Despite the penetration of the contemporary economy and media and the effects thereof on traditional cultural life, Papua New Guinea retains a rich variety of village cultures. These are expressed in the ways the country’s landscapes have been shaped over generations and in its people’s wood carving, storytelling, song, dance, and body decoration.

Papua New Guinea’s rate of population growth tends to be high and life expectancy somewhat low, relative to other countries in the region. About one-third of the population is under 15 years of age. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the birth rate greatly exceeded the world average, while the death rate was moderately high and falling. Rapid population growth has created difficulties in providing basic health and education services. Unemployment and underemployment have exacerbated the problems of poverty, crime, and ethnic tensions, especially in urban areas.