New Caledonia Population
New Caledonia had an estimated population of 295,333 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 178th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.00% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +0.92% a year.
New Caledonia at a glance
How New Caledonia's population is changing
New Caledonia's population is growing: +0.92% a year, which works out to about +2,706 people per year, or +7 a day. Births (14.0 per 1,000) and deaths (6.3 per 1,000) alone would give +0.78% a year; net migration adds about 440 people a year (+0.15%). Roughly one in every 27,817 people on Earth lives in New Caledonia.
Population of New Caledonia since 1960
In 1960, New Caledonia had 79,819 people. By 2025 that was 295,333 — 3.7× larger. The fastest growth came between 1966 and 1976, when the population rose by 48%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 79,819 | — |
| 1970 | 109,338 | +37.0% |
| 1980 | 149,817 | +37.0% |
| 1990 | 176,456 | +17.8% |
| 2000 | 223,098 | +26.4% |
| 2010 | 261,582 | +17.2% |
| 2020 | 284,176 | +8.6% |
| 2025 | 295,333 | +3.9% |
New Caledonia from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put New Caledonia at about 35,847 people in 1800; the UN estimates 295,334 in 2025 (8× 1800) and projects 337,224 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2067 at 347,688 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 35,847 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 46,845 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 56,628 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 63,807 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 223,110 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 295,334 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 340,592 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 347,135 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 337,224 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in New Caledonia
8 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 295,333. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nouméa | 124,060 | UN urban centre | 42.01% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Mont-Dore | 24,680 | GeoNames settlement | 8.36% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Dumbéa | 19,346 | GeoNames settlement | 6.55% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Païta | 12,617 | GeoNames settlement | 4.27% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 5 | Wé | 10,375 | GeoNames settlement | 3.51% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Tadine | 7,492 | GeoNames settlement | 2.54% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Bourail | 5,531 | GeoNames settlement | 1.87% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Poindimié | 5,006 | GeoNames settlement | 1.70% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How New Caledonia compares
New Caledonia has almost the same population as Barbados (282,623).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs New Caledonia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #176 |  Iceland | 392,404 | +33% | compare → |
| #177 |  Vanuatu | 335,169 | +13% | compare → |
| #179 |  Barbados | 282,623 | −4% | compare → |
| #180 |  French Polynesia | 282,465 | −4% | compare → |
Compare New Caledonia with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand.
Explore around New Caledonia
Nearest countries
New Caledonia has no land border. Closest by distance:
- Vanuatu 335,169 · 1.1× the population · compare
Fiji 933,154 · 3.2× the population · compare
Solomon Islands 838,645 · 2.8× the population · compare
Tonga 103,742 · 2.8× smaller · compare
In its region
New Caledonia is the 25th most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 0.0% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings featuring New Caledonia
Cities
Nouméa, Mont-Dore, Dumbéa, Païta, Wé, Tadine, Bourail, Poindimié — all New Caledonia's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · New Caledonia when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
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.