Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea: Primary education, pupils, gaps filled was 1.65 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.65 million
Change on year
up 10.3%
World rank
72nd
of 206 countries
All-time high
1.65 million
in 2023
All-time low
191,083
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea, 1970–2023

0500.0k1.0M1.5M197019962023

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

In 2023, primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea stood at 1.65 million. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.

The figure is up 10.3% on the previous year and up 42.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea peaked at 1.65 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 191,083, in 1970.

That places Papua New Guinea 72nd out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea, year by year

Annual values for Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea, 1970 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1970 191,083
1971 195,859 +2.5%
1972 204,218 +4.3%
1973 218,167 +6.8%
1974 229,527 +5.2%
1975 238,267 +3.8%
1976 250,715 +5.2%
1977 253,987 +1.3%
1978 263,171 +3.6%
1979 277,854 +5.6%
1980 299,823 +7.9%
1981 300,536 +0.2%
1982 313,790 +4.4%
1983 331,840 +5.8%
1984 349,889 +5.4%
1985 361,824 +3.4%
1986 373,759 +3.3%
1987 384,367 +2.8%
1988 397,463 +3.4%
1989 417,818 +5.1%
1990 415,195 -0.6%
1991 422,348 +1.7%
1992 443,552 +5.0%
1993 478,040 +7.8%
1994 505,153 +5.7%
1995 516,797 +2.3%
1996 525,962 +1.8%
1997 538,730 +2.4%
1998 580,623 +7.8%
1999 570,220 -1.8%
2000 559,817 -1.8%
2001 520,846 -7.0%
2002 514,735 -1.2%
2003 496,616 -3.5%
2004 508,333 +2.4%
2005 531,759 +4.6%
2006 532,250 +0.1%
2007 566,404 +6.4%
2008 600,557 +6.0%
2009 733,448 +22.1%
2010 866,338 +18.1%
2011 999,229 +15.3%
2012 1.13 million +13.3%
2013 1.16 million +2.7%
2014 1.19 million +2.7%
2015 1.23 million +3.4%
2016 1.28 million +3.3%
2017 1.33 million +4.7%
2018 1.39 million +4.5%
2019 1.36 million -2.6%
2020 1.34 million -1.4%
2021 1.36 million +1.4%
2022 1.50 million +10.5%
2023 1.65 million +10.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 232,285 191,083 277,854 10
1980s 353,111 299,823 417,818 10
1990s 499,662 415,195 580,623 10
2000s 556,476 496,616 733,448 10
2010s 1.20 million 866,338 1.39 million 10
2020s 1.46 million 1.34 million 1.65 million 4

Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea

  1. 69 Sierra Leone 2.07 million compare
  2. 70 Ecuador 1.72 million compare
  3. 71 Togo 1.66 million compare
  4. 73 Poland 1.60 million compare
  5. 74 Kazakhstan 1.58 million compare
  6. 75 Sri Lanka 1.58 million compare

See the full ranking of 251 places →

More education data for Papua New Guinea

All data for Papua New Guinea →

Frequently asked questions

What is primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea?
Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea was 1.65 million in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest primary education, pupils, gaps filled recorded in Papua New Guinea?
The highest recorded value was 1.65 million in 2023.
What is the lowest primary education, pupils, gaps filled recorded in Papua New Guinea?
The lowest recorded value was 191,083 in 1970.
How does Papua New Guinea rank for primary education, pupils, gaps filled?
Papua New Guinea ranks 72nd out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
Is primary education, pupils, gaps filled rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
Over the last ten years it is up 42.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Primary education, pupils, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Primary education, pupils, gaps filled in Papua New Guinea. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/primary-education-pupils-gaps-filled/papua-new-guinea/

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How this figure is calculated

Primary education, pupils with 569 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
251 places, 11,866 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education, pupils with 569 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.