New Caledonia Key Statistics
Each figure carries its own unit, source and the year the source last published it.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Source | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population (live) | 295,333 | people | UN WPP 2024 base advanced by the annual growth rate | live, today |
| Land area | 18,575 | km² | UN Statistics Division, via restcountries.com | static reference |
| Population density | 16 | people per km² | Calculated: population ÷ land area | live, today |
| Annual growth rate | 0.9 | % per year | World Bank WDI · SP.POP.GROW | 2025 |
| Crude birth rate | 14.0 | births per 1,000 people | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.CBRT.IN | 2024 |
| Crude death rate | 6.3 | deaths per 1,000 people | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.CDRT.IN | 2024 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.9 | years | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.LE00.IN | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.96 | births per woman | World Bank WDI · SP.DYN.TFRT.IN | 2024 |
| Urban population | 68.2 | % of total population | World Bank WDI · SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS | 2025 |
| Population under 15 | 21.1 | % of total population | World Bank WDI · SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS | 2025 |
| Population 65 and over | 11.8 | % of total population | World Bank WDI · SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS | 2025 |
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators (which republish UN, WHO and UNICEF series) and UN World Population Prospects 2024. Full details on the Sources and Methodology pages.
New Caledonia Population History
1950–2023 · annual estimates · UN World Population Prospects 2024
Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024, estimates series (via Our World in Data, CC BY 4.0). Data retrieved from the UN series on request.
New Caledonia Population Projection to 2100
2024–2100 · UN medium-variant projection
In 2100, New Caledonia is projected to reach 337,224 people under the UN medium variant.
Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant, published via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0). Projections are scenario-based, not forecasts — see Methodology.
How New Caledonia Compares
Age & Gender Distribution
New Caledonia — population share by age and gender (%)
- Male
- Female
New Caledonia — Health, Education & Rights Data
Latest available figures from UN agencies. The year of each figure is shown, since surveys are not run every year.
Population
- Population doubling time At the current growth rate
- 76 yrs
- Annual population growth
- 0.9%2025
- Total fertility rateBirths per woman
- 1.962024
- Life expectancy at birth
- 78.9 yrs2024
- Life expectancy, female
- 81.4 yrs2024
- Life expectancy, male
- 76.5 yrs2024
- Birth ratePer 1,000 people
- 14.02024
- Death ratePer 1,000 people
- 6.32024
- Urban population
- 68.2%2025
Source: UN Population Division, World Population Prospects 2024
Sexual & Reproductive Health
- Adolescent birth rateBirths per 1,000 girls aged 15–19
- 11.72024
Source: UN MMEIG (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank), UNICEF/WHO, WHO, UNAIDS
New Caledonia Population: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of New Caledonia?
New Caledonia has an estimated population of 295,333 people. That makes it the 179th most populous country in the world out of the 250 countries tracked on this site.
Is New Caledonia's population growing or shrinking?
New Caledonia's population is growing by about 0.92% a year — roughly 7 more people every day. Its crude birth rate is 14.0 births per 1,000 people a year and its crude death rate is 6.3 per 1,000. Life expectancy at birth is 78.9 years.
How densely populated is New Caledonia?
About 16 people live on each square kilometre of New Caledonia, across a land area of 18,575 km².
Where does New Caledonia rank within Oceania?
New Caledonia is the 7th most populous country in Oceania, which has 27 countries listed on this site, and 179th in the world.
What share of the world's population lives in New Caledonia?
Around 0.00% of the world's population lives in New Caledonia — about 295,333 people out of roughly 8,500,000,000 people worldwide.
Understanding New Caledonia's Population
New Caledonia is the 179th most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of 295,333 people as of today. This figure is an estimate — it starts from the most recent official count and advances second by second using New Caledonia's annual growth rate of 0.92%.
The population is growing steadily. At the current rate, New Caledonia adds or loses roughly 7 people per day. With a land area of 18,575 km², it is sparsely populated (16 people per km²).
The "Births Today" and "Deaths Today" figures are estimates based on annualized rates prorated to the time elapsed since midnight. Read how every figure on this page is computed in our Methodology, and where each series comes from in our Sources.
