Papua New Guinea is on track to have more than 300,000 students sitting the Grade 8, 10 and 12 National Examinations by 2027 if the recent growth trend continues.
The number of students nominated for the national examinations has increased substantially.
Population: Grade 8, 10 and 12
Year Students. Change
2024 | 230,276 | —
2025 | 254,000 |+23,724
2026 |279,526 | +25,526
2027 projection ~307,000 +27,500
The 2024 figure was 230,276 students, comprising 120,000 Grade 8, 77,413 Grade 10 and 32,863 Grade 12 candidates.
In 2025, the number increased to approximately 254,000, including 130,000 Grade 8, 87,500 Grade 10 and 36,500 Grade 12 students.
For 2026, the Department of Education reported 279,526 nominated candidates: 157,500 Grade 8, 84,596 Grade 10 and 37,430 Grade 12 students.
What could 2027 look like?
If PNG maintains approximately the same 10% annual growth seen between 2024 and 2026, the number of Grade 8, 10 and 12 examination candidates could reach around 307,000 in 2027.
That would be approximately:
77,000 more students than 2024
53,000 more than 2025
27,500 more than 2026
About 33% higher than 2024
Important: ~307,000 is a projection, not an official 2027 Department of Education figure. The actual 2027 number will depend on student enrolment, retention, progression and final school nominations.
This growth also has major implications for teacher demand, classrooms, school infrastructure, learning materials, examination administration and secondary-school capacity. PNG's National Education Plan projects continued improvements in progression through the education system, including the Grade 8-to-9 transition.
Source: Papua New Guinea Department of Education; 2024 and 2025 reported national examination figures.
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