World Factbook

New Caledonia

Territoire des Nouvelle-Calédonie et dépendances

Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)

Budget

revenues

$1.995 billion (2015 est.)

expenditures

$1.993 billion (2015 est.)

Exports

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports 2019

$1.79 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$1.8 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$1.92 billion (2021 est.)

Imports

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports 2019

$2.48 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$2.1 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$2.26 billion (2021 est.)

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Labor force

130,800 (2024 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

Public debt 2014

6.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2020

6.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Remittances 2021

6.2% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

6.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

104.711 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

100.88 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

113.474 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

110.347 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

110.306 (2024 est.)

Economic overview

upper-middle-income French Pacific territorial economy; enormous nickel reserves; ongoing French independence negotiations; large Chinese nickel exporter; luxury eco-tourism destination; large French aid recipient; high cost-of-living; lingering wealth disparities

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2022

10.8% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

11% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

11.2% (2024 est.)

Exports - partners

China 75%, Japan 9%, Taiwan 3%, India 3%, France 2% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Imports - partners

France 36%, Singapore 16%, Australia 15%, China 6%, NZ 3% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2015 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2022

$33,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$35,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$34,600 (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-2.4% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

-2.1% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.5% (2022 est.)

Agricultural products

coconuts, vegetables, fruits, pork, beef, maize, eggs, bananas, yams, oranges (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Exports - commodities

iron alloys, nickel, nickel ore, processed crustaceans, shellfish (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, coal, cars, aircraft, packaged medicine (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Current account balance

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Current account balance 2014

-$1.3 billion (2014 est.)

Current account balance 2015

-$1.119 billion (2015 est.)

Current account balance 2016

-$654.237 million (2016 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$10.129 billion (2024 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

household consumption

65.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

23.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

27.9% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services

21% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-37.9% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

-0.5% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

0.6% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

3.7% (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2015 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$8.678 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$8.642 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$8.469 billion (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

male

30.2% (2024 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

32.7% (2024 est.)

female

35.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

industry

22.3% (2019 est.)

services

65.2% (2019 est.)

agriculture

1.8% (2019 est.)