Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United States instead of New Caledonia, you would:

Economy

be 62.4% less likely to be unemployed

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

View global rankings →

be 11.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In New Caledonia, 17.0% live below the poverty line as of 2008. In United States, however, that number is 15.1% as of 2010.

View global rankings →

make 3.1 times more money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 24.4% fewer children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 15.5% more likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 8.8 times more coastline

New Caledonia has a total of 2,254 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 2.0 times more home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 20.3% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2008–2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: New Caledonia vs. United States

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United States is 8.6% more expensive than New Caledonia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 529 times smaller than United States.
→
Moving from New Caledonia to United States · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

United States: At a glance

United States (sometimes abbreviated US or USA) is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,147,593 sq km. Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
Read more

How big is United States 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 United States 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.