Papua New Guinea

Total: Most recent data (IGF-18) is plausible within the time series, but probably rather at the lower side. → 75,000
Min/max: Taking IIED-13 and UBC-14 into account: 60,000 - 110,000
Female participation: no data. Working hypothesis: less than 10% → 5,000
Gold: All data are for ASGM → 75,000

2018: 75,000

(IGF-18): 75,000 (50,000 - 100,000)

2014: 108,000

(UBC-14): Gold-only data produced by statistic modelling:

Expected ASM population: 108,000 
Estimated ASM gold production: 2 - 5 t/a

2013: 55,000

(IIED-13): 50,000 - 60,000

2003: 55,000

(MMSD-03): Estimate for MMSD research country: 50,000 - 60,000
MMSD study by B.Susapu and G.Crispin (http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/G00733.pdf)

1999: 17,500

(ILO-99): Employment: 15,000 - 20,000
Number of mines: n/a
Illegal mines: n/a

ReferenceYearCitationArchived CopyLink
ARM-182018Barreto, M.L.,Schein, P., Hinton, J., Hruschka, F. (2018): The Impact of Small-Scale Mining Operations on Economies and Livelihoods in Low- to Middle-Income Countries. ARM, Envigado, PACT, Westcombe.arm-18.pdfresponsiblemines.org/…
IIED-132013Buxton, A. (2013): Responding to the challenge of artisanal and small-scale mining. How can knowledge networks help? IIED, London.iied-13.pdfpubs.iied.org/…
MMSD-032003Hentschel, T., Hruschka, F., Priester, M. (2003): Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining - Challenges and Opportunities. MMSD (IIED), London.mmsd-03.pdfpubs.iied.org/…
IGF-182018IGF (2018): Global Trends in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM): A review of key numbers and issues. IIED/IISD, London, Winnipeg.igf-18.pdfiisd.org/…
ILO-991999Jennings, N. (1999): Social and labour issues in small-scale mines. Report for discussion at the Tripartite Meeting on Social and Labour Issues in Small-scale Mines. ILO, Geneva.ilo-99.pdfilo.org/…
UBC-142014Seccatore, J., Veiga, M., et al. (Univ. of British Columbia - UBC) (2014): An estimation of the artisanal small-scale production of gold in the world. Scitotenv. 496.ubc-14.pdfdoi.org/…
GMA-182018UNEP (2018): Global Mercury Assessment 2018. Technical Background Report E-Annex. Chapter 3.2. UNEP, Geneva.gma-18.pdfwedocs.unep.org/…
ASM DATA - Country Database Record
Country CodePNG
CountryPapua New Guinea
ASM StatusExisting (data assessed)
Country Count1
Data year2018
Publ. year2018
ASM Miners75,000
- gold75 ,000
Data curation as reported
Inc. DevMinno
- min.60,000
- max.110,000
- female5 ,000
ASM Commoditiesgold
  • country/papua_new_guinea.txt
  • Last modified: 2022/11/11
  • by Felix Hruschka