Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.9 years longer

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 67.6% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.

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make 3.4 times more money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.

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Life

have 20.2% fewer children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 19.8% more likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 98.2% do 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 Iceland, that number is 4,970 km.

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Infrastructure

find 93.7% more home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Iceland has 37.5 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 50.1% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 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. Iceland

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Iceland is 41.9% more expensive than New Caledonia overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 6 times smaller than Iceland.
→
Moving from New Caledonia to Iceland · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Iceland: At a glance

Iceland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 100,250 sq km. Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.
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How big is Iceland compared to New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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