French Polynesia vs New Caledonia
New Caledonia has 5% more people than French Polynesia: 295,333 vs 282,465, a gap of 12,868. New Caledonia is growing faster (+0.92% vs +0.23% a year), adding about 2,706 people a year against +659. At these source-year rates the modelled relative population gap is widening. French Polynesia is 5.1× as densely populated (81.0 vs 15.9 people per km²). People in French Polynesia live 5.3 years longer on average (84.2 vs 78.9). GDP per capita is 1.3× higher in New Caledonia ($29,213 vs $22,440).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (French Polynesia) and 2025 (New Caledonia); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
French Polynesia vs New Caledonia — side by side
 French Polynesia |  New Caledonia | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 282,4652025 | 295,3332025 |
| Growth rate / yr | +0.23%2025 | +0.92%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 10.72024 | 14.02024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 3.82024 | 6.32024 |
| Children per woman | 1.492024 | 1.962024 |
| Life expectancy | 84.2 yrs2024 | 78.9 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 18.5%2025 | 21.1%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 11.9%2025 | 11.8%2025 |
| Density | 81.0 /km²2023 | 15.9 /km²2023 |
| Area | 3,471 km²2023 | 18,580 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 61.8%2025 | 68.2%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | -1,1992025 | +4402025 |
| GDP per capita | $22,4402024 | $29,2132024 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #180 | #178 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.
Population since 1960
World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). French Polynesia: 3.4× from 1960 to 2025; New Caledonia: 3.7× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.
More comparisons
Region: East Asia & Pacific · rankings
French Polynesia: French Polynesia vs Vanuatu, French Polynesia vs New Caledonia, French Polynesia vs Barbados, French Polynesia vs São Tomé and Príncipe, French Polynesia vs Samoa, French Polynesia vs Saint Lucia.
New Caledonia: New Caledonia vs Bahamas, New Caledonia vs Iceland, New Caledonia vs Vanuatu, New Caledonia vs Barbados, New Caledonia vs French Polynesia, New Caledonia vs São Tomé and Príncipe.
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This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.