New Caledonia Demographics

Population of New Caledonia (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of New Caledonia

New Caledonia Population
297,892
see live
Yearly Change
+0.87%
Global Share
< 0.01%
Global Rank

Median Age

The median age in New Caledonia is 34.8 years (2026).

Fertility in New Caledonia

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.93
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in New Caledonia

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
79.2
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
81.7
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
76.8
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in New Caledonia


Infant Mortality
7.9
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
10.0
(per 1,000 live births)


New Caledonia Urban Population

Currently, 68.4% of the population of New Caledonia is urban (203,795 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in New Caledonia is 16 people per km² (42 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 18,275 km² (7,056 sq. miles).

Largest Communes in New Caledonia

All 16 communes, ranked by population at the census of April 22, 2025 (by Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, New Caledonia). A commune is a municipality, so its figure includes every village and rural area within its boundaries.

RankCommunePopulation
1Nouméa85,976
2Dumbéa34,926
3Païta27,609
4Le Mont-Dore25,303
5Koné8,048
6Bourail5,575
7Poindimié4,613
8Koumac4,272
9Canala3,911
10Houaïlou3,756
11La Foa3,449
12Boulouparis3,359
13Voh3,122
14Pouembout3,062
15Poya2,962
16Thio2,581
See all 16 communes in New Caledonia

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.