Share of population living in rural areas in New Caledonia
New Caledonia: Share of population living in rural areas was 34.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in 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
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in New Caledonia stood at 34.4%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in New Caledonia peaked at 63.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 34.4%, in 2020.
New Caledonia ranks 78th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in New Caledonia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 63.6% | — |
| 1955 | 63.0% | -1.0% |
| 1960 | 61.1% | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 58.7% | -3.9% |
| 1970 | 56.4% | -3.9% |
| 1975 | 52.4% | -7.0% |
| 1980 | 49.6% | -5.5% |
| 1985 | 48.6% | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 49.7% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 49.4% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 48.6% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 47.4% | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 41.9% | -11.6% |
| 2015 | 40.6% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 34.4% | -15.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 63.3% | 63.0% | 63.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 59.9% | 58.7% | 61.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 54.4% | 52.4% | 56.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 49.1% | 48.6% | 49.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 49.5% | 49.4% | 49.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 48.0% | 47.4% | 48.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 41.3% | 40.6% | 41.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 34.4% | 34.4% | 34.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near New Caledonia
More population data for New Caledonia
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1079 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1918 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 15,426 people (2100)
- Population density 18.45 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4774 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.3183 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in New Caledonia?
- Share of population living in rural areas in New Caledonia was 34.4% 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 rural areas recorded in New Caledonia?
- The highest recorded value was 63.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in New Caledonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.4% in 2020.
- How does New Caledonia rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- New Caledonia ranks 78th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in New Caledonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.