Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 12.4 years less

In New Caledonia, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Zambia, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 47.0% less likely to be unemployed

In New Caledonia, 11.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Zambia, that number is 5.9% as of 2025.

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make 95.5% less money

New Caledonia has a GDP per capita of $29,213 as of 2024, while in Zambia, the GDP per capita is $1,318 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.3 times more children

In New Caledonia, there are approximately 14.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Zambia, there are 32.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 48.9% 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 Zambia, that number is 51% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 18% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 79.1% less likely to have internet access

In New Caledonia, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Zambia, about 17.1% do as of 2024.

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be 26.3% less likely to have access to drinking water

In New Caledonia, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Zambia, 73% of people do as of 2024.

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Infrastructure

find 95.9% less home broadband

New Caledonia has 19.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Zambia has 0.8 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 96.8% less CO2

New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Zambia emits 0.5 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. Zambia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Zambia is 62.5% cheaper than New Caledonia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
New Caledonia is about 41 times smaller than Zambia.
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Moving from New Caledonia to Zambia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Zambia: At a glance

Zambia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 743,398 sq km. The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the [British] South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices, economic mismanagement and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. MWANAWASA was reelected in 2006 in an election that was deemed free and fair. Upon his abrupt death in August 2008, he was succeeded by his vice president, Rupiah BANDA, who subsequently won a special presidential by-election in October 2008. Michael SATA was elected president in September 2011.
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How big is Zambia compared to New Caledonia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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