Papua New Guinea has an abundant resource endowment of oil and mineral wealth, but this wealth has not translated into significant welfare gains for most citizens. This Country Program Evaluation assesses the relevance and effectiveness of World Bank Group support to Papua New Guinea between fiscal years 2008 and 2023. After assessing the evolution and performance of the Bank Group’s country strategy and portfolio, the evaluation drills down on three main constraints to growth and poverty reduction. These are the lack of investment in Papua New Guinea’s non-extractive sectors and their poor performance (chapter 4); the economic exclusion of women and GBV issues (chapter 5); and unmitigated disaster, violence, and conflict risks (chapter 6).

The report also offers key lessons to inform future World Bank Group support to Papua New Guinea.