Is Papua New Guinea the poorest country?

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a resource-rich country, yet almost 40 percent of the population lives in poverty. PNG continues to see high levels of violence and political unrest since the 2017 election, which was marred by widespread electoral irregularities and violence.

Is Papua New Guinea developed or developing?

The economy of Papua New Guinea is largely underdeveloped.

Why is there so much violence in Papua New Guinea?

Crime throughout the country, particularly violence-related, has been influenced mainly by rapid social, political and economic changes. An increased rate of unemployment has resulted in poverty in rural areas, while a sequential shift towards urban areas has created cultural friction.

Are Papua New Guinea and Indonesia at risk of becoming failed states?

But for the Australian Government, the real concerns lie just to the north: Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Despite their obvious differences, both are at risk of becoming failed states because of the potential for a rapid decay of health, economic circumstances and — in a worst-case scenario — disintegrating public order.

What are the biggest challenges facing Papua New Guinea today?

But equally, Papua New Guinea faces some serious challenges. In the last 40 years, progress in raising the living standards of the majority of the population has been extremely slow and arguably is faltering. Current trends — in the economy, law and order, health, and education — do not augur well for either the immediate or medium-term future.

What should New Guinea’s next generation of leaders do?

Papua New Guinea’s next generation of leaders should take a new approach in seeking to turn around negative trends in law and order, education, and health. Emerging leaders could make bold and innovative policy interventions in key areas to unblock barriers to progress.

Is Papua New Guinea doing enough to control corruption?

The WGI assessment of PNG’s performance in controlling corruption showed that Papua New Guinea fell from the 19th percentile in 1998 to the 15th percentile in 2014. There are no quick fixes or indeed straightforward long-term fixes to improving governance and building capacity in the public service in Papua New Guinea.