Population: 4,705,126 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 951,532; female 902,841)
15-64 years: 58% (male 1,411,053; female 1,298,937)
65 years and over: 3% (male 64,101; female 76,662) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.26% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 32.04 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.47 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 55.58 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 58.47 years
male: 57.58 years
female: 59.4 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.17 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Papua New Guinean(s)
adjective: Papua New Guinean

Ethnic groups: Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, Polynesian

Religions: Roman Catholic 22%, Lutheran 16%, Presbyterian/Methodist/London Missionary Society 8%, Anglican 5%, Evangelical Alliance 4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1%, other Protestant sects 10%, indigenous beliefs 34%

Languages: English spoken by 1%-2%, pidgin English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
note: 715 indigenous languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 72.2%
male: 81%
female: 62.7% (1995 est.)