Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.4 years longer

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Belgium, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 47.1% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Belgium, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.

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make 2.1 times more money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $60,750 as of 2025.

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Life

have 34.4% fewer children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 16.8% more likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Belgium, about 95.8% do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 97.0% less coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.

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Infrastructure

find 2.3 times more home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Belgium has 44.2 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 57.2% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: New Caledonia vs. Belgium

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Belgium is 6.6% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 1.6 times smaller than Belgium.
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Moving from New Caledonia to Belgium · UN DESA 2020
96 people born in New Caledonia live in Belgium.
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Belgium: At a glance

Belgium is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 30,278 sq km. Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.
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How big is Belgium compared to New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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