Loading…
Continent · Country Index 2026
Oceania
How do the countries of Oceania compare?
Half of Oceania’s 8 placed countries sit at or above 70th of 178 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 2nd of 5 continents. New Zealand is placed highest, joint 17th; Papua New Guinea lowest, joint 138th. 2 reach the world’s top fifth. 13 more of its 21 countries and territories are not placed.
01Its sub-regions
The 4 sub-regions of Oceania
Each card gives the sub-region’s median position and a bar from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country; the photographs are the three most populous members with a banner. Every country follows below.
Australia
New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand
Countries: Australia, New Zealand.17th
median of 178 · 2 of 2 placed
New Zealand 17th → Australia 24th
Papua New Guinea
Fiji
Solomon Islands
Melanesia
Countries: Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.106th
median of 178 · 4 of 5 placed
Fiji 62nd → Papua New Guinea 138th
Guam
Kiribati
Micronesia
Micronesia
Countries: Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau.—
no country placed · 0 of 7 placed
French Polynesia
Samoa
Tonga
Polynesia
Countries: American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu.70th
median of 178 · 2 of 7 placed
Samoa 70th → Tonga 85th
Every country in Oceania
Melanesiamedian 106th
Micronesiano median
- Guamnot placed
- Kiribatinot placed
- Marshall Islandsnot placed
- Micronesianot placed
- Naurunot placed
- Northern Mariana Islandsnot placed
- Palaunot placed
Polynesiamedian 70th
- American Samoanot placed
- Cook Islandsnot placed
- French Polynesianot placed
- Niuenot placed
- Samoa
- Tonga
- Tuvalunot placed
02The region
About Oceania
Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific island states, in the UN's four sub-regions.
Oceania is made up of Australia, New Zealand and the islands of the Pacific, scattered across the largest ocean on Earth. The UN divides it into four sub-regions: Australia and New Zealand, and the island groups of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
Aboriginal Australians have lived on their continent for tens of thousands of years, and the remote Pacific islands were among the last places on Earth to be settled, by seafarers who crossed vast distances of open ocean. European colonisation followed from the eighteenth century. Many island states became independent from the 1960s onward, while others remain territories of, or in association with, the United States, France or New Zealand.
03Where
Oceania on the map
Each member shaded by its position in the Country Index 2026, darkest for the best placed; the countries across its land borders in grey. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its profile.
Beyond this frame, across the date line: American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tonga.
Country Index position: 1st178thMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks
04Country Index 2026
Where Oceania’s countries place
Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 178, never a second list within the region; “=” marks a position shared with another country. Hover the ⓘ for where a country would sit if any one key statistic were dropped.
| In region | Country | Sub-region | In the world | 1st178th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | Australia and New Zealand | 17 / 178between 13th and 22nd if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics | |
| 2 | Australia | Australia and New Zealand | 24 / 178between 20th and 27th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics | |
| 3 | Fiji | Melanesia | 62 / 178between 55th and 66th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics | |
| 4 | Samoa | Polynesia | 70 / 178between 66th and 79th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics | |
| 5 | Tonga | Polynesia | 85 / 178between 71st and 104th if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics | |
| 6 | Vanuatu | Melanesia | 106 / 178between 97th and 114th if any one key were dropped · standings on 13 of 16 topics | |
| 7 | Solomon Islands | Melanesia | 129 / 178between 122nd and 133rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics | |
| 8 | Papua New Guinea | Melanesia | 138 / 178between 135th and 146th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics |
A further 13 of its countries and territories are not placed: the Country Index 2026 places a country only once it holds a standing on 12 of its 16 voting topics. American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau and Tuvalu.
Oceania among the 5 continents with a median
2nd of 5. Nothing is weighted by population or size.
- 1Europe25th39 of 49Placed countries run from Switzerland 1st to Russia 68th.
- 2Oceania70th8 of 21Placed countries run from New Zealand 17th to Papua New Guinea 138th.
- 3Americas78th32 of 48Placed countries run from Canada 17th to Haiti 169th.
- 4Asia91st46 of 52Placed countries run from South Korea 14th to Yemen 176th.
- 5Africa143rd53 of 55Placed countries run from Mauritius 46th to Somalia 177th.
- The world’s midpoint88th
1st178thmedianplaced
The square is each region’s median position; the grey bar runs from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country. Hover a row for their names.
05By subject
Topic by topic
Each sub-region’s median position on each topic, its shade darker the higher it sits in that topic’s field. Strongest for Oceania: Democracy & Civil Liberties, 1st of 5 continents. Weakest: Digital & Technology, 5th of 5.
Columns run from the topic where Oceania places best among continents to the one where it places lowest. A region’s median on a topic needs at least two members with a standing; a hatched cell has no standing.
06In numbers
Oceania in 6 numbers
Each line is every country in the world at its published value; Oceania’s countries are the red ticks, and the dashed line is the world median. There is no regional average: a region has countries, not a life expectancy of its own.
GDP per person
international $, PPP · log scale
World Bank Group · 2025 · 185 countries · higher is better
No reading: American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands
Human development
HDI, 0–1
UNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · 193 countries · higher is better
No reading: American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands
Unemployment
% of the labour force
ILO · 2025 · 182 countries · lower is better
No reading: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Tuvalu
Every value for Oceania’s countries
| Country | Population 2023 | Land area 2024 | GDP per person 2025 | Life expectancy 2023 | Human development 2023 | Unemployment 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | 47,521rank 203 | 199rank 204 | — | 72.85rank 130 | — | — |
| Australia | 26,451,124rank 54 | 7,688,287rank 6 | 60,194rank 23 | 83.92rank 9 | 0.958rank 7 | 4.09rank 114 |
| Cook Islands | 14,222rank 217 | 240rank 202 | — | 75.28rank 106 | — | — |
| Fiji | 924,145rank 162 | 18,333rank 153 | 13,961rank 107 | 67.32rank 176 | 0.731rank 111 | 5.347rank 85 |
| French Polynesia | 281,118rank 181 | 3,521rank 170 | — | 84.07rank 6 | — | 11.66rank 26 |
| Guam | 166,506rank 186 | 541rank 187 | — | 77.21rank 82 | — | 5.569rank 79 |
| Kiribati | 132,530rank 187 | 811rank 179 | 3,364rank 164 | 66.47rank 184 | 0.644rank 140 | — |
| Marshall Islands | 38,827rank 211 | 181rank 206 | 7,660rank 133 | 66.95rank 181 | 0.733rank 108 | — |
| Micronesia | 112,630rank 190 | 701rank 184 | 3,935rank 157 | 67.2rank 178 | 0.615rank 149 | — |
| Nauru | 11,875rank 218 | 21rank 218 | 12,135rank 114 | 62.11rank 208 | 0.703rank 124 | — |
| New Caledonia | 289,870rank 179 | 18,576rank 152 | — | 78.77rank 60 | — | 11.17rank 30 |
| New Zealand | 5,172,836rank 123 | 263,310rank 75 | 48,233rank 38 | 82.09rank 32 | 0.938rank 17 | 5.076rank 92 |
| Niue | 1,817rank 221 | 259rank 201 | — | 69.98rank 157 | — | — |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 45,143rank 206 | 457rank 190 | — | 78.81rank 59 | — | — |
| Palau | 17,727rank 215 | 460rank 189 | 19,699rank 83 | 69.27rank 162 | 0.786rank 84 | — |
| Papua New Guinea | 10,389,635rank 93 | 452,860rank 54 | 4,456rank 152 | 66.13rank 188 | 0.576rank 160 | 2.571rank 158 |
| Samoa | 216,663rank 183 | 2,780rank 171 | 7,963rank 130 | 71.7rank 142 | 0.708rank 122 | 4.996rank 97 |
| Solomon Islands | 800,005rank 165 | 27,990rank 141 | 2,382rank 175 | 70.53rank 152 | 0.584rank 156 | 1.431rank 174 |
| Tonga | 104,597rank 192 | 720rank 183 | 7,413rank 134 | 72.89rank 127 | 0.769rank 92 | 2.008rank 166 |
| Tuvalu | 9,816rank 219 | 26rank 217 | 5,776rank 143 | 67.1rank 179 | 0.689rank 129 | — |
| Vanuatu | 320,409rank 178 | 12,189rank 158 | 3,867rank 158 | 71.48rank 146 | 0.621rank 146 | 5.073rank 93 |
07In records
Oceania in records
The member at the extreme of each statistic, read from its newest edition. Where two members share the top, no record is named.
Most populous
26,451,124
people
Largest by land area
7,688,287
square kilometres
Highest GDP per person
60,194
international $ at purchasing power parity
Longest life expectancy
84.07
years at birth
Highest human development
0.958
on the Human Development Index, 0–1
Perceived as least corrupt
81
on the Corruption Perceptions Index, 0–100
08Latest editions
Who rose and fell in the published ranks
The moves of Oceania’s countries between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.
Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.
Improved most
rank before → after- Fiji114 → 111+3
- Marshall Islands110 → 108+2
- Australia8 → 7+1
Declined most
rank before → after- Palau81 → 84−3
- Micronesia147 → 149−2
- Papua New Guinea158 → 160−2
Ranks as published by Transparency International in the Corruption Perceptions Index: the 2024 edition (180 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (182 ranked).
Improved most
rank before → after- Solomon Islands76 → 73+3
- Fiji50 → 49+1
Declined most
rank before → after- Papua New Guinea127 → 142−15
- Vanuatu57 → 63−6
- Australia10 → 12−2
Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Gender Inequality Index: reference years 2022 (172 countries ranked) → 2023 (172 ranked), both from its 2025 report.
Improved most
rank before → after- Tonga122 → 115+7
- Papua New Guinea159 → 156+3
- Vanuatu148 → 147+1
Declined most
rank before → after- Fiji80 → 85−5
- New Zealand26 → 30−4
- Samoa103 → 105−2
Ranks as published by World Intellectual Property Organization in the Global Innovation Index: the 2024 edition (133 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (139 ranked).
Improved most
rank before → after- Australia23 → 22+1
Declined most
rank before → after- New Zealand25 → 26−1
Ranks as published by Growth Lab at Harvard University in the Economic Complexity Index: reference years 2023 (145 countries ranked) → 2024 (145 ranked), both from its 2026 report.
Improved most
rank before → after- New Zealand51 → 49+2
Declined most
rank before → after- Australia71 → 73−2
- Papua New Guinea138 → 139−1
Ranks as published by Oxford Insights in the Government AI Readiness Index: the 2024 edition (188 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (195 ranked).
Improved most
rank before → after- New Zealand40 → 37+3
- Australia10 → 9+1
Declined most
rank before → after- Marshall Islands123 → 177−54
- Tonga118 → 156−38
- Samoa127 → 154−27
09In context
Across the border
The countries outside Oceania that share a land border with one of its members, with their world positions, and the continents they belong to. Land borders only, as drawn on the map.
Asia
The neighbouring continents
10Keep reading
Explore further
The other continents
Africa
+45Countries: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Somaliland, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.143rd
median of 178 · 53 of 55 placed
Mauritius 46th → Somalia 177th
Americas
+38Countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Greenland, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States, United States Virgin Islands, Uruguay, Venezuela.78th
median of 178 · 32 of 48 placed
Canada 17th → Haiti 169th
Asia
+42Countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Northern Cyprus, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen.91st
median of 178 · 46 of 52 placed
South Korea 14th → Yemen 176th
Europe
+39Countries: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican City.25th
median of 178 · 39 of 49 placed
Switzerland 1st → Russia 68th
11Method
Questions, method and sources
Which countries are in Oceania?
Oceania holds 21 countries and territories on this site, in 4 UN sub-regions: Australia and New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification.
Which country in Oceania is placed highest?
New Zealand, placed joint 17th of 178 in the Country Index 2026. Papua New Guinea is placed lowest, joint 138th. 8 of the region’s 21 countries and territories are placed; the rest hold standings on too few topics.
How does Oceania compare with other regions?
Half of its 8 placed countries sit at or above 70th of 178, which places it 2nd of 5 continents. The middle of the whole field is 88th. Nothing is weighted by population or size.
How many people live in Oceania?
45,549,016 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for its 21 countries and territories.
What is the largest country in Oceania?
By land area, Australia: 7,688,287 square kilometres (2024). By population, Australia: 26,451,124 people (2023).
How a region’s figure is made
- Membership. Countries belong to regions by the United Nations’ M49 classification; each country declares its sub-region, and a continent is the sum of its sub-regions.
- Positions. Each country’s position is its Country Index 2026 result, unchanged. This page slices the world ranking by place; it does not re-rank anyone.
- The median. A region’s figure is the median of its placed countries’ positions: half sit at or above it, half below. With an even number of placed countries it takes the better of the two middle positions, since there is no country at a half place. Countries the index does not place are named, never counted in.
- A place among peers. Continents are compared with continents and sub-regions with sub-regions, never a part with the whole that contains it; regions sharing a median share a place. Nothing is weighted by population or size, and population and land area are the only figures ever added up.
Where the regions come from
United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). M49’s middle level (Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean) is left out, so every sub-region sits directly under its continent. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus and Somaliland are not in M49 and are placed by geography.
Where the positions come from
Every position is a country’s result in the Country Index 2026 or one of its topics, unchanged. The population and land-area figures are the UN DESA Population Division’s and the FAO’s, added up and shown with their year; every other statistic names its publisher beside its numbers.
Photographs
Each country’s own banner from its profile: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Australia — tiimta, CC BY-SA 3.0
- New Zealand — Karora derivative work: Inkey, Public domain
- Papua New Guinea — eGuide Travel, CC BY 2.0
- Fiji — Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Solomon Islands — Nash Belarus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Guam — David Burdick, Public domain
- Kiribati — Photo taken by Government of Kiribati employee in the course of their work, CC BY 3.0
- Micronesia — User:Crescentmoon56, CC0
- French Polynesia — mcclave, CC BY 2.0
- Samoa — Neil derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 2.0
- Tonga — Haanofonua derivative work: Massimo Telò, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Oceania: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/oceania