How Papua New Guinea Is Divided: From Provinces to Districts to Wards

Papua New Guinea is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, with over 800 languages spoken across mountains, river basins, and island chains. Its administrative structure has to hold all of that together. This guide walks through it, from the national level down to the village.

The Tiers of Government

  1. National government, based in Port Moresby
  2. Provinces: 22 first-level divisions, made up of 20 provinces, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, and the National Capital District
  3. Districts: roughly 89 nationwide
  4. Local-level governments (LLGs): urban or rural councils, around 300 in total
  5. Wards: the smallest unit, usually a village cluster or a neighborhood, numbering about 6,000

Who Leads What

Understanding the structure means understanding who sits where, because the system ties administration closely to the national Parliament.

  • Provincial governor: elected by voters across the whole province. The governor holds the provincial seat in Parliament and leads the provincial government.
  • Open member of Parliament: elected by a single district. This member represents the district in Parliament and chairs its District Development Authority, which channels national funds to local projects.
  • LLG president and councillors: elected at the local level to run the urban or rural council.
  • Ward councillor: elected to represent one ward, and usually the first point of contact between villagers and government.

Governors and open MPs are separate seats. The governor answers to the whole province, while each open MP answers to one district.

The Four Regions

The provinces are traditionally grouped into four regions: Southern (Papua), Highlands, Momase, and Islands. The grouping is used for political and statistical purposes and is not a separate level of government.

Provinces and Their Districts

Southern Region

  • Central: Abau, Goilala, Kairuku-Hiri, Rigo
  • Gulf: Kerema, Kikori
  • Milne Bay: Alotau, Esa’ala, Kiriwina-Goodenough, Samarai-Murua
  • Oro (Northern): Ijivitari, Sohe
  • Western (Fly): Middle Fly, North Fly, South Fly
  • National Capital District: Moresby North-East, Moresby North-West, Moresby South

Highlands Region

  • Chimbu (Simbu): Chuave, Gumine, Karimui-Nomane, Kerowagi, Kundiawa-Gembogl, Sinasina-Yonggomugl
  • Eastern Highlands: Daulo, Goroka, Henganofi, Kainantu, Lufa, Obura-Wonenara, Okapa, Unggai-Bena
  • Enga: Kandep, Kompiam-Ambum, Lagaip-Porgera, Wabag, Wapenamanda
  • Hela: Komo-Magarima, Koroba-Kopiago, Tari-Pori
  • Jiwaka: Anglimp-South Waghi, Jimi, North Waghi
  • Southern Highlands: Ialibu-Pangia, Imbonggu, Kagua-Erave, Mendi-Munihu, Nipa-Kutubu
  • Western Highlands: Dei, Mount Hagen, Mul-Baiyer, Tambul-Nebilyer

Momase Region

  • East Sepik: Ambunti-Drekikir, Angoram, Maprik, Wewak, Wosera-Gaui, Yangoru-Saussia
  • Madang: Bogia, Madang, Middle Ramu, Rai Coast, Sumkar, Usino-Bundi
  • Morobe: Bulolo, Finschhafen, Huon Gulf, Kabwum, Lae, Markham, Menyamya, Nawae, Tewae-Siassi
  • West Sepik (Sandaun): Aitape-Lumi, Nuku, Telefomin, Vanimo-Green River

Islands Region

  • Autonomous Region of Bougainville: North Bougainville, Central Bougainville, South Bougainville
  • East New Britain: Gazelle, Kokopo, Pomio, Rabaul
  • Manus: Manus
  • New Ireland: Kavieng, Namatanai
  • West New Britain: Kandrian-Gloucester, Talasea

Beyond Districts: LLGs and Wards

Each district is divided into one or more local-level governments, which come in two types:

  • Rural LLGs, covering groups of villages and the land around them
  • Urban LLGs, covering towns and cities such as Lae, Mount Hagen, and Kokopo

LLGs are divided into wards, which are numbered within each LLG (Ward 1, Ward 2, and so on) and are often known by the village or cluster of villages they cover. Wards form the basis for local elections and census counts. Because ward names and numbers run to the thousands and change over time, they are best looked up in official records rather than a general guide.

Two Special Cases

Bougainville is an autonomous region with its own president and parliament, established under the 2001 peace agreement that ended the Bougainville conflict. Its future status remains a central issue in national politics following the 2019 independence referendum, in which voters overwhelmingly favored independence.

The National Capital District is not a province in the usual sense. It is run by a commission and a governor, and it contains three open electorates that function much like districts.

How Papua New Guinea Is Divided: From Provinces to Districts to Wards

A Note on Change

Boundaries and counts shift over time. Hela and Jiwaka became provinces in 2012, and LLG and ward numbers change with electoral cycles.

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