The duel
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Solomon Islands is 56% bigger than New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 18,580 km² (2023) · Solomon Islands: 28,900 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The Solomon Islands’ coastline is 2.4 times as long as New Caledonia’s.
New Caledonia: 2,254 km (2026 edition) · Solomon Islands: 5,313 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The Solomon Islands’ highest peak towers 707 m above New Caledonia’s.
New Caledonia: 1,628 m (2026 edition) · Solomon Islands: 2,335 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The Solomon Islands has 2.8 times as many people as New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 295,333 (2025) · Solomon Islands: 838,645 (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Solomon Islands is 85% more densely populated than New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 16 per km² (2025) · Solomon Islands: 30 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 163.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 156.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in New Caledonia is 14 years older than in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 33.9 years (2023) · Solomon Islands: 20.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Solomon Islands have 1.5 more children on average than in New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 1.96 children per woman (2024) · Solomon Islands: 3.51 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
12% of people in New Caledonia are 65 or older, versus 3.7% in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 11.8% (2025) · Solomon Islands: 3.7% (2025)
How many official languages?
New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands are practically level.
New Caledonia: 1 (2026) · Solomon Islands: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
New Caledonia’s economy is 4.9 times the size of the Solomon Islands’.
New Caledonia: $8.55 billion (2024) · Solomon Islands: $1.75 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: Int$2,788 (2025)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 11% in New Caledonia, versus 1.4% in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 11.2% (2025) · Solomon Islands: 1.4% (2025)
How expensive is it?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 75% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: $111 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in New Caledonia live 8.2 years longer than in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 78.9 years (2024) · Solomon Islands: 70.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 16.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 0.2 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 20.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 38.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Adults in New Caledonia drink 14 times as much alcohol as in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 8.2 litres (2023) · Solomon Islands: 0.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
New Caledonia has 5.7 times as much meat per person as the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 89.6 kg (2023) · Solomon Islands: 15.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
New Caledonia has 851 kcal more food per person per day than the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 3,016 kcal (2023) · Solomon Islands: 2,166 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 5.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
New Caledonia welcomed 5.1 times as many tourists per resident as the Solomon Islands (2019).
New Caledonia: 0.2 (2024) · Solomon Islands: 0.04 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
82% of people in New Caledonia are online, versus 29% in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 82% (2017) · Solomon Islands: 29% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in New Caledonia have electricity, versus 82% in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 100% (2024) · Solomon Islands: 81.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
68% of people in New Caledonia live in cities, versus 31% in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 68% (2025) · Solomon Islands: 31% (2025)
How many phones per person?
New Caledonia has 92 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Solomon Islands 62.
New Caledonia: 92 (2022) · Solomon Islands: 62 (2022)
How much do they fly?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 0.19 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 90% of the Solomon Islands, but only 46% of New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 45.8% (2023) · Solomon Islands: 90.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in New Caledonia emits 50 times as much CO₂ as someone in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 18.1 t (2024) · Solomon Islands: 0.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
27% of New Caledonia’s electricity is renewable, versus 9.1% in the Solomon Islands.
New Caledonia: 26.9% (2024) · Solomon Islands: 9.1% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the Solomon Islands carries 43% more fine dust than in New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 4.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Solomon Islands: 7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How dangerous are the roads?
New Caledonia: no data · Solomon Islands: 11.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Solomon Islands is on average 3.7 °C warmer than New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 22.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Solomon Islands: 26.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Solomon Islands gets 2.7 times as much rain as New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 1,558 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Solomon Islands: 4,245 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is New Caledonia bigger than the Solomon Islands?
The Solomon Islands is larger. The Solomon Islands is 56% bigger than New Caledonia.
Which has more people, New Caledonia or the Solomon Islands?
The Solomon Islands has 2.8 times as many people as New Caledonia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, New Caledonia or the Solomon Islands?
People in New Caledonia live 8.2 years longer than in the Solomon Islands. Life expectancy at birth is 78.9 years in New Caledonia and 70.7 in the Solomon Islands.