Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in New Caledonia instead of South Africa, you would:

Health

live 13.5 years longer

In South Africa, the average life expectancy is 65 years (64 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2022. In New Caledonia, that number is 79 years (75 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 2.5 times more money

South Africa has a GDP per capita of $14,300 as of 2023, while in New Caledonia, the GDP per capita is $35,700 as of 2021.

be 59.9% less likely to be unemployed

In South Africa, 28.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In New Caledonia, that number is 11.2% as of 2023.

Life

be 80.7% less likely to die during infancy

In South Africa, approximately 25.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In New Caledonia, on the other hand, 5.0 children do as of 2020.

have 22.0% fewer children

In South Africa, there are approximately 17.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Caledonia, there are 13.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 15.6% more likely to have access to electricity

In South Africa, approximately 86% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In New Caledonia, 100% of the population do as of 2022.

be 13.9% more likely to have internet access

In South Africa, approximately 72.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In New Caledonia, about 82.0% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 19.4% less coastline

South Africa has a total of 2,798 km of coastline. In New Caledonia, that number is 2,254 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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 South Africa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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