Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 4.1 years longer

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In France, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 32.5% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In France, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

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make 67.7% more money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in France, the GDP per capita is $48,986 as of 2025.

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Life

have 30.9% fewer children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In France, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Geography

see 2.2 times more coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In France, that number is 4,853 km.

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Infrastructure

find 2.5 times more home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. France has 48.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 76.6% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. France emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Compare further: New Caledonia vs. France

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
France is 13.5% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 30 times smaller than France.
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Moving from New Caledonia to France · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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France: At a glance

France is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 549,970 sq km. France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to take French forces out of NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.
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How big is France compared to New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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