This is a list of cities and towns in Papua New Guinea by population.
Many of these figures were taken from the most recent PNG census, which was in the year 2000. Many population centres had substantially grown since 2000 (such as Port Moresby, Lae, Kimbe, Kokopo, Aitape and Mendi) due to increasing urbanisation in Papua New Guinea, and disaster recovery. On the other hand, Arawa has shrunk dramatically since 1990 due to war.
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Only population areas with more than 5,000 people, or notable centres are listed.
| Rank | Settlement Name | Province | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port Moresby * | National Capital District | 364,145 |
| 2 | Lae * | Morobe | 100,677 |
| 3 | Mount Hagen * | Western Highlands | 46,256 |
| 4 | Arawa | Bougainville | 44,865 |
| 5 | Madang * | Madang | 29,339 |
| 6 | Wewak * | East Sepik | 25,143 |
| 7 | Goroka * | Eastern Highlands | 25,000 ~ |
| 8 | Kokopo * | East New Britain | 20,262 |
| 9 | Popondetta * | Oro | 19,556 |
| 10 | Aitape | Sandaun | 18,000 |
| * | Rabaul | East New Britain | 17,044 |
| * | Hanuabada | National Capital District | 15,000 ~ |
| 11 | Kimbe * | West New Britain | 14,656 |
| 12 | Tabubil | Western | 13,800 ~ |
| 13 | Daru * | Western | 12,879 |
| 14 | Kavieng * | New Ireland | 10,600 ~ |
| 15 | Alotau * | Milne Bay | 10,025 |
| 16 | Vanimo * | Sandaun | 9,809 |
| 17 | Bulolo | Morobe | 9,500 ~ |
| 18 | Kiunga | Western | 8,265 |
| 19 | Tari | Southern Highlands | 8,186 |
| 20 | Kundiawa * | Simbu | 8,147 |
| 21 | Mendi * | Southern Highlands | 8,000 ~ |
| 22 | Kainantu | Eastern Highlands | 6,723 |
| 23 | Lorengau * | Manus | 5,829 |
| 24 | Ialibu | Southern Highlands | 5,478 |
| 25 | Kerema * | Gulf | 5,116 |
| 26 | Ningerum | Western | 5,000 ~ |
| 26 | Wau | Morobe | 5,000 ~ |
| ? | Wabag * | Enga | 4,072 |
| ? | Rabaul | East New Britain | 3,885 |
* Denotes a capital city.
~ Is an estimated population, all other populations were determined by the most recent census, in the year 2000. The next PNG census will be held in 2010.
? Denotes a population with an undetermined rank.
Natural and man-made disaster historically plays a major role in population shift in Papua New Guinea. The most notable are:
| Disaster/Population Shift | Place where affected | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 volcanic eruption | Displaced thousands of residents. | |
| 1997 Western Province drought | Left many agricultural communities in the highlands without food, and larger landlocked settlements that rely heavily on river shipping. Death toll is unknown. Many people permanently moved. | |
| 1998 earthquake and tsunami | Killed thousands of residents. Many places were also affected with disease afterward due to improper handling of the dead and greatly reduced living conditions. About 10,000 people became refugees. | |
| Ongoing Bougainville conflict | This conflict caused unmeasurable but significant displacement. The 2000 CIA world Factbook states that 20,000 people died in the conflict by 1997. | |
| Indonesian refugee population shift | Many refugee camps exist on the border of Indonesia, such as Black Wara, one of the biggest. The population of the Western Province refugee camps during the 2000 census was set at around 10,000, although the number of Indonesian refugees in the country is much higher. | |
| Squatter settlements |
| Most population centres in Papua New Guinea have shantytown-styled settlements, referred to as squatter settlements. Many people move in and out of these settlements periodically, as village life becomes harder, the appeal of urban life and manufactured goods becomes greater, and efforts are made to disperse the residents. |
The economy of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is largely underdeveloped with the vast majority of the population living below the poverty line. However, according to the Asian Development Bank its GDP is expected to grow 3.4% in 2022 and 4.6% in 2023. It is dominated by the agricultural, forestry, and fishing sector and the minerals and energy extraction sector. The agricultural, forestry, and fishing sector accounts for most of the labour force of PNG while the minerals and energy extraction sector, including gold, copper, oil and natural gas is responsible for most of the export earnings.
Port Moresby, also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific outside of Australia and New Zealand. It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the south-western coast of the Papuan Peninsula of the island of New Guinea. The city emerged as a trade centre in the second half of the 19th century. During World War II, it was a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43 as a staging point and air base to cut off Australia from Southeast Asia and the Americas.
Sandaun Province is the northwesternmost mainland province of Papua New Guinea. It covers an area of 35,920 km2 and has a population of 248,411. The capital is Vanimo. In July 1998 the area surrounding the town Aitape was hit by an enormous tsunami caused by a Magnitude 7.0 earthquake which killed over 2,000 people. The five villages along the west coast of Vanimo towards the International Border are namely; Lido, Waromo, Yako, Musu and Wutung.
Lae is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River and at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the main land transport corridor between the Highlands Region and the coast. Lae is the largest cargo port of the country and is the industrial hub of Papua New Guinea. The city is known as the Garden City and home of the University of Technology.
Chimbu, more frequently spelled Simbu, is a province in the Highlands Region of Papua New Guinea. The province has an area of 6,112 km2 and a population of 376,473. The capital of the province is Kundiawa. Mount Wilhelm, the tallest mountain in Papua New Guinea is on the border of Eastern part of Simbu and the Western part of Madang Province.
Western Highlands is a province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Mount Hagen. The province covers an area of 4,299 km2, and there are 362,850 inhabitants, making the Western Highlands the most densely populated province. Tea and coffee are grown in the Western Highlands.
Eastern Highlands is a highlands province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Goroka. The province covers an area of 11,157 km², and has a population of 579,825. The province shares a common administrative boundary with Madang Province to the north, Morobe Province to the east, Gulf Province to the south, and Simbu Province to the west. The province is the home of the Asaro mud mask that is displayed at shows and festivals within the province and in the country. The province is reachable by air, including Goroka Airport, and road transport, including the main Highlands Highway.
Southern Highlands is a province in Papua New Guinea. Its provincial capital is the town of Mendi. According to Papua New Guinea's national 2011 census, the total population of Southern Highlands is 515,511 spread across 15,089 square kilometers (5,826 sq mi).
Central Province is a province in Papua New Guinea located on the southern coast of the country. It has a population of 237,016 people and is 29,998 square kilometres (11,582 sq mi) in size. The seat of government of Central Province, which is located within the National Capital District outside the province, is the Port Moresby suburb of Konedobu. On 9 October 2007, the Central Province government announced plans to build a new provincial capital city at Bautama, which lies within Central Province near Port Moresby, although there has been little progress in constructing it.
The National Capital District of Papua New Guinea is the incorporated area around Port Moresby, which is the capital of Papua New Guinea. Although it is surrounded by Central Province, where Port Moresby is also the capital, it is technically not a part of that province. It covers an area of 240 km2 and has a population of 364,125. It is represented by three open MPs and an NCD-wide representative in the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea who acts as Governor of the National Capital District; however, these MPs do not have the same powers as elsewhere in the country due to the role of the National Capital District Commission.
Tabubil is a town located in the Star Mountains area of the North Fly District of Western Province, Papua New Guinea. The town, including the adjoining relocated village of Wangabin and the industrial area of Laydown, is the largest settlement in the province, although the provincial capital, Daru is a similar size. It had a recorded population of 10,270 at the 2011 census.
Samarai is an island and former administrative capital in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.
The Bank of Papua New Guinea is the central bank of Papua New Guinea, which has a core mandate to ensure price stability and maintain macroeconomic growth. To achieve this, it discharges four main functions; 1. responsible for the formulation and implementation of monetary policy, 2. ensure financial system development and stability, 3. ensure the payment system remain efficient, and 4. provide a banking role to the Government. It also manages the country's foreign reserves, issue the country's currency, manages the gold and foreign exchange of Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea has 326 local-level governments (LLGs) comprising 6,112 wards as of 2018.
This page is a list of districts of Papua New Guinea.
Boroko is a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea. It includes a residential area and a sports and recreation precinct, and was once a significant commercial centre but the business area is now in decline.
Dowsett is a suburb of Lae in the Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.
Homelessness in Papua New Guinea is a significant issue in Port Moresby, the nation's capital city.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is officially known as the Independent State of Papua New Guinea after gaining absolute independence from Australia on September 16, 1975. PNG is the largest country in the South Pacific region and comprises the eastern side of New Guinea including its islands. Crime in Papua New Guinea, both violent and non-violent, have contributed to the developing country's crime rate being one of the highest in the world.