Photo: eGuide Travel · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 04 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Papua New Guinea: Education & Knowledge
How far does a country's schooling carry its children?
Papua New Guinea is placed 172nd of 198 countries on education & knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Out-of-School Rate, Primary 4.003 (2024); Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary 65.31 (2024).
Share
Education & Knowledge
172nd
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 4.003Out-of-School Rate, Primary, 2024Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
- 65.31Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, 2024Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
- 14.24Upper Secondary Completion Rate, 2025Upper secondary completion rate (%)
- 0.782Government Spending on Education, 2023Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Papua New Guinea on education & knowledge — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Papua New Guinea’s is from 2021 · CC BY-SA 4.0
4.003
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
Lower is better
Papua New Guinea: 4.003. Across the 192 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.004 (United Arab Emirates) to 65.6 (Equatorial Guinea); the world median is 3.691.
- World median
- 3.691
- Best in Melanesia
- 2.393 Fiji
- Land neighbours
- Indonesia 1.071
Key 2 of 4
Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Papua New Guinea’s is from 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0
65.31
Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
Higher is better
Papua New Guinea: 65.31. Across the 187 countries at their latest reading, values run from 3.411 (Yemen) to 100 (United Arab Emirates); the world median is 85.9.
- World median
- 85.9
- Best in Melanesia
- 89.52 Fiji
- Land neighbours
- Indonesia 88.16
Key 3 of 4
Upper Secondary Completion Rate
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
14.24
Upper secondary completion rate (%)
Higher is better
Papua New Guinea: 14.24. Across the 164 countries in this edition, values run from 2.13 (South Sudan) to 99.27 (South Korea); the world median is 64.87.
- World median
- 64.87
- Best in Melanesia
- 58.98 Fiji
- Land neighbours
- Indonesia 72.75
Key 4 of 4
Government Spending on Education
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.782
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Higher is better
Papua New Guinea: 0.782. Across the 123 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Somalia) to 16.39 (Kiribati); the world median is 3.709.
- World median
- 3.709
- Best in Melanesia
- 8.293 Solomon Islands
- Land neighbours
- Indonesia 1.275
02Over time
Which way Papua New Guinea is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%) · lower is better
Papua New GuineaWorld median
Papua New Guinea fell from 30.24 in 2012 to 4.003 in 2021; the world median went from 3.408 to 3.33.
Every year’s figures
Year Papua New Guinea World median 2024 — 3.691 2023 — 3.393 2022 — 3.002 2021 4 3.330 2020 3 2.678 2019 2 2.758 2018 1 2.439 2017 — 2.907 2016 11 2.954 2015 — 3.052 2014 33 3.904 2013 — 3.413 2012 30 3.408 2011 — 3.626 2010 — 3.491 2009 — 3.577 2008 — 3.878 2007 — 4.029 2006 — 4.338 2005 — 4.571 2004 — 3.791 2003 — 4.412 2002 — 4.144 2001 — 4.051 2000 — 8.642 Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary
Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%) · higher is better
Papua New GuineaWorld median
Papua New Guinea fell from 68.07 in 2016 to 65.31 in 2023; the world median went from 87.91 to 87.61.
Every year’s figures
Year Papua New Guinea World median 2024 — 85.9 2023 65.31 87.6 2022 — 87.7 2021 60.12 87.0 2020 64.79 88.3 2019 66.39 88.8 2018 66.36 89.6 2017 — 87.4 2016 68.07 87.9 2015 — 88.2 2014 — 89.2 2013 — 88.0 2012 — 85.4 2011 — 86.2 2010 — 86.1 2009 — 84.8 2008 — 85.8 2007 — 86.7 2006 — 84.0 2005 — 82.2 2004 — 81.8 2003 — 78.3 2002 — 80.0 2001 — 80.8 2000 — 66.3 Upper Secondary Completion Rate
Upper secondary completion rate (%) · higher is better
Papua New GuineaWorld median
Papua New Guinea rose from 7.79 in 2000 to 14.24 in 2025; the world median went from 38 to 64.87.
Every year’s figures
Year Papua New Guinea World median 2025 14.2 64.9 2024 14.0 65.0 2023 13.8 64.2 2022 13.5 63.6 2021 13.3 62.9 2020 13.0 62.2 2019 12.8 61.5 2018 12.5 60.9 2017 12.2 60.5 2016 11.9 60.1 2015 11.6 58.9 2014 11.2 57.0 2013 11.0 54.7 2012 10.6 52.4 2011 10.4 50.9 2010 10.0 49.5 2009 9.6 48.5 2008 9.3 47.4 2007 9.1 46.2 2006 8.8 45.0 2005 8.6 43.8 2004 8.3 42.9 2003 8.1 41.6 2002 8.0 40.3 2001 7.9 39.0 2000 7.8 38.0 Government Spending on Education
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP) · higher is better
Papua New GuineaWorld median
Papua New Guinea fell from 1.625 in 2015 to 0.782 in 2023; the world median went from 4.239 to 3.709.
Every year’s figures
Year Papua New Guinea World median 2023 0.78 3.7092 2022 0.64 4.0570 2021 0.71 4.2611 2020 0.90 4.4056 2019 0.76 4.1407 2018 1.87 4.2159 2017 1.96 4.1401 2016 0.85 4.2342 2015 1.63 4.2386 2014 — 4.2005 2013 — 4.3493 2012 — 4.0348 2011 — 3.9987 2010 — 4.1396 2009 — 4.6638 2008 — 4.4226 2007 — 4.1717 2006 — 4.0593 2005 — 4.0557 2004 — 3.9745 2003 — 4.1595 2002 — 4.0173 2001 — 4.1002 2000 — 3.8861
03In context
Papua New Guinea beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on education & knowledge, never a place within the region.
Papua New Guinea and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Out-of-School Rate, PrimaryOut-of-school rate, primary age (%) | Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before PrimaryChildren one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%) | Upper Secondary Completion RateUpper secondary completion rate (%) | Government Spending on EducationGovernment expenditure on education (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Indonesia | 117th | 1.071 | 88.16 | 72.75 | 1.275 |
| Papua New Guinea | 172nd | 4.003 | 65.31 | 14.24 | 0.782 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Melanesia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Fiji85th
Vanuatu106th
Solomon Islands134th- Papua New Guinea172nd
New Caledonianot placed
Placed either side on education & knowledge
The countries immediately above and below Papua New Guinea in the topic’s list.
Tanzania169th
Laos170th
Sri Lanka171st- Papua New Guinea172nd
Côte d’Ivoire173rd
Mali=174th
Nigeria=174th
04Context, no vote
Where Papua New Guinea is ahead of the world, and behind
16 more statistics filed under education & knowledge, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median3
Statistics on which Papua New Guinea does better than the middle country measured.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.350.446No earlier reading
Papua New Guinea: 0.35 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 124th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.8490.619▲ Improved since 2015
Papua New Guinea: 0.849 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.
Position 37th of 176 · derived.
Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of PrimaryUIS · 2023 · world median 43.855.3543.8No earlier reading
Papua New Guinea: 55.35 · world median 43.8 · Pupils at the end of primary reaching minimum proficiency in mathematics (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.8 to 93.42; higher is better.
Behind the world median11
Statistics on which Papua New Guinea does worse than the middle country measured.
Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of PrimaryUIS · 2023 · world median 60.0848.4160.08No earlier reading
Papua New Guinea: 48.41 · world median 60.08 · Pupils at the end of primary reaching minimum proficiency in reading (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2 to 98.78; higher is better.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.3350.529No earlier reading
Papua New Guinea: 0.335 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Adult Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 93.998793.99No earlier reading
Papua New Guinea: 87 · world median 93.99 · Adults 15+ who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.83 to 100; higher is better.
Position 114th of 172 · derived.
Youth Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 98.2291.9298.22No earlier reading
Papua New Guinea: 91.92 · world median 98.22 · 15–24 year-olds who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 36.7 to 100; higher is better.
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.3411.5113.34▲ Improved since 2013
Papua New Guinea: 11.51 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 145th of 195 · derived.
Learning-Adjusted Years of SchoolWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 7.9415.9997.941▲ Improved since 2017
Papua New Guinea: 5.999 · world median 7.941 · Learning-adjusted years of school (0–14). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 2.207 to 12.81; higher is better.
Position 128th of 172 · derived.
Harmonized Test ScoresWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 414.32363.32414.32No real change since 2017
Papua New Guinea: 363.32 · world median 414.32 · Harmonized test score (TIMSS-equivalent points; 300 = minimum, 625 = advanced attainment). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 304.92 to 575.27; higher is better.
Position 143rd of 172 · derived.
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.9334.9639.933No real change since 2013
Papua New Guinea: 4.963 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 169th of 193 · derived.
Primary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 97.4365.9897.43▼ Worsened since 2015
Papua New Guinea: 65.98 · world median 97.43 · Primary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 7.94 to 100; higher is better.
Position 145th of 165 · derived.
Researchers per Million InhabitantsUIS · 2024 · world median 701.9533.16701.95No earlier reading
Papua New Guinea: 33.16 · world median 701.95 · Researchers per million inhabitants (full-time equivalent). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.446 to 18,130; higher is better.
Position 130th of 145 · derived.
Lower Secondary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 89.2136.8589.21▼ Worsened since 2015
Papua New Guinea: 36.85 · world median 89.21 · Lower secondary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 13.73 to 100; higher is better.
Position 148th of 164 · derived.
No better end2
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1733.2538.17No earlier reading
Papua New Guinea: 33.25 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
Scholarly ArticlesOurResearch · 2025 · world median 2,2403012,240No real change since 2022
Papua New Guinea: 301 · world median 2,240 · Articles with at least one author at an institution in the country (full counting). OpenAlex (OurResearch), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 1,094,890.
No current reading for Papua New Guinea
Bachelor's or Higher Attainment (last 2022), Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 1999), Government Funding per Primary Student, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Learning Poverty, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age (last 2023), Out-of-School Rate, Primary (last 2021), Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary (last 1999), Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary (last 2023), PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate (last 2023), Primary Schools with Electricity, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education, Research and Development Spending (last 2016), School Life Expectancy (last 1995), Secondary School Enrolment (last 2023), Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (last 1999), Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment (last 2022). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Education & Knowledge among Papua New Guinea’s 15 topics
Education & Knowledge is Papua New Guinea’s 14th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Environment & Sustainability14th of 1863/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade67th of 1773/4 keys
- Peace & Security81st of 1774/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties112th of 1984/4 keys
- Energyjoint 95th of 1652/3 keys
- Food & Agriculture117th of 1843/4 keys
- Digital & Technology142nd of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions142nd of 1944/4 keys
- Gender & Equality139th of 1833/4 keys
- Work & Labour150th of 1824/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation147th of 1763/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital164th of 1963/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing171st of 2002/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge172nd of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resiliencejoint 190th of 1933/4 keys
No standing on Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on education & knowledge
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Papua New Guinea can most readily be measured against.
1
United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia
1st of 198 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
GreeceSouthern Europe
2nd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
PolandEastern Europe
3rd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich) · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 4 keys
Moldova7th4/4 keysHighest in Oceania
Australia18th3/4 keysHighest in Melanesia
Fiji85th4/4 keysThis page
Papua New Guinea172nd4/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Papua New Guinea on education & knowledge: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Papua New Guinea rank on education & knowledge?
Papua New Guinea is placed 172nd of 198 countries on Education & Knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, Upper Secondary Completion Rate and Government Spending on Education). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Out-of-School Rate, Primary figure for Papua New Guinea?
4.003 in 2024 (out-of-school rate, primary age (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 3.691.
What is the latest Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary figure for Papua New Guinea?
65.31 in 2024 (children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 85.9.
How does Papua New Guinea compare with Indonesia on education & knowledge?
Indonesia is placed 117th of 198, and Papua New Guinea 172nd. Out-of-School Rate, Primary: Indonesia 1.071, Papua New Guinea 4.003; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary: Indonesia 88.16, Papua New Guinea 65.31; Upper Secondary Completion Rate: Indonesia 72.75, Papua New Guinea 14.24; Government Spending on Education: Indonesia 1.275, Papua New Guinea 0.782.
How have Papua New Guinea’s education & knowledge figures changed?
Out-of-School Rate, Primary fell from 30.24 in 2012 to 4.003 in 2021; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary fell from 68.07 in 2016 to 65.31 in 2023; Upper Secondary Completion Rate rose from 7.79 in 2000 to 14.24 in 2025; Government Spending on Education fell from 1.625 in 2015 to 0.782 in 2023.
Which education & knowledge statistics are missing for Papua New Guinea?
No current reading is published for Papua New Guinea on Bachelor's or Higher Attainment, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Government Funding per Primary Student, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Learning Poverty, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary Age, Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate, Primary Schools with Electricity, Primary Schools with Internet for Teaching, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education, Research and Development Spending, School Life Expectancy, Secondary School Enrolment, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Tertiary Enrolment Ratio, Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
How much children actually learn is only partly covered. International test scores exist for a limited group of countries, and they are published here as context rather than used as a key, because a key must describe most of the world. Universities, research, and youth and adult literacy also appear as context.
How the Education & Knowledge standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The education & knowledge method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Out-of-School Rate, Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Upper Secondary Completion Rate — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Spending on Education — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 16 statistics on this page come from 5 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Papua New Guinea’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Papua New Guinea (banner) — eGuide Travel, CC BY 2.0
- United Arab Emirates — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greece — User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Poland — Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich), CC BY 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Papua New Guinea: Education & Knowledge — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/papua-new-guinea/education