New Caledonia People - 2024

Population

300,682 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: New Caledonian(s)

adjective: New Caledonian

Ethnic groups

Kanak 39.1%, European 27.1%, Wallisian, Futunian 8.2%, Tahitian 2.1%, Indonesian 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1%, Vietnamese 0.9%, other 17.7%, unspecified 2.5% (2014 est.)

Languages

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

French audio sample:

Religions

Christian 85.2%, Muslim 2.8%, other 1.6%, unaffiliated 10.4% (2020 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.96% (male 32,199/female 30,825)

15-64 years: 68.45% (male 103,611/female 102,208)

65 years and over: 10.59% (2023 est.) (male 13,914/female 17,925)

2023 population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 49.6

youth dependency ratio: 33.6

elderly dependency ratio: 16

potential support ratio: 6.3 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 33.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 33.1 years

female: 34.8 years

Population growth rate

1.17% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

14 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

3.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia

Population distribution

most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea

Urbanization

urban population: 72.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

198,000 NOUMEA (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 75.2 years

female: 83.1 years

Total fertility rate

1.84 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

N/A

Drinking water source

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 99.3% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 0.7% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure

N/A

Physicians density

N/A

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

N/A

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

22.5% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

N/A

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 96.9%

male: 97.3%

female: 96.5% (2015)