Is prostitution legal in Papua New Guinea?
Illegal
Prostitution is effectively illegal in Papua New Guinea due to court interpretations of existing laws.
Papua New Guinea is one of 101 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 46% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)
Source
- Taken from
- Wikipedia: Prostitution in Oceania
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Solomon Islands
- Decriminalized / unregulated Selling sex is legal, though soliciting and brothel keeping are prohibited.
- Micronesia
- Varies by region Sex work legality differs by state, being legal in Yap and Kosrae but illegal in Chuuk and Pohnpei.
- Palau
- Illegal Selling and buying sex are criminalized under the Anti-Prostitution Act.
- Timor-Leste
- Decriminalized / unregulated Selling sex is legal in Timor-Leste, but soliciting and third-party facilitation are forbidden.
- Australia
- Varies by region Prostitution laws vary significantly by state and territory across Australia.
- Guam
- Illegal Selling and buying sex are criminal offenses under the Guam Crimes and Correctional Code.
Other laws in Papua New Guinea
- Same-Sex Activity
- Illegal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Marriage Age
- 18+
Every law in Papua New Guinea → · Where is sex work legal? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.