Share of population living in urban and rural areas in New Caledonia

New Caledonia: Share of population living in urban and rural areas was 65.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
65.6%
World rank
159th
of 236 countries
All-time high
65.6%
in 2020
All-time low
36.4%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in urban and rural areas in New Caledonia, 1950–2020

02040601950198520201950: 36.4 %1955: 37 %1960: 38.9 %1965: 41.3 %1970: 43.6 %1975: 47.6 %1980: 50.4 %1985: 51.4 %1990: 50.3 %1995: 50.6 %2000: 51.4 %2005: 52.6 %2010: 58.1 %2015: 59.4 %2020: 65.6 %

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 urban and rural areas in New Caledonia stood at 65.6%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of up 13.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in urban and rural areas in New Caledonia peaked at 65.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 36.4%, in 1950.

New Caledonia ranks 159th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in urban and rural areas in New Caledonia, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in urban and rural areas in New Caledonia, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 36.4%
1955 37.0% +1.8%
1960 38.9% +5.1%
1965 41.3% +6.1%
1970 43.6% +5.5%
1975 47.6% +9.1%
1980 50.4% +6.1%
1985 51.4% +1.8%
1990 50.3% -2.0%
1995 50.6% +0.4%
2000 51.4% +1.7%
2005 52.6% +2.2%
2010 58.1% +10.5%
2015 59.4% +2.2%
2020 65.6% +10.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 36.7% 36.4% 37.0% 2
1960s 40.1% 38.9% 41.3% 2
1970s 45.6% 43.6% 47.6% 2
1980s 50.9% 50.4% 51.4% 2
1990s 50.5% 50.3% 50.6% 2
2000s 52.0% 51.4% 52.6% 2
2010s 58.7% 58.1% 59.4% 2
2020s 65.6% 65.6% 65.6% 1

Countries ranked near New Caledonia

  1. 156 Côte d'Ivoire 67.3% compare
  2. 157 Greece 67.2% compare
  3. 158 Kiribati 66.5% compare
  4. 160 South Sudan 65.2% compare
  5. 161 Estonia 65.0% compare
  6. 162 Serbia 64.8% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for New Caledonia

All data for New Caledonia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in urban and rural areas in New Caledonia?
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in New Caledonia was 65.6% 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 urban and rural areas recorded in New Caledonia?
The highest recorded value was 65.6% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in New Caledonia?
The lowest recorded value was 36.4% in 1950.
How does New Caledonia rank for share of population living in urban and rural areas?
New Caledonia ranks 159th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in New Caledonia?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in urban and rural areas in New Caledonia. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-people-living-in-urban-and-rural-areas-degurba/new-caledonia/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in urban and rural areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.