Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
New Caledonia is 52% bigger than Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 18,580 km² (2023) · Vanuatu: 12,190 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Vanuatu’s coastline is 12% longer than New Caledonia’s.
New Caledonia: 2,254 km (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 2,528 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Vanuatu’s highest peak towers 249 m above New Caledonia’s.
New Caledonia: 1,628 m (2026 edition) · Vanuatu: 1,877 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Vanuatu has 13% more people than New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 295,333 (2025) · Vanuatu: 335,169 (2025)
How crowded is it?
Vanuatu is 70% more densely populated than New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 16 per km² (2025) · Vanuatu: 27 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 168.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 160.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in New Caledonia is 14 years older than in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 33.9 years (2023) · Vanuatu: 20.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Vanuatu have 1.6 more children on average than in New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 1.96 children per woman (2024) · Vanuatu: 3.57 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
12% of people in New Caledonia are 65 or older, versus 4.4% in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 11.8% (2025) · Vanuatu: 4.4% (2025)
How many official languages?
Vanuatu has 3 official languages, New Caledonia 1.
New Caledonia: 1 (2026) · Vanuatu: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
New Caledonia’s economy is 6.3 times the size of Vanuatu’s.
New Caledonia: $8.55 billion (2024) · Vanuatu: $1.35 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: Int$4,525 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 32.3 (2019)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 11% in New Caledonia, versus 5.1% in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 11.2% (2025) · Vanuatu: 5.1% (2025)
How expensive is it?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: $143 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in New Caledonia live 7.3 years longer than in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 78.9 years (2024) · Vanuatu: 71.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 14.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 0.2 per 1,000 (2019)
How common is obesity?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 21.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 24.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How much do people drink?
Adults in New Caledonia drink 3.9 times as much alcohol as in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 8.2 litres (2023) · Vanuatu: 2.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
New Caledonia has 2.2 times as much meat per person as Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 89.6 kg (2023) · Vanuatu: 41 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
New Caledonia has 107 kcal more food per person per day than Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 3,016 kcal (2023) · Vanuatu: 2,909 kcal (2023)
How long do people go to school?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 7.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
New Caledonia welcomed 2.1 times as many tourists per resident as Vanuatu (2019).
New Caledonia: 0.2 (2024) · Vanuatu: 0.1 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
82% of people in New Caledonia are online, versus 22% in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 82% (2017) · Vanuatu: 22% (2015)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in New Caledonia have electricity, versus 66% in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 100% (2024) · Vanuatu: 65.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
68% of people in New Caledonia live in cities, versus 22% in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 68% (2025) · Vanuatu: 22% (2025)
How many phones per person?
New Caledonia has 92 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Vanuatu 89.
New Caledonia: 92 (2022) · Vanuatu: 89 (2023)
How much do they fly?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 1.07 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 46% of New Caledonia, but only 36% of Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 45.8% (2023) · Vanuatu: 36.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in New Caledonia emits 30 times as much CO₂ as someone in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 18.1 t (2024) · Vanuatu: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
27% of New Caledonia’s electricity is renewable, versus 25% in Vanuatu.
New Caledonia: 26.9% (2024) · Vanuatu: 25% (2023)
How clean is the air?
The air in Vanuatu carries 18% more fine dust than in New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 4.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Vanuatu: 5.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 0.3 per 100k (2020)
How dangerous are the roads?
New Caledonia: no data · Vanuatu: 12.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Vanuatu is on average 2.5 °C warmer than New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 22.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Vanuatu: 25.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Vanuatu gets 56% more rain than New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: 1,558 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Vanuatu: 2,432 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is New Caledonia bigger than Vanuatu?
New Caledonia is larger. New Caledonia is 52% bigger than Vanuatu.
Which has more people, New Caledonia or Vanuatu?
Vanuatu has 13% more people than New Caledonia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, New Caledonia or Vanuatu?
People in New Caledonia live 7.3 years longer than in Vanuatu. Life expectancy at birth is 78.9 years in New Caledonia and 71.7 in Vanuatu.