Demographics of New Caledonia facts for kids

New Caledonia population pyramid in 2020, showing how many people are in different age groups.

This article is all about the people of New Caledonia! We'll explore how many people live there, where they come from, how old they are, and what languages they speak. It's like taking a closer look at the big family that makes up New Caledonia.

How Many People Have Lived There Over Time?

New Caledonia's population has grown a lot over the years. Here's a quick look at how the number of people has changed:

Births and Deaths in New Caledonia

The number of births and deaths helps us understand how a country's population changes. In New Caledonia, the birth rate (how many babies are born per 1,000 people) has slowly gone down over the years. This means fewer babies are being born compared to the total population.

The death rate (how many people die per 1,000 people) has stayed fairly low and stable. When more babies are born than people die, the population grows. This is called "natural increase."

In recent years, the number of births has been higher than deaths, so New Caledonia's population has continued to grow. For example, in 2017, there were about 14.5 births for every 1,000 people, and about 5.5 deaths for every 1,000 people.

Who Lives in New Caledonia?

New Caledonia is home to many different groups of people, making it a very diverse place! The main groups are:

• Kanak people: These are the native people of New Caledonia. In 2019, they made up about 41.2% of the population. They are the largest group in some parts of the country.
• Europeans: People of European descent, especially from France, make up about 24.1% of the population. They are the largest group in the South Province.
• Wallisians and Futunians: These are people from the nearby islands of Wallis and Futuna. They make up about 8.3% of the population.
• Tahitians: People from Tahiti are about 2.0% of the population.
• Indonesians: People with Indonesian heritage are about 1.4% of the population.
• Ni-Vanuatu: People from Vanuatu make up about 0.9%.
• Vietnamese: People with Vietnamese heritage are a smaller group.
• Mixed and Other: Many people have mixed backgrounds (11.3%), and there are other smaller ethnic groups too.

Here's a table showing how these groups have changed over time:

Quick Facts About New Caledonia's Population

Here are some interesting facts about the people of New Caledonia, based on information from 2020:

How Old Are People in New Caledonia?

• Young people (0-14 years): About 21.7% of the population are children and young teens.
• Young adults (15-24 years): About 15.6% are in this age group.
• Adults (25-54 years): This is the largest group, making up about 43.7% of the population.
• Older adults (55-64 years): About 9.1% are in this age range.
• Seniors (65 years and over): About 9.8% of the population are seniors.

Total Population

• Around 290,009 people live in New Caledonia.

How Fast is the Population Growing?

• The population grows by about 1.25% each year. This means the number of people is slowly increasing.

Birth and Death Rates

• Birth rate: About 14.5 babies are born for every 1,000 people each year.
• Death rate: About 5.9 people die for every 1,000 people each year.

People Moving In and Out

• Net migration rate: About 3.8 more people move into New Caledonia than move out, for every 1,000 people. This also helps the population grow.

How Many Males and Females?

• Overall, there's about 1 male for every 1 female in the total population.
• For younger age groups (0-24 years), there are slightly more males than females.
• For older age groups (55 years and over), there are more females than males.

Baby Health

• Infant mortality rate: Sadly, about 5 babies out of every 1,000 live births do not survive their first year.

How Long Do People Live?

• Life expectancy: On average, people in New Caledonia live to be about 78.4 years old.
• Males usually live to about 74.4 years.
• Females usually live longer, to about 82.5 years.

How Many Children Per Woman?

• Total fertility rate: On average, each woman has about 1.88 children. This number is below 2, which means the population would eventually shrink without people moving in.

What Are People Called?

• If you're from New Caledonia, you are called a New Caledonian.

What Religions Do People Follow?

• Most people in New Caledonia are Christian:
  • About 60% are Roman Catholic.
  • About 30% are Protestant.
• The remaining 10% follow other religions.

What Languages Are Spoken?

• French is the official language.
• There are also about 33 different local Melanesian and Polynesian languages spoken by the native people.

How Many People Can Read and Write?

• Literacy: This means being able to read and write.
• About 96.9% of people aged 15 and over can read and write.
• For males, it's about 97.3%.
• For females, it's about 96.5%. This shows that almost everyone in New Caledonia can read and write!