Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in New Caledonia instead of Iowa, you would:

Health

live 1.3 years longer

In Iowa, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In New Caledonia, that number is 79 years (75 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 44.0% less money

Iowa has a GDP per capita of $63,747 as of 2024, while in New Caledonia, the GDP per capita is $35,700 as of 2021.

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be 3.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Iowa, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In New Caledonia, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, The World Factbook.

Compare further: Iowa vs. New Caledonia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
New Caledonia is 37.8% more expensive than Iowa
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Size Comparison · See true size
Iowa is about 8 times bigger than New Caledonia.
→

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 Iowa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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