Travel safety comparison · Oceania
Australia vs Papua New Guinea: safety comparison
vs
Australia vs Papua New Guinea: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Australia carries a materially lower safety risk than Papua New Guinea on the composite Warnely score: 13/100 against 57/100, a gap of 44 points. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Australia scores 1/5 against Papua New Guinea's 4/5. 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) | 13 / 100 | 57 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Very Safe | High Risk |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| 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 |
Full guide
Is Australia safe to visit in 2026?
Full guide
Is Papua New Guinea safe to visit in 2026?
Australia vs Papua New Guinea: common questions
Is Australia or Papua New Guinea safer to visit?
Australia has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 13/100 vs 57/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Australia or Papua New Guinea safer for solo female travellers?
Australia is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Papua New Guinea is rated Generally Safe. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Australia and Papua New Guinea?
Australia: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Papua New Guinea: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).