Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in New Caledonia instead of North Korea, you would:

Health

live 5.2 years longer

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

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Economy

be 3.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In North Korea, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Caledonia, that number is 11.2% as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 73.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In North Korea, approximately 58% of people have electricity access (36% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023. In New Caledonia, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 6.8 times more CO2

North Korea emits 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. New Caledonia emits 17.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025). How we calculate this

Compare further: North Korea vs. New Caledonia

Cost of Living Comparison · 4 categories - 2026 data
New Caledonia is 3.6 times more expensive than North Korea overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
North Korea is about 6 times bigger than New Caledonia.
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Moving from North Korea to New Caledonia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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New Caledonia: At a glance

New Caledonia is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 18,275 sq km. Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island became a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct a referendum between 2014 and 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
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How big is New Caledonia compared to North Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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