Rural population in New Caledonia
New Caledonia: Rural population was 26.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in New Caledonia, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in New Caledonia stood at 26.9%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in New Caledonia peaked at 48.8% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 26.9%, in 2024.
That places New Caledonia 133rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in New Caledonia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 48.8% | — |
| 1971 | 48.0% | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 47.2% | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 46.4% | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 45.6% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 44.8% | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 44.1% | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 43.7% | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 43.3% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 43.0% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 42.6% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 42.2% | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 41.8% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 41.5% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 41.3% | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 41.2% | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 41.0% | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 40.9% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 40.7% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 40.6% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 40.4% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 40.3% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 40.1% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 40.0% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 39.9% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 39.7% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 39.5% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 39.2% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 38.8% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 38.4% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 38.1% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 37.7% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 37.4% | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 37.0% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 36.7% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 36.0% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 35.4% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 34.7% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 34.0% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 33.4% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 32.9% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 32.4% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 32.0% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 31.5% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 31.1% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 30.6% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 30.2% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 29.7% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 29.3% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 28.9% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 28.5% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 28.1% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 27.7% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 27.3% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 26.9% | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 45.5% | 43.0% | 48.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 41.4% | 40.6% | 42.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 39.6% | 38.4% | 40.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.0% | 33.4% | 38.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.9% | 28.9% | 32.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.7% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Caledonia
More population data for New Caledonia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1918 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1918 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1079 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4774 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.209 (2100)
- Population density 18.45 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 15,426 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.209 (2100)
- Population aged 65 years or older (thousands), annual growth rate 3.98 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in New Caledonia?
- Rural population in New Caledonia was 26.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in New Caledonia?
- The highest recorded value was 48.8% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in New Caledonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.9% in 2024.
- How does New Caledonia rank for rural population?
- New Caledonia ranks 133rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in New Caledonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Caledonia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release