Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 8.1 years less

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Cambodia, that number is 71 years (68 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 97.7% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cambodia, that number is 0.3% as of 2025.

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make 90.2% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in Cambodia, the GDP per capita is $2,872 as of 2025.

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Life

have 44.8% more children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cambodia, there are 20.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 16.5% less likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Cambodia, about 68.5% do as of 2024.

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be 16.8% less likely to have access to drinking water

In New Caledonia, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Cambodia, 83% of people do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 80.3% less coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In Cambodia, that number is 443 km.

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Safety

be 41.9% less likely to be murdered

New Caledonia has a homicide rate of 3.1 per 100,000 people as of 2009. In Cambodia, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2011.

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Infrastructure

find 78.6% less home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Cambodia has 4.2 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 93.6% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cambodia emits 1.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2021), United Nations SDG Indicators (2009–2011). How we calculate this

Compare further: New Caledonia vs. Cambodia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Cambodia is 55.9% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 10 times smaller than Cambodia.
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Moving from New Caledonia to Cambodia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Cambodia: At a glance

Cambodia is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 176,515 sq km. Most Cambodians consider themselves to be Khmers, descendants of the Angkor Empire that extended over much of Southeast Asia and reached its zenith between the 10th and 13th centuries. Attacks by the Thai and Cham (from present-day Vietnam) weakened the empire, ushering in a long period of decline. The king placed the country under French protection in 1863, and it became part of French Indochina in 1887. Following Japanese occupation in World War II, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In April 1975, after a five-year struggle, communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and evacuated all cities and towns. At least 1.5 million Cambodians died from execution, forced hardships, or starvation during the Khmer Rouge regime under POL POT. A December 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside, began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off almost 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords mandated democratic elections and a ceasefire, which was not fully respected by the Khmer Rouge. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy under a coalition government. Factional fighting in 1997 ended the first coalition government, but a second round of national elections in 1998 led to the formation of another coalition government and renewed political stability. The remaining elements of the Khmer Rouge surrendered in early 1999. Some of the surviving Khmer Rouge leaders have been tried or are awaiting trial for crimes against humanity by a hybrid UN-Cambodian tribunal supported by international assistance. Elections in July 2003 were relatively peaceful, but it took one year of negotiations between contending political parties before a coalition government was formed. In October 2004, King Norodom SIHANOUK abdicated the throne and his son, Prince Norodom SIHAMONI, was selected to succeed him. Local elections were held in Cambodia in April 2007, with little of the pre-election violence that preceded prior elections. National elections in July 2008 were relatively peaceful, as were commune council elections in June 2012.
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How big is Cambodia compared to New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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