Travel safety comparison · Oceania
Australia vs Papua New Guinea: safety comparison
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Side-by-side safety comparison of Australia and Papua New Guinea for 2026: risk scores, FCDO and US State Department advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ legal status, and the practical decision between the two.
Australia carries a materially lower safety risk than Papua New Guinea on the composite Warnely score: 11/100 against 62/100, a gap of 51 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Australia scores 1/5 against Papua New Guinea's 4/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 1 advisory on Australia and a Level 3 on Papua New Guinea. Drug law diverges sharply: Papua New Guinea carries a tier-severe regime against Australia's more permissive framework.
| 🇦🇺Australia | 🇵🇬Papua New Guinea | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 11 / 100 | 62 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Very Safe | High Risk |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | avoid all but essential travel to parts of country |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #18 | #116 |
| Drug law | Strict | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Generally Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | marriage | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | AUD | PGK |