Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 12.9 years less

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Gambia, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 41.6% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Gambia, that number is 6.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 96.9% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in Gambia, the GDP per capita is $919 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 2.1 times more children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Gambia, there are 29.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 33.1% less likely to have access to electricity

In New Caledonia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Gambia, that number is 67% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 35% in rural areas) as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 39.6% less likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Gambia, about 49.5% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 12.5% less likely to have access to drinking water

In New Caledonia, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Gambia, 87% of people do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 96.5% less coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In Gambia, that number is 80 km.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 97.3% less home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Gambia has 0.5 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 98.9% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Gambia emits 0.2 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

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

Compare further: New Caledonia vs. Gambia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Gambia is 79.4% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 1.6 times bigger than Gambia.
→
Moving from New Caledonia to Gambia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Gambia: At a glance

Gambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 10,120 sq km. The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since then. Yahya JAMMEH led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the president and banned political activity. A new constitution and presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in 1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. JAMMEH has been elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in late 2011.
Read more

How big is Gambia compared to New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Gambia or New Caledonia. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.