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

Health

live 0.9 years less

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In China, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 58.6% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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make 52.5% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.

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Life

have 51.7% fewer children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Geography

see 6.4 times more coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.

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Infrastructure

find 2.4 times more home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. China has 47.2 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 45.4% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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

China: At a glance

China (sometimes abbreviated PRC) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 9,326,410 sq km. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.
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