Half a day’s pay for a healthy household diet in Papua New Guinea
Survey data suggest that in Port Moresby (POM), Papua New Guinea, feeding an entire household a nutritious diet for a single day requires 45% of a low-skill worker’s daily wage.
- health
- nutrition
- poverty
By Emily Schmidt, Kristi Mahrt, and Helmtrude Sikas-IhaJuly 21, 2026
Key takeaways
- Healthy diets are too expensive for many in Papua New Guinea and can cost up to 45% of a low-skill urban worker’s daily wage.
- Diet quality falls short of healthy standards, with only about half of surveyed workers meeting minimum dietary diversity recommendations.
- Processed foods are driving health risks as high consumption of sugary drinks, instant noodles, and processed meats increases the risk of chronic diseases.
Survey data suggest that in Port Moresby (POM), Papua New Guinea, feeding an entire household a nutritious diet for a single day requires 45% of a low-skill worker’s daily wage. The healthy diet burden eases somewhat outside of the capital: 41% in Kokopo, 38% in Lae, and 37% in the Highlands. The reasons behind these regional differences are layered. In Lae, wages are relatively higher while food costs are lower compared to POM. In the Highlands, both wages and food prices are lower, resulting in roughly the same share of earnings needed for a healthy diet as in Lae even though the absolute numbers differ. On the other hand, Port Moresby faces higher healthy food costs and lower wages, particularly for informal wage workers.
From June through November 2025, IFPRI conducted telephone interviews with wage workers in low- and low-medium-skill jobs (from here forth low-skill) across seven cities where the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) is monitoring fresh food prices: Port Moresby, Kokopo, Lae, Mount Hagen, Banz, Goroka, and Daru. The survey aimed to inform comparisons of men’s and women’s labor activities and wages to evaluate urban workers’ financial access to a healthy diet.