-west trending highlands break up New Guinea into diverse ecoregions; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast

note 2: two major food crops apparently developed on the island of New Guinea: bananas and sugarcane note 3: Papua New Guinea is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Firenote 1: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia; generally east-west trending highlands break up New Guinea into diverse ecoregions; one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast

note 2: two major food crops apparently developed on the island of New Guinea: bananas and sugarcanenote 3: Papua New Guinea is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
Map description: Papua New Guinea map showing major cities and islands of this archipelagic Pacific Ocean country as well as parts of neighboring countries.Papua New Guinea map showing major cities and islands of this archipelagic Pacific Ocean country as well as parts of neighboring countries.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 9,593,498 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Papua New Guinean(s)

adjective: Papua New Guinean
Ethnic groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian
Languages: Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 839 indigenous languages spoken (about 12% of the world's total); many languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers

note: Tok Pisin, a creole language, is widely used and understood; English is spoken by 1%-2%; Hiri Motu is spoken by less than 2%
Religions: Protestant 64.3% (Evangelical Lutheran 18.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.9%, Pentecostal 10.4%, United Church 10.3%, Evangelical Alliance 5.9%, Anglican 3.2%, Baptist 2.8%, Salvation Army .4%), Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 5.3%, non-Christian 1.4%, unspecified 3.1% (2011 est.)

note: data represent only the citizen population; roughly 0.3% of the population are non-citizens, consisting of Christian 52% (predominantly Roman Catholic), other 10.7% , none 37.3%
Age structure: 0-14 years: 31.98% (male 1,182,539/female 1,139,358)

15-24 years: 19.87% (male 731,453/female 711,164)

25-54 years: 37.68% (male 1,397,903/female 1,337,143)

55-64 years: 5.83% (male 218,529/female 204,717)

65 years and over: 4.64% (2020 est.) (male 164,734/female 171,916)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 63.2

youth dependency ratio: 57.4

elderly dependency ratio: 5.8

potential support ratio: 17.2 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 24 years

male: 24 years

female: 24 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.35% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 29.03 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: population concentrated in the highlands and eastern coastal areas on the island of New Guinea; predominantly a rural distribution with only about one-fifth of the population residing in urban areas
Urbanization: urban population: 13.6% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 400,000 PORT MORESBY (capital) (2022)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: note: median age a first birth among women 25-49
Maternal mortality ratio: 145 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 33.59 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 36.91 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 30.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.43 years

male: 67.76 years

female: 71.19 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.92 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 36.7% (2016/18)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 86.2% of population

rural: 41.5% of population

total: 47.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 13.8% of population

rural: 58.5% of population

total: 52.5% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 2.3% (2019)
Physicians density: 0.07 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 57.8% of population

rural: 18.2% of population

total: 23.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 42.2% of population

rural: 81.8% of population

total: 76.5% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.9% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 55,000 (2020 est.)

note: estimate does not include children
HIV/AIDS - deaths: (2020 est.) <500

note: estimate does not include children
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 21.3% (2016)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 27.8% (2009/11)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 8% (2018)

women married by age 18: 27.3% (2018)

men married by age 18: 3.7% (2018 est.)
Education expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (2018)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 64.2%

male: 65.6%

female: 62.8% (2015)
People - note: the indigenous population of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the most heterogeneous in the world; PNG has several thousand separate communities, most with only a few hundred people; divided by language, customs, and tradition, some of these communities have engaged in low-scale tribal conflict with their neighbors for millennia; the advent of modern weapons and modern migrants into urban areas has greatly magnified the impact of this lawlessness

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: rain forest loss as a result of growing commercial demand for tropical timber; unsustainable logging practices result in soil erosion, water quality degredation, and loss of habitat and biodiversity; large-scale mining projects cause adverse impacts on forests and water quality (discharge of heavy metals, cyanide, and acids into rivers); severe drought; inappropriate farming practices accelerate land degradion (soil erosion, siltation, loss of soil fertility); destructive fishing practices and coastal pollution due to run-off from land-based activities and oil spills
Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 7.54 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 11.05 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Land use: agricultural land: 2.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 63.1% (2018 est.)

other: 34.3% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 13.6% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 2.08% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 1 million tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 20,000 tons (2016 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 2% (2016 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km): Sepik river source and mouth (shared with Indonesia) - 1,126 km; Fly river source and mouth (shared with Indonesia) - 1,050 km
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 223.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 167.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 801 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Independent State of Papua New Guinea

conventional short form: Papua New Guinea

local short form: Papuaniugini

former: German New Guinea, British New Guinea, Territory of Papua and New Guinea

abbreviation: PNG

etymology: the word "papua" derives from the Malay "papuah" describing the frizzy hair of the Melanesians; Spanish explorer Ynigo ORTIZ de RETEZ applied the term "Nueva Guinea" to the island of New Guinea in 1545 after noting the resemblance of the locals to the peoples of the Guinea coast of Africa
Government type: parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital: name: Port Moresby

geographic coordinates: 9 27 S, 147 11 E

time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note: Papua New Guinea has two time zones, including Bougainville (UTC+11)

etymology: named in 1873 by Captain John Moresby (1830-1922) in honor of his father, British Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby (1786-1877)
Administrative divisions: 20 provinces, 1 autonomous region*, and 1 district**; Bougainville*, Central, Chimbu, Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Hela, Jiwaka, Madang, Manus, Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital**, New Ireland, Northern, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain, West Sepik
Independence: 16 September 1975 (from the Australia-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Constitution: history: adopted 15 August 1975, effective at independence 16 September 1975

amendments: proposed by the National Parliament; passage has prescribed majority vote requirements depending on the constitutional sections being amended – absolute majority, two-thirds majority, or three-fourths majority; amended many times, last in 2016
Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Papua New Guinea

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Grand Chief Sir Bob DADAE (since 28 February 2017)

head of government: Prime Minister James MARAPE (since 30 May 2019); Deputy Prime Minister Sam BASIL (since 20 December 2020)

cabinet: National Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general nominated by the National Parliament and appointed by the chief of state; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general pending the outcome of a National Parliament vote

election results: James MARAPE elected prime minister; National Parliament vote - 101 to 8
Legislative branch: description: unicameral National Parliament (111 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies - 89 local, 20 provinicial, the autonomous province of Bouganville, and the National Capital District - by majority preferential vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the constitution allows up to 126 seats

elections: last held from 24 June 2017 to 8 July 2017 (next to be held in June 2022)

election results: percent of vote by party - PNC 37%; NA 13%; Pangu 14%; URP 11%; PPP 4%; SDP 4%; Independents 3%; and smaller parties 14%; seats by party - NA; composition - men 108, women 3, percent of women 3%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, deputy chief justice, 35 justices, and 5 acting justices); National Courts (consists of 13 courts located in the provincial capitals, with a total of 19 resident judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor general upon advice of the National Executive Council (cabinet) after consultation with the National Justice Administration minister; deputy chief justice and other justices appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body that includes the Supreme Court chief and deputy chief justices, the chief ombudsman, and a member of the National Parliament; full-time citizen judges appointed for 10-year renewable terms; non-citizen judges initially appointed for 3-year renewable terms and after first renewal can serve until age 70; appointment and tenure of National Court resident judges NA

subordinate courts: district, village, and juvenile courts, military courts, taxation courts, coronial courts, mining warden courts, land courts, traffic courts, committal courts, grade five courts
Political parties and leaders: National Alliance Party or NAP [Patrick PRUAITCH]
Papua and Niugini Union Party or PANGU [Sam BASIL]
Papua New Guinea Party or PNGP [Belden NAMAH]
People's National Congress Party or PNC [Peter Paire O'NEILL]
People's Party or PP [Peter IPATAS]
People's Progress Party or PPP [Sir Julius CHAN]
Social Democratic Party or SDP [Powes PARKOP]
Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party or THE [Don POLYE]
United Resources Party or URP [William DUMA]

note: as of 8 July 2017, 45 political parties were registered
International organization participation: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (observer), C, CD, CP, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge D’Affaires Cephas KAYO, Minister (since 31 January 2018)

chancery: 1825 K Street NW, Suite 1010, Washington, DC 20006

telephone: [1] (202) 745-3680

FAX: [1] (202) 745-3679

email address and website:
info@pngembassy.org

http://www.pngembassy.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Erin Elizabeth MCKEE (since 27 November 2019); note - also accredited to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

embassy: P.O. Box 1492, Port Moresby

mailing address: 4240 Port Moresby Place, Washington DC  20521-4240

telephone: [675] 308-2100

email address and website:
ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov

https://pg.usembassy.gov/
Flag description: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five, white, five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered; red, black, and yellow are traditional colors of Papua New Guinea; the bird of paradise - endemic to the island of New Guinea - is an emblem of regional tribal culture and represents the emergence of Papua New Guinea as a nation; the Southern Cross, visible in the night sky, symbolizes Papua New Guinea's connection with Australia and several other countries in the South Pacific
National symbol(s): bird of paradise; national colors: red, black
National anthem: name: O Arise All You Sons

lyrics/music: Thomas SHACKLADY

note: adopted 1975
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Kuk Early Agricultural Site

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Papua New Guinea (PNG) is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain, land tenure issues, and the high cost of developing infrastructure. The economy has a small formal sector, focused mainly on the export of those natural resources, and an informal sector, employing the majority of the population. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the people. The global financial crisis had little impact because of continued foreign demand for PNG's commodities.   Mineral deposits, including copper, gold, and oil, account for nearly two-thirds of export earnings. Natural gas reserves amount to an estimated 155 billion cubic meters. Following construction of a $19 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, PNG LNG, a consortium led by ExxonMobil, began exporting liquefied natural gas to Asian markets in May 2014. The project was delivered on time and only slightly above budget. The success of the project has encouraged other companies to look at similar LNG projects. French supermajor Total is hopes to begin construction on the Papua LNG project by 2020. Due to lower global commodity prices, resource revenues of all types have fallen dramatically. PNG’s government has recently been forced to adjust spending levels downward.   Numerous challenges still face the government of Peter O'NEILL, including providing physical security for foreign investors, regaining investor confidence, restoring integrity to state institutions, promoting economic efficiency by privatizing moribund state institutions, and maintaining good relations with Australia, its former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural challenges could upend the economy including chronic law and order and land tenure issues. In August, 2017, PNG launched its first-ever national trade policy, PNG Trade Policy 2017-2032. The policy goal is to maximize trade and investment by increasing exports, to reduce imports, and to increase foreign direct investment (FDI).Papua New Guinea (PNG) is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain, land tenure issues, and the high cost of developing infrastructure. The economy has a small formal sector, focused mainly on the export of those natural resources, and an informal sector, employing the majority of the population. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the people. The global financial crisis had little impact because of continued foreign demand for PNG's commodities. Mineral deposits, including copper, gold, and oil, account for nearly two-thirds of export earnings. Natural gas reserves amount to an estimated 155 billion cubic meters. Following construction of a $19 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, PNG LNG, a consortium led by ExxonMobil, began exporting liquefied natural gas to Asian markets in May 2014. The project was delivered on time and only slightly above budget. The success of the project has encouraged other companies to look at similar LNG projects. French supermajor Total is hopes to begin construction on the Papua LNG project by 2020. Due to lower global commodity prices, resource revenues of all types have fallen dramatically. PNG’s government has recently been forced to adjust spending levels downward. Numerous challenges still face the government of Peter O'NEILL, including providing physical security for foreign investors, regaining investor confidence, restoring integrity to state institutions, promoting economic efficiency by privatizing moribund state institutions, and maintaining good relations with Australia, its former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural challenges could upend the economy including chronic law and order and land tenure issues. In August, 2017, PNG launched its first-ever national trade policy, PNG Trade Policy 2017-2032. The policy goal is to maximize trade and investment by increasing exports, to reduce imports, and to increase foreign direct investment (FDI).
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $36.69 billion (2020 est.)

$38.17 billion (2019 est.)

$36.06 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 2.5% (2017 est.)

1.6% (2016 est.)

5.3% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $4,100 (2020 est.)

$4,300 (2019 est.)

$4,200 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $19.82 billion (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (2017 est.)

6.7% (2016 est.)
Credit ratings: Moody's rating: B2 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating: B- (2020)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 22.1% (2017 est.)

industry: 42.9% (2017 est.)

services: 35% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 43.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 19.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 10% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 49.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -22.3% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: oil palm fruit, bananas, coconuts, fruit, sweet potatoes, game meat, yams, roots/tubers nes, vegetables, taro
Industries: copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining (gold, silver, copper); crude oil and petroleum products; construction, tourism, livestock (pork, poultry, cattle), dairy products, spice products (turmeric, vanilla, ginger, cardamom, chili, pepper, citronella, and nutmeg), fisheries products
Industrial production growth rate: 3.3% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 3.681 million (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 85%

industry: NA

services: NA
Unemployment rate: 2.5% (2017 est.)

2.5% (2016 est.)
Population below poverty line: 37% (2002 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 50.9 (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.7%

highest 10%: 40.5% (1996)
Budget: revenues: 3.638 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 4.591 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -4.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 36.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

36.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 18.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Current account balance: $4.859 billion (2017 est.)

$4.569 billion (2016 est.)
Exports: $10.6 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$9.224 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - partners: Australia 26%, China 26%, Japan 22%, Taiwan 7% (2019)
Exports - commodities: natural gas, gold, copper, lumber, crude petroleum, nickel, palm oil, fish, coffee (2019)
Imports: $4.84 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.077 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - partners: Australia 33%, China 19%, Singapore 14%, Malaysia 9% (2019)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, excavation machinery, crude petroleum, foodstuffs, delivery trucks (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.735 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.656 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $17.94 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$18.28 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates: kina (PGK) per US dollar -

3.5131 (2020 est.)

3.4042 (2019 est.)

3.36915 (2018 est.)

2.7684 (2014 est.)

2.4614 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 58.9% (2018)

electrification - urban areas: 82% (2018)

electrification - rural areas: 55.4% (2018)
Electricity - production: 3.481 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 3.237 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2017 est.)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 900,900 kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 63% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 30% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 7% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil - production: 45,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - exports: 55,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - imports: 22,220 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves: 183.8 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 22,170 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 37,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 17,110 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas - production: 11.18 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 99.11 million cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 11.1 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 210.5 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 166,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 4.018 million (2018)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47.62 (2019 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: telecom services stymied by rugged terrain, high cost of infrastructure, and poverty of citizens; services are minimal with little change in fixed-line tele-density in two decades; progress in mobile platforms with almost 90% coverage on 3G and LTE; GSM available in remote areas; Internet slow and expensive, available to pockets of the population; facilities provide radiotelephone, telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio communication services; launch of satellite and landing of submarine cable will improve most services in the region; government supports training to boost digital transformation; Australia attempted to block Chinese investment in cooperative network; importer of broadcasting equipment from China (2020)

domestic: access to telephone services is not widely available; fixed-line nearly 2 per 100 and mobile-cellular nearly 48 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 675; landing points for the Kumul Domestic Submarine Cable System, PNG-LNG, APNG-2, CSCS and the PPC-1 submarine cables to Australia, Guam, PNG and Solomon Islands; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media: 4 TV stations: 1 commercial station operating since 1987, 1 state-run station launched in 2008, 1 digital free-to-view network launched in 2014, and 1 satellite network Click TV (PNGTV) launched in 2015; the state-run National Broadcasting Corporation operates 3 radio networks with multiple repeaters and about 20 provincial stations; several commercial radio stations with multiple transmission points as well as several community stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible (2018)
Internet country code: .pg
Internet users: total: 965,373 (2019 est.)

percent of population: 11% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 21,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.23 (2020 est.) less than 1

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 48

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 964,713 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 30.93 million (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: P2
Airports: total: 561 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 21

over 3,047 m: 1

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 540

1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

914 to 1,523 m: 53

under 914 m: 476 (2021)
Heliports: 2 (2021)
Pipelines: 264 km oil (2013)
Roadways: total: 9,349 km (2011)

paved: 3,000 km (2011)

unpaved: 6,349 km (2011)
Waterways: 11,000 km (2011)
Merchant marine: total: 177

by type: container ship 6, general cargo 81, oil tanker 3, other 87 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Kimbe, Lae, Madang, Rabaul, Wewak

LNG terminal(s) (export): Port Moresby

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF; includes land, maritime, and air elements); Ministry of Police: Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (2021)
Military expenditures: 0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.3% of GDP (2019) (approximately $100 million)

0.3% of GDP (2018) (approximately $100 million)

0.3% of GDP (2017) (approximately $110 million)
Military and security service personnel strengths: the Papau New Guinea Defense Force has approximately 3,000 active duty troops, including a land element of about 2,500 (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the PNGDF has a limited inventory consisting of a diverse mix of foreign-supplied weapons and equipment; Papua New Guinea has received most of its military assistance from Australia (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service (with parental consent); no conscription (2021)
Military - note: as of 2021, Australia and the US were assisting Papua New Guinea with expanding and improving the Defense Force naval base at Lombrum on Manus Island; the US first established a Lombrum base in 1944 during World War IIas of 2021, Australia and the US were assisting Papua New Guinea with expanding and improving the Defense Force naval base at Lombrum on Manus Island; the US first established a Lombrum base in 1944 during World War II

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and secessionistsrelies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and secessionists
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 11,601 (Indonesia) (mid-year 2021)

IDPs: 14,000 (natural disasters, tribal conflict, inter-communal violence, development projects) (2020)

stateless persons: 9 (mid-year 2021)
Trafficking in persons: current situation: Papua New Guinea is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; women and children are subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude; families may sell girls into forced marriages to settle debts, leaving them vulnerable to forced domestic service; local and Chinese men are forced to labor in logging and mining camps; migrant women from Malaysia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines are subjected to sex trafficking and domestic servitude at logging and mining camps, fisheries, and entertainment sites

tier rating: Tier 3 — Papua New Guinea does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; despite remaining at Tier 3, the government continued to identify some trafficking victims and a prominent trafficking case was advanced; however, the government did not provide protective services for victims and did not systematically implement its victim identification procedures; corruption among officials in the logging sector remains a problem, and they continue to facilitate sex trafficking and forced labor; no alleged traffickers were convicted; the government dedicates little financial and human resources to combat trafficking, and awareness of trafficking is low among government officials (2020)
Illicit drugs: transit point for smuggling drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine; major consumer of cannabistransit point for smuggling drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine; major consumer of cannabis


Current Health Expenditure (CHE) describes the share of spending on health in each country relative to the size of its economy.  It includes expenditures corresponding to the final consumption of health care goods and services and excludes investment, exports, and intermediate consumption.  CHE shows the importance of the health sector in the economy and indicates the priority given to health in monetary terms.  Note: Current Health Expenditure replaces the former Health Expenditures field and is calculated differently.

Topic: Afghanistan13.2% (2019)

Topic: AkrotiriNA

Topic: Albania5.2% (2018)

Topic: Algeria6.2% (2019)

Topic: American SamoaNA

Topic: Andorra6.7% (2019)

Topic: Angola2.5% (2019)

Topic: AnguillaNA

Topic: Antigua and Barbuda4.4% (2019)

Topic: Argentina9.5% (2019)

Topic: Armenia11.3% (2019)

Topic: ArubaNA

Topic: Ashmore and Cartier IslandsNA

Topic: Australia9.9% (2019)

Topic: Austria10.4% (2019)

Topic: Azerbaijan4% (2019)

Topic: Bahamas, The5.8% (2019)

Topic: Bahrain4% (2019)

Topic: Bangladesh2.5% (2019)

Topic: Barbados6.3% (2019)

Topic: Belarus5.9% (2019)

Topic: Belgium10.7% (2019)

Topic: Belize6% (2019)

Topic: Benin2.4% (2019)

Topic: BermudaNA

Topic: Bhutan3.6% (2019)

Topic: Bolivia6.9% (2019)

Topic: Bosnia and Herzegovina9.1% (2019)

Topic: Botswana6.1% (2019)

Topic: Bouvet IslandNA

Topic: Brazil9.6% (2019)

Topic: British Indian Ocean TerritoryNA

Topic: British Virgin IslandsNA

Topic: Brunei2.2% (2019)

Topic: Bulgaria7.1% (2019)

Topic: Burkina Faso5.5% (2019)

Topic: Burma4.7% (2019)

Topic: Burundi8% (2019)

Topic: Cabo Verde4.9% (2019)

Topic: Cambodia7% (2019)

Topic: Cameroon3.6% (2019)

Topic: Canada10.8% (2019)

Topic: Cayman IslandsNA

Topic: Central African Republic7.8% (2019)

Topic: Chad4.4% (2019)

Topic: Chile9.3% (2019)

Topic: China5.4% (2019)

Topic: Christmas IslandNA

Topic: Clipperton IslandNA

Topic: Cocos (Keeling) IslandsNA

Topic: Colombia7.7% (2019)

Topic: Comoros5.2% (2019)

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of the3.5% (2019)

Topic: Congo, Republic of the2.1% (2019)

Topic: Cook Islands3.1% (2019)

Topic: Coral Sea IslandsNA

Topic: Costa Rica7.3% (2019)

Topic: Cote d'Ivoire3.3% (2019)

Topic: Croatia7% (2019)

Topic: Cuba11.3% (2019)

Topic: CuracaoNA

Topic: Cyprus7% (2019)

Topic: Czechia7.8% (2019)

Topic: Denmark10% (2019)

Topic: DhekeliaNA

Topic: Djibouti1.8% (2019)

Topic: Dominica5.5% (2019)

Topic: Dominican Republic5.9% (2019)

Topic: Ecuador7.8% (2019)

Topic: Egypt4.7% (2019)

Topic: El Salvador7.2% (2019)

Topic: Equatorial Guinea3.1% (2019)

Topic: Eritrea4.5% (2019)

Topic: Estonia6.7% (2019)

Topic: Eswatini6.8% (2019)

Topic: Ethiopia3.2% (2019)

Topic: European Union9.9% (2016)

Topic: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)NA

Topic: Faroe IslandsNA

Topic: Fiji3.8% (2019)

Topic: Finland9.2% (2019)

Topic: France11.1% (2019)

Topic: French PolynesiaNA

Topic: French Southern and Antarctic LandsNA

Topic: Gabon2.8% (2019)

Topic: Gambia, The3.8% (2019)

Topic: Gaza StripNA

Topic: Georgia6.7% (2019)

Topic: Germany11.7% (2019)

Topic: Ghana3.4% (2019)

Topic: GibraltarNA

Topic: Greece7.8% (2019)

Topic: GreenlandNA

Topic: Grenada5% (2019)

Topic: GuamNA

Topic: Guatemala6.2% (2019)

Topic: GuernseyNA

Topic: Guinea4% (2019)

Topic: Guinea-Bissau8.4% (2019)

Topic: Guyana4.9% (2019)

Topic: Haiti4.7% (2019)

Topic: Heard Island and McDonald IslandsNA

Topic: Holy See (Vatican City)NA

Topic: Honduras7.3% (2019)

Topic: Hong KongNA

Topic: Hungary6.4% (2019)

Topic: Iceland8.6% (2019)

Topic: India3% (2019)

Topic: Indonesia2.9% (2019)

Topic: Iran6.7% (2019)

Topic: Iraq4.5% (2019)

Topic: Ireland6.7% (2019)

Topic: Isle of ManNA

Topic: Israel7.5% (2019)

Topic: Italy8.7% (2019)

Topic: Jamaica6.1% (2019)

Topic: Jan MayenNA

Topic: Japan10.7% (2019)

Topic: JerseyNA

Topic: Jordan7.6% (2019)

Topic: Kazakhstan2.8% (2019)

Topic: Kenya4.6% (2019)

Topic: Kiribati10.3% (2019)

Topic: Korea, NorthNA

Topic: Korea, South8.2% (2019)

Topic: KosovoNA

Topic: Kuwait5.5% (2019)

Topic: Kyrgyzstan4.5% (2019)

Topic: Laos2.6% (2019)

Topic: Latvia6.6% (2019)

Topic: Lebanon8.7% (2019)

Topic: Lesotho11.3% (2019)

Topic: Liberia8.5% (2019)

Topic: LibyaNA

Topic: LiechtensteinNA

Topic: Lithuania7% (2019)

Topic: Luxembourg5.4% (2019)

Topic: MacauNA

Topic: Madagascar3.7% (2019)

Topic: Malawi7.4% (2019)

Topic: Malaysia3.8% (2019)

Topic: Maldives8% (2019)

Topic: Mali3.9% (2019)

Topic: Malta8.2% (2019)

Topic: Marshall Islands16.3% (2019)

Topic: Mauritania3.3% (2019)

Topic: Mauritius6.2% (2019)

Topic: Mexico5.4% (2019)

Topic: Micronesia, Federated States of11.4% (2019)

Topic: Moldova6.4% (2019)

Topic: Monaco1.5% (2019)

Topic: Mongolia3.8% (2019)

Topic: Montenegro8.3% (2019)

Topic: MontserratNA

Topic: Morocco5.3% (2019)

note: does not include data from the former Western Sahara

Topic: Mozambique7.8% (2019)

Topic: Namibia8.5% (2019)

Topic: Nauru9.8% (2019)

Topic: Navassa IslandNA

Topic: Nepal4.5% (2019)

Topic: Netherlands10.1% (2019)

Topic: New CaledoniaNA

Topic: New Zealand9.7% (2019)

Topic: Nicaragua8.4% (2019)

Topic: Niger5.7% (2019)

Topic: Nigeria3% (2019)

Topic: Niue5.3% (2019)

Topic: Norfolk IslandNA

Topic: North Macedonia7.3% (2019)

Topic: Northern Mariana IslandsNA

Topic: Norway10.5% (2019)

Topic: Oman4.1% (2019)

Topic: Pakistan3.4% (2019)

Topic: Palau15.2% (2019)

Topic: Panama7.6% (2019)

Topic: Papua New Guinea2.3% (2019)

Topic: Paracel IslandsNA

Topic: Paraguay7.2% (2019)

Topic: Peru5.2% (2019)

Topic: Philippines4.1% (2019)

Topic: Pitcairn IslandsNA

Topic: Poland6.5% (2019)

Topic: Portugal9.5% (2019)

Topic: Puerto RicoNA

Topic: Qatar2.9% (2019)

Topic: Romania5.7% (2019)

Topic: Russia5.7% (2019)

Topic: Rwanda6.4% (2019)

Topic: Saint BarthelemyNA

Topic: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da CunhaNA

Topic: Saint Kitts and Nevis5.4% (2019)

Topic: Saint Lucia4.3% (2019)

Topic: Saint MartinNA

Topic: Saint Pierre and MiquelonNA

Topic: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines4.8% (2019)

Topic: Samoa6.4% (2019)

Topic: San Marino6.4% (2019)

Topic: Sao Tome and Principe5.5% (2019)

Topic: Saudi Arabia5.7% (2019)

Topic: Senegal4.1% (2019)

Topic: Serbia8.7% (2019)

Topic: Seychelles5.2% (2019)

Topic: Sierra Leone8.8% (2019)

Topic: Singapore4.1% (2019)

Topic: Sint MaartenNA

Topic: Slovakia7% (2019)

Topic: Slovenia8.5% (2019)

Topic: Solomon Islands4.8% (2019)

Topic: SomaliaNA

Topic: South Africa9.1% (2019)

Topic: South Georgia and South Sandwich IslandsNA

Topic: South Sudan6% (2019)

Topic: Spain9.1% (2019)

Topic: Spratly IslandsNA

Topic: Sri Lanka4.1% (2019)

Topic: Sudan4.6% (2019)

Topic: Suriname9.7% (2019)

Topic: SvalbardNA

Topic: Sweden10.9% (2019)

Topic: Switzerland11.3% (2019)

Topic: SyriaNA

Topic: TaiwanNA

Topic: Tajikistan7.1% (2019)

Topic: Tanzania3.8% (2019)

Topic: Thailand3.8% (2019)

Topic: Timor-Leste7.2% (2019)

Topic: Togo5.7% (2019)

Topic: TokelauNA

Topic: Tonga5% (2019)

Topic: Trinidad and Tobago7% (2019)

Topic: Tunisia7% (2019)

Topic: Turkey4.3% (2019)

Topic: Turkmenistan6.6% (2019)

Topic: Turks and Caicos IslandsNA

Topic: Tuvalu24% (2019)

Topic: Uganda3.8% (2019)

Topic: Ukraine7.1% (2019)

Topic: United Arab Emirates4.3% (2019)

Topic: United Kingdom10.2% (2019)

Topic: United States16.8% (2019)

Topic: United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesNA

Topic: Uruguay9.4% (2019)

Topic: Uzbekistan5.6% (2019)

Topic: Vanuatu3.4% (2019)

Topic: Venezuela5.4% (2019)

Topic: Vietnam5.3% (2019)

Topic: Virgin IslandsNA

Topic: Wake IslandNA

Topic: Wallis and FutunaNA

Topic: West BankNA

Topic: World10% (2016)

Topic: Yemen4.3% (2015)

Topic: Zambia5.3% (2019)

Topic: Zimbabwe7.7% (2019)


This entry includes miscellaneous demographic information of significance not included elsewhere.

Topic: Chinain October 2015, the Chinese Government announced that it would change its rules to allow all couples to have two children, loosening a 1979 mandate that restricted many couples to one child; the new policy was implemented on 1 January 2016 to address China’s rapidly aging population and future economic needs

Topic: Cubaillicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and overland via the southwest border; the number of Cubans migrating to the US surged after the announcement of normalization of US-Cuban relations in late December 2014 but has decreased since the end of the so-called "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy on 12 January 2017

Topic: Cyprusdemographic data for Cyprus represent the population of the government-controlled area and the area administered by Turkish Cypriots, unless otherwise indicated

Topic: Dominica3,000-3,500 Kalinago (Carib) still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the Caribbean; only 70-100 may be "pure" Kalinago because of years of integration into the broader population

Topic: IndonesiaIndonesia is the fourth most populous nation in the World after China, India, and the United States; more than half of the Indonesian population - roughly 150 million people or 55% - live on the island of Java (about the size of California) making it the most crowded island on earth

Topic: Papua New Guineathe indigenous population of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the most heterogeneous in the world; PNG has several thousand separate communities, most with only a few hundred people; divided by language, customs, and tradition, some of these communities have engaged in low-scale tribal conflict with their neighbors for millennia; the advent of modern weapons and modern migrants into urban areas has greatly magnified the impact of this lawlessness

Topic: Philippinesone of only two predominantly Christian nations in Southeast Asia, the other being Timor-Leste

Topic: Timor-Lesteone of only two predominantly Christian nations in Southeast Asia, the other being the Philippines

Topic: Turks and Caicos Islandsdestination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Bahamas and the US


Topic: Photos of Gambia, The

Topic: Introduction
Background: In the 10th century, Muslim merchants established some of The Gambia’s earliest large settlements as trans-Saharan trade hubs. These settlements eventually grew into major export centers sending slaves, gold, and ivory across the Sahara. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, European colonial powers began establishing trade with The Gambia. In 1664, the United Kingdom established a colony in The Gambia focused on exporting enslaved people across the Atlantic. During the roughly 300 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the UK and other European powers may have exported as many as 3 million people from The Gambia. The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed the short-lived confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1994, Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup overthrowing the president and banning political activity. He subsequently won every presidential election until 2016, when he lost to Adama BARROW, who headed an opposition coalition during free and fair elections. BARROW won re-election in December 2021. The Gambia is the only member of the Economic Community of West African States that does not have presidential term limits. Since the 2016 election, The Gambia and the US have enjoyed improved relations. US assistance to the country has supported military education and training programs, capacity building, and democracy-strengthening activities.
    In the 10th century, Muslim merchants established some of The Gambia’s earliest large settlements as trans-Saharan trade hubs. These settlements eventually grew into major export centers sending slaves, gold, and ivory across the Sahara. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, European colonial powers began establishing trade with The Gambia. In 1664, the United Kingdom established a colony in The Gambia focused on exporting enslaved people across the Atlantic. During the roughly 300 years of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the UK and other European powers may have exported as many as 3 million people from The Gambia.The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed the short-lived confederation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1994, Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup overthrowing the president and banning political activity. He subsequently won every presidential election until 2016, when he lost to Adama BARROW, who headed an opposition coalition during free and fair elections. BARROW won re-election in December 2021. The Gambia is the only member of the Economic Community of West African States that does not have presidential term limits. Since the 2016 election, The Gambia and the US have enjoyed improved relations. US assistance to the country has supported military education and training programs, capacity building, and democracy-strengthening activities.  Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and Senegal
Geographic coordinates: 13 28 N, 16 34 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 11,300 sq km

land: 10,120 sq km

water: 1,180 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Delaware
Land boundaries: total: 749 km

border countries (1): Senegal 749 km
Coastline: 80 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 18 nm

continental shelf: extent not specified

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
Terrain: flood plain of the Gambia River flanked by some low hills
Elevation: highest point: unnamed elevation 3 km southeast of the town of Sabi 63 m
note - the Factbook map is incorrect; it shows the wrong location of the high elevation

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 34 m
Natural resources: fish, clay, silica sand, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon
Land use: agricultural land: 56.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 41% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 14.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 43.9% (2018 est.)

other: 0% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 50 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km): Gambia river mouth (shared with Senegal and Guinea [s]) - 1,094 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major aquifers: Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin
Population distribution: settlements are found scattered along the Gambia River; the largest communities, including the capital of Banjul, and the country's largest city, Serekunda, are found at the mouth of the Gambia River along the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards: droughts
Geography - note: almost an enclave of Senegal; smallest country on the African mainland
Map description: The Gambia map showing the country surrounded by Senegal except to the west where the Gambia River empties into the North Atlantic Ocean.The Gambia map showing the country surrounded by Senegal except to the west where the Gambia River empties into the North Atlantic Ocean.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 2,413,403 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Gambian(s)

adjective: Gambian
Ethnic groups: Mandinka/Jahanka 33.3%, Fulani/Tukulur/Lorobo 18.2%, Wolof 12.9%, Jola/Karoninka 11%, Serahuleh 7.2%, Serer 3.5%, other 4%, non-Gambian 9.9% (2019-20 est.)
Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous vernaculars
Religions: Muslim 96.4%, Christian 3.5%, other or none 0.1% (2019-20 est.)
Demographic profile: The Gambia’s youthful age structure – almost 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – is likely to persist because the country’s total fertility rate remains strong at nearly 4 children per woman. The overall literacy rate is around 55%, and is significantly lower for women than for men. At least 70% of the populace are farmers who are reliant on rain-fed agriculture and cannot afford improved seeds and fertilizers. Crop failures caused by droughts between 2011 and 2013 have increased poverty, food shortages, and malnutrition.The Gambia is a source country for migrants and a transit and destination country for migrants and refugees. Since the 1980s, economic deterioration, drought, and high unemployment, especially among youths, have driven both domestic migration (largely urban) and migration abroad (legal and illegal). Emigrants are largely skilled workers, including doctors and nurses, and provide a significant amount of remittances. The top receiving countries for Gambian emigrants are Spain, the US, Nigeria, Senegal, and the UK. While the Gambia and Spain do not share historic, cultural, or trade ties, rural Gambians have migrated to Spain in large numbers because of its proximity and the availability of jobs in its underground economy (this flow slowed following the onset of Spain’s late 2007 economic crisis).The Gambia’s role as a host country to refugees is a result of wars in several of its neighboring West African countries. Since 2006, refugees from the Casamance conflict in Senegal have replaced their pattern of flight and return with permanent settlement in The Gambia, often moving in with relatives along the Senegal-Gambia border. The strain of providing for about 7,400 Casamance refugees has increased poverty among Gambian villagers.The Gambia’s youthful age structure – almost 60% of the population is under the age of 25 – is likely to persist because the country’s total fertility rate remains strong at nearly 4 children per woman. The overall literacy rate is around 55%, and is significantly lower for women than for men. At least 70% of the populace are farmers who are reliant on rain-fed agriculture and cannot afford improved seeds and fertilizers. Crop failures caused by droughts between 2011 and 2013 have increased poverty, food shortages, and malnutrition.The Gambia is a source country for migrants and a transit and destination country for migrants and refugees. Since the 1980s, economic deterioration, drought, and high unemployment, especially among youths, have driven both domestic migration (largely urban) and migration abroad (legal and illegal). Emigrants are largely skilled workers, including doctors and nurses, and provide a significant amount of remittances. The top receiving countries for Gambian emigrants are Spain, the US, Nigeria, Senegal, and the UK. While the Gambia and Spain do not share historic, cultural, or trade ties, rural Gambians have migrated to Spain in large numbers because of its proximity and the availability of jobs in its underground economy (this flow slowed following the onset of Spain’s late 2007 economic crisis).The Gambia’s role as a host country to refugees is a result of wars in several of its neighboring West African countries. Since 2006, refugees from the Casamance conflict in Senegal have replaced their pattern of flight and return with permanent settlement in The Gambia, often moving in with relatives along the Senegal-Gambia border. The strain of providing for about 7,400 Casamance refugees has increased poverty among Gambian villagers.
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.15% (male 391,993/female 388,816)

15-24 years: 20.12% (male 221,519/female 225,414)

25-54 years: 36.39% (male 396,261/female 412,122)

55-64 years: 4.53% (male 48,032/female 52,538)

65 years and over: 3.81% (2021 est.) (male 38,805/female 45,801)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 86.9

youth dependency ratio: 82.1

elderly dependency ratio: 4.7

potential support ratio: 21.1 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 21.8 years

male: 21.5 years

female: 22.2 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.29% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 28.78 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 5.81 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: settlements are found scattered along the Gambia River; the largest communities, including the capital of Banjul, and the country's largest city, Serekunda, are found at the mouth of the Gambia River along the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization: urban population: 63.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 3.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 470,000 BANJUL (capital) (2022)

note: includes the local government areas of Banjul and Kanifing
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.76 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 20.7 years (2019/20 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 25-49
Maternal mortality ratio: 597 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 37.19 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 40.75 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 33.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 67.6 years

male: 65.83 years

female: 69.41 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.79 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 16.8% (2018)

note: percent of women aged 15-49
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 91.8% of population

rural: 85.7% of population

total: 89.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 8.2% of population

rural: 14.3% of population

total: 10.5% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 3.8% (2019)
Physicians density: 0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2015)
Hospital bed density: 1.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 75.8% of population

rural: 33.6% of population

total: 60% of population

unimproved: urban: 24.2% of population

rural: 66.4% of population

total: 40% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.8% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 27,000 (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,300 (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; The Gambia is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 10.3% (2016)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11.6% (2019/20)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 7.5% (2018)

women married by age 18: 25.7% (2018)

men married by age 18: 0.2% (2020 est.)
Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2019)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 50.8%

male: 61.8%

female: 41.6% (2015)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 25.8%

male: 21%

female: 32.3% (2018 est.)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: deforestation due to slash-and-burn agriculture; desertification; water pollution; water-borne diseases
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 32.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.53 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 1.96 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: tropical; hot, rainy season (June to November); cooler, dry season (November to May)
Land use: agricultural land: 56.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 41% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 14.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 43.9% (2018 est.)

other: 0% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 63.9% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 3.75% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 2.47% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; The Gambia is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 193,441 tons (2002 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km): Gambia river mouth (shared with Senegal and Guinea [s]) - 1,094 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major aquifers: Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 41.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 21.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 39.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 8 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of The Gambia

conventional short form: The Gambia

etymology: named for the Gambia River that flows through the heart of the country
Government type: presidential republic
Capital: name: Banjul

geographic coordinates: 13 27 N, 16 34 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: Banjul is located on Saint Mary's Island at the mouth of the Gambia River; the Mandinka used to gather fibrous plants on the island for the manufacture of ropes; "bang julo" is Mandinka for "rope fiber"; mispronunciation over time caused the term became the word Banjul
Administrative divisions: 5 regions, 1 city*, and 1 municipality**; Banjul*, Central River, Kanifing**, Lower River, North Bank, Upper River, West Coast
Independence: 18 February 1965 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 February (1965)
Constitution: history: previous 1965 (Independence Act), 1970; latest adopted 8 April 1996, approved by referendum 8 August 1996, effective 16 January 1997; note - in early 2018, the "Constitutional Review Commission," was established to draft  and assist in instituting a new constitution; a second draft completed in March 2020 was rejected by the National Assembly in September

amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the Assembly membership in each of several readings and approval by the president of the republic; a referendum is required for amendments affecting national sovereignty, fundamental rights and freedoms, government structures and authorities, taxation, and public funding; passage by referendum requires participation of at least 50% of eligible voters and approval by at least 75% of votes cast; amended 2001, 2004, 2018
Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2022); Vice President Isatou TOURAY (since 15 March 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Adama BARROW (since 19 January 2022); Vice President Isatou TOURAY (since 15 March 2019)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 4 December 2021 (next to be held in 2026); vice president appointed by the president

election results: Adama BARROW reelected president; percent of vote - Adama BARROW (National People's Party) 53.2%, Ousainou DARBOE (United Democratic Party) 27.7%, Mamma KANDEH (GDC)12.3%, Halifa SALLAH (PDOIS) 3.8%, Essa M. FAAL (Independent) 2%, Abdoulie Ebrima JAMMEH (NUP) 0.96%
Legislative branch: description: unicameral National Assembly (58 seats; 53 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 5 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: last held on 9 April 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

election results: percent of vote by party - NPP 33.9%, UDP 28.3%, independent 22.6%, NRP 7.5%, PDOIS 3.7%, APRL 3.7%; seats by party - NPP 18, UDP 15, independent 12,NRP 4, APRL 2, PDOIS 2; composition - men 52, women 6, percent of women 10.3%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court of The Gambia (consists of the chief justice and 6 justices; court sessions held with 5 justices)

judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, a 6-member independent body of high-level judicial officials, a presidential appointee, and a National Assembly appointee; justices appointed for life or until mandatory retirement at age 75

subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court; Special Criminal Court; Khadis or Muslim courts; district tribunals; magistrates courts; cadi courts
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction or APRC [Fabakary JATTA]
Coalition 2016 [collective leadership] (electoral coalition includes UDP, PDOIS, NRP, GMC, GDC, PPP, and GPDP)
Gambia Democratic Congress or GDC [Mama KANDEH]
Gambia Moral Congress or GMC [Mai FATTY]
Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress or GPDP [Sarja JARJOU]
National Convention Party or NCP [Yaya  SANYANG and Majanko SAMUSA (both claiming leadership)]
National Democratic Action Movement or NDAM [Lamin Yaa JUARA]
National People's Party or NPP [Adama BARROW]
National Reconciliation Party or NRP [Hamat BAH]
People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism or PDOIS [Sidia JATTA]
People's Progressive Party or PPP [Yaya CEESAY)]
United Democratic Party or UDP [Ousainou DARBOE]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dawda D. FADERA (since 24 January 2018)

chancery: 5630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

telephone: [1] (202) 785-1399; [1] (202) 785-1428

FAX: [1] (202) 785-1430

email address and website:
info@gambiaembassy.us

https://www.gambiaembassydc.us/home
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Carlton "Carl" PASCHALL (since 9 April 2019)

embassy: Kairaba Avenue, Fajara, P.M.B. 19, Banjul

mailing address: 2070 Banjul Place, Washington DC  20521-2070

telephone: [220] 439-2856

FAX: [220] 439-2475

email address and website:
ConsularBanjul@state.gov

https://gm.usembassy.gov/
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue with white edges, and green; red stands for the sun and the savannah, blue represents the Gambia River, and green symbolizes forests and agriculture; the white stripes denote unity and peace
National symbol(s): lion; national colors: red, blue, green, white
National anthem: name: For The Gambia, Our Homeland

lyrics/music: Virginia Julie HOWE/adapted by Jeremy Frederick HOWE

note: adopted 1965; the music is an adaptation of the traditional Mandinka song "Foday Kaba Dumbuya"
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 2 (both cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites, Stone Circles of Senegambia

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: The government has invested in the agriculture sector because three-quarters of the population depends on the sector for its livelihood and agriculture provides for about one-third of GDP, making The Gambia largely reliant on sufficient rainfall. The agricultural sector has untapped potential - less than half of arable land is cultivated and agricultural productivity is low. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of cashews, groundnuts, fish, and hides. The Gambia's reexport trade accounts for almost 80% of goods exports and China has been its largest trade partner for both exports and imports for several years.   The Gambia has sparse natural resource deposits. It relies heavily on remittances from workers overseas and tourist receipts. Remittance inflows to The Gambia amount to about one-fifth of the country’s GDP. The Gambia's location on the ocean and proximity to Europe has made it one of the most frequented tourist destinations in West Africa, boosted by private sector investments in eco-tourism and facilities. Tourism normally brings in about 20% of GDP, but it suffered in 2014 from tourists’ fears of Ebola virus in neighboring West African countries. Unemployment and underemployment remain high.   Economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management, and on continued technical assistance from multilateral and bilateral donors. International donors and lenders were concerned about the quality of fiscal management under the administration of former President Yahya JAMMEH, who reportedly stole hundreds of millions of dollars of the country’s funds during his 22 years in power, but anticipate significant improvements under the new administration of President Adama BARROW, who assumed power in early 2017. As of April 2017, the IMF, the World Bank, the European Union, and the African Development Bank were all negotiating with the new government of The Gambia to provide financial support in the coming months to ease the country’s financial crisis.   The country faces a limited availability of foreign exchange, weak agricultural output, a border closure with Senegal, a slowdown in tourism, high inflation, a large fiscal deficit, and a high domestic debt burden that has crowded out private sector investment and driven interest rates to new highs. The government has committed to taking steps to reduce the deficit, including through expenditure caps, debt consolidation, and reform of state-owned enterprises.The government has invested in the agriculture sector because three-quarters of the population depends on the sector for its livelihood and agriculture provides for about one-third of GDP, making The Gambia largely reliant on sufficient rainfall. The agricultural sector has untapped potential - less than half of arable land is cultivated and agricultural productivity is low. Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of cashews, groundnuts, fish, and hides. The Gambia's reexport trade accounts for almost 80% of goods exports and China has been its largest trade partner for both exports and imports for several years. The Gambia has sparse natural resource deposits. It relies heavily on remittances from workers overseas and tourist receipts. Remittance inflows to The Gambia amount to about one-fifth of the country’s GDP. The Gambia's location on the ocean and proximity to Europe has made it one of the most frequented tourist destinations in West Africa, boosted by private sector investments in eco-tourism and facilities. Tourism normally brings in about 20% of GDP, but it suffered in 2014 from tourists’ fears of Ebola virus in neighboring West African countries. Unemployment and underemployment remain high. Economic progress depends on sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government economic management, and on continued technical assistance from multilateral and bilateral donors. International donors and lenders were concerned about the quality of fiscal management under the administration of former President Yahya JAMMEH, who reportedly stole hundreds of millions of dollars of the country’s funds during his 22 years in power, but anticipate significant improvements under the new administration of President Adama BARROW, who assumed power in early 2017. As of April 2017, the IMF, the World Bank, the European Union, and the African Development Bank were all negotiating with the new government of The Gambia to provide financial support in the coming months to ease the country’s financial crisis. The country faces a limited availability of foreign exchange, weak agricultural output, a border closure with Senegal, a slowdown in tourism, high inflation, a large fiscal deficit, and a high domestic debt burden that has crowded out private sector investment and driven interest rates to new highs. The government has committed to taking steps to reduce the deficit, including through expenditure caps, debt consolidation, and reform of state-owned enterprises.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.22 billion (2020 est.)

$5.22 billion (2019 est.)

$4.92 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 4.6% (2017 est.)

0.4% (2016 est.)

5.9% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $2,200 (2020 est.)

$2,200 (2019 est.)

$2,200 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $1.746 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1% (2019 est.)

6.5% (2018 est.)

8% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 20.4% (2017 est.)

industry: 14.2% (2017 est.)

services: 65.4% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 90.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 19.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: -2.7% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 20.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -40% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: groundnuts, milk, oil palm fruit, millet, sorghum, rice, maize, vegetables, cassava, fruit
Industries: peanuts, fish, hides, tourism, beverages, agricultural machinery assembly, woodworking, metalworking, clothing
Industrial production growth rate: -0.8% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 777,100 (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 75%

industry: 19%

services: 6% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: NANA
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 25.8%

male: 21%

female: 32.3% (2018 est.)
Population below poverty line: 48.6% (2015 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 35.9 (2015 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2%

highest 10%: 36.9% (2003)
Budget: revenues: 300.4 million (2017 est.)

expenditures: 339 million (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -2.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 88% of GDP (2017 est.)

82.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Current account balance: -$194 million (2017 est.)

-$85 million (2016 est.)
Exports: $350 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$448 million (2018 est.)

$435 million (2017 est.)
Exports - partners: China 38%, India 22%, Mali 7%, Chile 5% (2017)
Exports - commodities: lumber, cashews, refined petroleum, fish oil, ground nut oil (2019)
Imports: $620 million (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$851 million (2018 est.)

$754 million (2017 est.)
Imports - partners: China 33%, India 10%, Senegal 5%, Brazil 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: clothing and apparel, refined petroleum, rice, raw sugar, palm oil (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $170 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$87.64 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $586.8 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$571.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates: dalasis (GMD) per US dollar -

51.75 (2020 est.)

51.4 (2019 est.)

49.515 (2018 est.)

41.89 (2014 est.)

41.733 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 49% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 69% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 16% (2019)
Electricity - production: 304.1 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 282.8 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 117,000 kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 97% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 3,800 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 42 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 3,738 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 60,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 2,677,954 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 111 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: state-owned telecom partially privatized but retains a monopoly with fixed-line service; multiple mobile networks provide 2G to almost all citizens and above the African average; high poverty rates continue to limit access to the Internet, especially via fixed-line services in rural areas; weak political support for development of communications infrastructure, including National Broadband Network program; government depends on donors and loans from China and Islamic Development banks; two submarine cables provide international connectivity within African continent and Europe (2020)

domestic: fixed-line subscriptions nearly 2 per 100 with one dominant company and mobile-cellular teledensity nearly 111 per 100 persons (2020)

international: country code - 220; landing point for the ACE submarine cable to West Africa and Europe; microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media: 1 state-run TV-channel; one privately-owned TV-station; 1 Online TV-station; three state-owned radio station and 31 privately owned radio stations; eight community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available, some via shortwave radio; cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable in some parts of the country  (2019)1 state-run TV-channel; one privately-owned TV-station; 1 Online TV-station; three state-owned radio station and 31 privately owned radio stations; eight community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available, some via shortwave radio; cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable in some parts of the country
Internet country code: .gm
Internet users: total: 894,166 (2020 est.)

percent of population: 37% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 5,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.21 (2020 est.) less than 1

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 53,735 (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: C5
Airports: total: 1 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1

over 3,047 m: 1 (2021)
Roadways: total: 2,977 km (2011)

paved: 518 km (2011)

unpaved: 2,459 km (2011)
Waterways: 390 km (2010) (on River Gambia; small oceangoing vessels can reach 190 km)
Merchant marine: total: 8

by type: other 8 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Banjul

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Gambia Armed Forces: the Gambian National Army (GNA), Gambia Navy, Gambia Air Force, Republican National Guard (responsible for VIP protection, riot control, and presidential security) (2022)
Military expenditures: 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

0.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.8% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $25 million)

0.7% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $20 million)

0.7% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $20 million)
Military and security service personnel strengths: information varies; approximately 2,000 total active troops (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the GNA has a limited equipment inventory; since 2000, it has received only a few secondhand items (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service (18-22 for officers); no conscription; service obligation 6 months (2021)
Military - note: in 2017, several members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sent security forces to The Gambia to conduct stability operations and provide assistance and training following the 2016 election; as of 2022, the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG) was comprised of about 1,000 military and gendarmerie personnel from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) traces its origins to the Gambia Regiment of the British Army; established in 1901, the Gambia Regiment was part of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF, later Royal West African Frontier Force or RWAFF) and served in both World Wars, including the British 1944-45 military campaign in Burma; the Gambia Regiment was disbanded in 1958 and replaced by the Field Force, a police paramilitary unit; the Field Force was responsible for The Gambia’s security until the establishment of the Gambian Armed Forces in 1985; in addition, a defense agreement signed in 1965 between The Gambia and Senegal provided mutual assistance in the face of an external threat; from 1981-1989, The Gambia and Senegal formed a Confederal Army that was made up of two-thirds Senegalese and one-third Gambian soldiers the military in Gambia, including the Field Force, has a history of heavy involvement in the country’s politics, including multiple coups or coup attempts and mutinies; as of 2022, the Gambia Armed Forces’ principal responsibilities included aiding civil authorities in emergencies and providing natural disaster relief  in 2017, several members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sent security forces to The Gambia to conduct stability operations and provide assistance and training following the 2016 election; as of 2022, the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (ECOMIG) was comprised of about 1,000 military and gendarmerie personnel from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegalthe Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) traces its origins to the Gambia Regiment of the British Army; established in 1901, the Gambia Regiment was part of the West African Frontier Force (WAFF, later Royal West African Frontier Force or RWAFF) and served in both World Wars, including the British 1944-45 military campaign in Burma; the Gambia Regiment was disbanded in 1958 and replaced by the Field Force, a police paramilitary unit; the Field Force was responsible for The Gambia’s security until the establishment of the Gambian Armed Forces in 1985; in addition, a defense agreement signed in 1965 between The Gambia and Senegal provided mutual assistance in the face of an external threat; from 1981-1989, The Gambia and Senegal formed a Confederal Army that was made up of two-thirds Senegalese and one-third Gambian soldiersthe military in Gambia, including the Field Force, has a history of heavy involvement in the country’s politics, including multiple coups or coup attempts and mutinies; as of 2022, the Gambia Armed Forces’ principal responsibilities included aiding civil authorities in emergencies and providing natural disaster relief

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and other illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegal's Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west African statesattempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and other illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegal's Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west African states
Trafficking in persons: current situation: The Gambia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Gambian women, children, and, to a lesser extent, boys are exploited for prostitution and domestic servitude; women, girls, and boys from West African countries are trafficked to the Gambia for sexual exploitation, particularly catering to European tourists seeking sex with children; some Gambian trafficking victims have been identified in neighboring West African countries and the UK; boys in some Koranic schools are forced into street vending or begging

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — The Gambia does not meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking, but it is making significant efforts to do so; the government has increased investigations, identified more trafficking victims, improved security at a Department of Social Welfare shelter, increased training for officials, and raised public awareness of the problem of trafficking; the government was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List during this rating period; despite these efforts, the government did not convict a trafficker for the third consecutive year; victim services remained inadequate, and some law enforcement officers reportedly requested  bribes to register trafficking complaints (2020)