| Economy - overview | Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by rugged terrain and the high cost of developing infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral deposits, including oil, copper, and gold, account for nearly two-thirds of export earnings. The government of Prime Minister SOMARE has expended much of its energy remaining in power and should be the first government in decades to serve a full five-year term. The government also brought stability to the national budget, largely through expenditure control; however, it has relaxed spending constraints in 2006 and 2007 as elections approach. Numerous challenges still face the government including regaining investor confidence, restoring integrity to state institutions, promoting economic efficiency by privatizing moribund state institutions, and balancing relations with Australia, its former colonial ruler. Other socio-cultural challenges could upend the economy including a worsening HIV/Aids epidemic and chronic law and order and land tenure issues. Australia annually supplies $240 million in aid, which accounts for nearly 20% of the national budget. |
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| GDP | 1.4% (2005 est.) |
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| GDP - real growth rate | 3.7% (2006 est.) |
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| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 35.7%
industry: 37.1%
services: 27.2% (2006 est.) |
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| Population below poverty line | 37% (2002 est.) |
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Household income or consumption
by percentage share | lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 40.5% (1996) |
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Distribution of family income
- Gini index | 50.9 (1996) |
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| Labor force | 3.477 million (2006 est.) |
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| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 85%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
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| Unemployment rate | 2% up to 80% in urban areas (2004) |
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| Budget | revenues: $2.155 billion
expenditures: $2.166 billion; including capital expenditures of $344 million (2006 est.) |
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| Industries | copra crushing, palm oil processing, plywood production, wood chip production; mining of gold, silver, and copper; crude oil production, petroleum refining; construction, tourism |
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| Industrial production growth rate | NA% |
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Electricity -
production | 3.358 billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
production by source | fossil fuel: 54.1%
hydro: 45.9%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption | 3.123 billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
exports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
imports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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| Oil - production | 50,000 bbl/day (January 2006 est.) |
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| Oil - consumption | 18,000 bbl/day (January 2006 est.) |
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| Oil - exports | NA bbl/day |
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| Oil - imports | NA bbl/day |
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| Oil - proved reserves | 170 million bbl (2006 est.) |
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| Agriculture - products | coffee, cocoa, copra, palm kernels, tea, sugar, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, vanilla; shell fish, poultry, pork |
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| Exports | $4.096 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
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| Exports - commodities | oil, gold, copper ore, logs, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, crayfish, prawns |
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| Exports - partners | Australia 28.8%, Japan 8.6%, China 5.4% (2005) |
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| Imports | $1.686 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
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| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, fuels, chemicals |
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| Imports - partners | Australia 54.7%, Singapore 13.4%, Japan 4.3%, Malaysia 4.2% (2005) |
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| Debt - external | $1.801 billion (2006 est.) |
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| Economic aid - recipient | $NA |
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| Currency code | PGK |
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| Exchange rates | kina per US dollar - 3.0643 (2006), 3.08 (2005), 3.2225 (2004), 3.5635 (2003), 3.8952 (2002) |
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| Fiscal year | calendar year |
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