CENSUS INFORMATION TO BE REVEALED ON 50th ANNIVERSARY | MASERE
Papua New Guineans can expect to learn the total population by September 2025, according to Minister for Adminstrative Services, Minister Richard Masere. Masere announced that Prime Minister James Marape will officially disclose the country’s population on September 16, 2025.
This coincides with the celebrations for PNG’s Independence Golden Anniversary.
The population census conducted this year however is still ongoing but facing various challenges that have delayed completion. The last census, held in 2011, recorded a population of approximately 8 million. However, preliminary estimates for this year’s count suggest that the population may have surged to around 15 million.
While Mr. Masere did not confirm the exact figure last week, he indicated that the population has surpassed the 2011 census data. Notably, the Post-Courier has conducted its own research over the past two months finding that estimates from various centers have consistently exceeded the previous total.
The population in 2011 was officially recorded at 7,275,324 reflecting a 40% increase from the 2000 census. This saw an average annual growth rate of 3.1%. The distribution of the population at that time was as follows: 39% in the Highlands, 26% in Momase, 20% in the Southern region, and 15% in the Islands.
Speaking in Port Moresby, Masere highlighted that the population of Moresby has already exceeded the 345,000 recorded in 2011. He mentioned while the preliminary figures indicate growth beyond the 2011 data. Numbers for the Census will be released once work is completed.
“We’ve already gone past that, but I can’t release the data until the work is completed,” Mr. Masere stated.
VERIFICATION OF DATA
He explained that after the census is finalized, six months will be given for data verification. This is to ensure corrections accuracy.
Once the final population figure is ready, Prime Minister James Marape will announce it ahead of the independence anniversary. Meanwhile, preliminary figures can be shared to provide the public with updates on the census progress. This includes centers have completed their counts and which are still synchronizing their data.
Mr. Masere assured the public that the government aims to present a clear and unified population figure to avoid confusion. He stated that further updates on the status of the census will be provided next week.
