Population: 4,926,984 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 39% (male 972,289; female 940,049)

15-64 years: 58% (male 1,470,158; female 1,365,523)

65 years and over: 3% (male 84,942; female 94,023) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.47% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 32.68 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female

total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 59.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 63.1 years

male: 61.05 years

female: 65.26 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.38 children born/woman (2000 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 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.)