World Sites & Apps
Oceania · #144 · 2025–2026

Papua New Guinea: internet and everyday apps

Papua New Guinea has about 1.6 million people online — a penetration rate of 15.1% and rank #144 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 7 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 1.6 million Penetration 15.1% World rank #144 Updated 2026-11-12
TL;DR
  • Papua New Guinea has roughly 1.6 million internet users (1,600,000 people) — about 15.1% of the population and rank #144 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Payments and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Papua New Guinea in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
1.6 million1,600,000 · #144
Penetration
15.1%#216
Population
10.6 million10,600,000 · #92
GDP
$31B#112
GDP growth
+3.9%#78
GDP per person
$2,906#163
Land area
462.8k km²#55
Capital
Port Moresby
Region
Oceania
Official languages
English, Tok Pisin

How Papua New Guinea goes online

Port Moresby's internet is a mobile one, and it is uneven. Facebook is the main social doorway, used for news, wantoks and the buy-and-sell groups that move everything from betel nut to outboard motors. WhatsApp carries the family and work conversations, especially for people whose jobs take them to the provinces. Digicel covers the towns, while fixed broadband is rare outside offices. Mobile money is still finding its feet, and cash remains the default for most purchases.

Around 15.1%. With a population of about 10.6 million and 1.6 million online, roughly 9 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 7 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

7 Most-used apps

Messaging

2 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009 Messenger Messaging · Meta · 2011

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Payments

1 Most-used apps →
PayPal Payments · PayPal · 1998

Websites people in Papua New Guinea actually use

7

The 7 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News2Banking1Transport1Utilities1Education1Mail1
The NationalNewsthenational.com.pgThe National is how I follow what Parliament is actually doing. Post-CourierNewspostcourier.com.pgPost-Courier carries the provincial news the others skip. BSP Financial GroupBankingbsp.com.pgBSP has branches in the towns and agents in the villages, so my wantoks send money home through it; the app is how I check it arrived. Air NiuginiTransportairniugini.com.pgFlying from Port Moresby to the Highlands means Air Niugini; I check the site because the morning flight is often full a week ahead of payday. PNG PowerUtilitiespngpower.com.pgThe power utility. University of Papua New GuineaEducationupng.ac.pgThe country’s oldest university. Post PNGMailpostpng.com.pgThe national postal service.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Papua New Guinea are online?

About 1.6 million (1,600,000 people). That works out to roughly 15.1% of the population, which puts Papua New Guinea at #144 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Papua New Guinea use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Payments. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Papua New Guinea?

WhatsApp, Messenger dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Papua New Guinea?

Around 15.1%. With a population of about 10.6 million and 1.6 million online, roughly 9 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Papua New Guinea?

The everyday ones are The National, Post-Courier, BSP Financial Group, plus the other 7 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Papua New Guinea: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/pg.html