Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Share of births attended by skilled health staff was 56.4% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Papua New Guinea, 1995–2018
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
In 2018, share of births attended by skilled health staff in Papua New Guinea stood at 56.4%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of births attended by skilled health staff in Papua New Guinea peaked at 56.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 39.0%, in 2001.
Papua New Guinea ranks 158th of 169 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 42.0% | — |
| 1996 | 51.3% | +22.1% |
| 2000 | 41.0% | -20.1% |
| 2001 | 39.0% | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 39.0% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 53.0% | +35.9% |
| 2018 | 56.4% | +6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 46.6% | 42.0% | 51.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 43.0% | 39.0% | 53.0% | 4 |
| 2010s | 56.4% | 56.4% | 56.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 155 Myanmar 60.2% compare
- 156 Bangladesh 59.0% compare
- 157 Timor-Leste 56.7% compare
- 159 Guinea 55.3% compare
- 160 Guinea-Bissau 53.8% compare
- 161 Nigeria 50.7% compare
More health data for Papua New Guinea
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.77 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3741 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,127 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,501 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.0535 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, annual growth rate 0.7486 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per capita 0.0574 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate 1.34 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of births attended by skilled health staff in Papua New Guinea?
- Share of births attended by skilled health staff in Papua New Guinea was 56.4% in 2018, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of births attended by skilled health staff recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 56.4% in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of births attended by skilled health staff recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.0% in 2001.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for share of births attended by skilled health staff?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 158th out of 169 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of births attended by skilled health staff rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of births attended by skilled health staff. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Skilled health staff refers to professionals trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.