Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in New Caledonia
New Caledonia: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 42.3% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in New Caledonia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
New Caledonia recorded 42.3% for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 44.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in New Caledonia peaked at 42.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1950.
That places New Caledonia 92nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in New Caledonia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.0% | — |
| 1955 | 0.0% | — |
| 1960 | 0.0% | — |
| 1965 | 0.0% | — |
| 1970 | 0.0% | — |
| 1975 | 0.0% | — |
| 1980 | 0.0% | — |
| 1985 | 31.5% | — |
| 1990 | 30.5% | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 31.9% | +4.6% |
| 2000 | 31.7% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 29.2% | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 27.2% | -7.0% |
| 2020 | 42.3% | +55.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 15.7% | 0.0% | 31.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 31.2% | 30.5% | 31.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 31.3% | 30.9% | 31.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 28.2% | 27.2% | 29.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 42.3% | 42.3% | 42.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near New Caledonia
- 89 Barbados 43.0% compare
- 90 Algeria 42.9% compare
- 91 El Salvador 42.8% compare
- 93 Armenia 41.7% compare
- 94 Uzbekistan 41.6% compare
- 95 Philippines 41.5% compare
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)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 18.45 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 15,426 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 1.25 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in New Caledonia?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in New Caledonia was 42.3% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in New Caledonia?
- The highest recorded value was 42.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in New Caledonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1950.
- How does New Caledonia rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- New Caledonia ranks 92nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in New Caledonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Caledonia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.