Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.1 years less

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 66.3% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.

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make 55.1% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.

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Life

have 11.9% fewer children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malaysia, there are 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 19.5% more likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Malaysia, about 98.0% do as of 2024.

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Geography

see 2.1 times more coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In Malaysia, that number is 4,675 km.

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Infrastructure

find 30.0% less home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 51.3% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 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. Malaysia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Malaysia is 58.8% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 18 times smaller than Malaysia.
→
Moving from New Caledonia to Malaysia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Malaysia: At a glance

Malaysia is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 328,657 sq km. During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula except Singapore formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore, as well as Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo, joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's independence were marred by a communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's withdrawal in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Prime Minister Mohamed NAJIB bin Abdul Razak (in office since April 2009) has continued these pro-business policies and has introduced some civil reforms.
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How big is Malaysia compared to New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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