Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in New Caledonia instead of Burkina Faso, you would:

Health

live 17.6 years longer

In Burkina Faso, the average life expectancy is 61 years (59 years for men, 63 years for women) as of 2024. In New Caledonia, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

make 25.5 times more money

Burkina Faso has a GDP per capita of $1,148 as of 2025, while in New Caledonia, the GDP per capita is $29,213 as of 2024.

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be 3.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Burkina Faso, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Caledonia, that number is 11.2% as of 2025.

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Life

have 55.2% fewer children

In Burkina Faso, there are approximately 31.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Caledonia, there are 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 4.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Burkina Faso, approximately 22% of people have electricity access (63% in urban areas, and 2% in rural areas) as of 2023. In New Caledonia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 2.9 times more likely to have internet access

In Burkina Faso, approximately 28.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In New Caledonia, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

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be 99.1% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Burkina Faso, approximately 50% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In New Caledonia, 100% of people do as of 2024.

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Infrastructure

find 22.8 times more home broadband

Burkina Faso has 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Caledonia has 19.4 as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 63.3 times more CO2

Burkina Faso emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: Burkina Faso vs. New Caledonia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
New Caledonia is 2.0 times more expensive than Burkina Faso overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
Burkina Faso is about 15 times bigger than New Caledonia.
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Moving from Burkina Faso to New Caledonia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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New Caledonia: At a glance

New Caledonia is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 18,275 sq km. Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island became a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct a referendum between 2014 and 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
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How big is New Caledonia compared to Burkina Faso? See an in-depth size comparison.

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