Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 2.7% in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
2.7%
World rank
156th
of 187 countries
All-time high
7.7%
in 1990
All-time low
2.0%
in 2010
Years of data
5
1990–2022

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea, 1990–2022

24681990200620221990: 7.72000: 2.92010: 22011: 2.62022: 2.7

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

In 2022, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea stood at 2.7%.

The figure is up 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea peaked at 7.7% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2010.

That places Papua New Guinea 156th out of 187 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate) in Papua New Guinea, 1990 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1990 7.7%
2000 2.9% -62.1%
2010 2.0% -31.5%
2011 2.6% +31.1%
2022 2.7% +2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.7% 7.7% 7.7% 1
2000s 2.9% 2.9% 2.9% 1
2010s 2.3% 2.0% 2.6% 2
2020s 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 1

Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea

  1. 153 Kiribati 2.8% compare
  2. 154 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 2.7% compare
  3. 155 El Salvador 2.7% compare
  4. 157 Isle of Man 2.7% compare
  5. 158 Seychelles 2.6% compare
  6. 159 Macau, China 2.5% compare
  7. 159 Mexico 2.5% compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More work & labour data for Papua New Guinea

All data for Papua New Guinea →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea?
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea was 2.7% in 2022, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Papua New Guinea?
The highest recorded value was 7.7% in 1990.
What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Papua New Guinea?
The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2010.
How does Papua New Guinea rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
Papua New Guinea ranks 156th out of 187 countries with data for 2022.
Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-total-percent-of-total-labor-force-national-estimate/papua-new-guinea/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-total-percent-of-total-labor-force-national-estimate/papua-new-guinea/">Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Papua New Guinea</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
220 places, 6,054 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.