How many people live in New Caledonia right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
298,674
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 185 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0036%
- Median age
- 34.8 years
- Children per woman
- 1.93
- Life expectancy
- 79.2 years
- People per km²
- 16
According to UN estimates, about 298,674 people live in New Caledonia right now. It ranks 185th out of 237 countries and territories by population, between French Guiana and French Polynesia, and it is home to one in every 27,900 people on the planet.
Every day, about 11 people are born there and about 5 die. More people arrive than leave: net migration adds about 350 people a year. Overall, the population grows by about 7 people a day (0.83% a year).
In 1950, about 63,790 people lived there. Today there are 4.7 times as many. The UN expects it to peak around 2067, at about 347,687, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 340,580 people (14% more than today), and by 2100 about 337,221.
Half of its people are younger than 35 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 1.93 children each, below the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 79 years (worldwide, 74). There are 16 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of New Caledonia in 2026?
- New Caledonia has about 298,674 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 297,892.
- How many people are born each day in New Caledonia?
- About 11 a day (4,000 a year). About 5 people die each day (1,900 a year).
- Is the population of New Caledonia growing?
- Yes: it grows by 0.83% a year, or about 2,500 people.
- What will the population of New Caledonia be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 340,580, with a peak around 2067 at about 347,687.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- Vanuatu 344,892
- Martinique 336,877
- French Guiana 320,557
- French Polynesia 283,264
- Barbados 282,744
- São Tomé and Príncipe 246,502
More countries in Oceania
- Australia 27,305,144
- Papua New Guinea 11,005,616
- New Zealand 5,298,033
- Fiji 938,561
- Solomon Islands 864,515
- Vanuatu 344,892
- French Polynesia 283,264
- Samoa 220,922
- Guam 170,550
- Kiribati 139,061
- Micronesia 114,346
- Tonga 103,166
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.