Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 6.7 years less

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In India, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 62.2% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In India, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 28.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In New Caledonia, 17.0% live below the poverty line as of 2008. In India, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2011.

View global rankings →

make 90.7% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in India, the GDP per capita is $2,702 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 13.9% more children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In India, there are 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 3.1 times more coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In India, that number is 7,000 km.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 83.7% less home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. India has 3.1 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 87.3% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. India emits 2.2 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2008–2011). How we calculate this

Compare further: New Caledonia vs. India

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
India is 82.1% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 177 times smaller than India.
→
Moving from New Caledonia to India · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

India: At a glance

India is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 2,973,193 sq km. The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Years of nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually resulted in Indian independence, which was granted in 1947. Large-scale communal violence took place before and after the subcontinent partition into two separate states - India and Pakistan. The neighboring nations have fought three wars since independence, the last of which was in 1971 and resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 emboldened Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, economic growth following the launch of economic reforms in 1991 and a massive youthful population are driving India's emergence as a regional and global power.
Read more

How big is India 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 India 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.