World 8.2bn peopleGDP $118tnLife expectancy 73.5 yrsOnline 73.6%
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Labour · East Asia & Pacific · High income

New Caledonia: the labour market

Labour force is 131,488 (2025), 177th of 187 in the world and 24th of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Participation rate is 56.4% (2025), 131st of 187 in the world and 23rd of 29 in East Asia & Pacific. Women's participation is 51.1% (2025), 113th of 187 in the world and 22nd of 29 in East Asia & Pacific.

Labour force131,4882025 · world 177/187 · region 24/29Participation rate56.4%2025 · world 131/187 · region 23/29Women's participation51.1%2025 · world 113/187 · region 22/29Employment rate50.1%2025 · world 140/187 · region 26/29
Labour force
New Caledonia
80,000100,000120,000140,0001995200020052010201520202025New Caledonia131,488
Participation rate
New CaledoniaEast Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025New Caledonia56.4%East Asia & PacificHigh incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: New Caledonia in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within East Asia & Pacific; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total131,4882025177/18724/29102,413124,773127,349−2.3%since 20151.3bn734m3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+56.4%2025131/18723/2965.4%64.3%57.7%−6.3 ppsince 201565.2%61.0%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+51.1%2025113/18722/2959.3%59.2%53.4%−6.7 ppsince 201558.1%54.3%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)50.1%2025140/18726/2953.6%55.3%49.9%−4.0 ppsince 201562.7%58.3%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)11.2%202532/1872/2917.9%14.0%13.6%−2.4 ppsince 20153.8%4.4%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)12.1%202536/1872/2921.1%16.0%12.9%−2.8 ppsince 20153.4%4.6%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)33.1%202516/1872/2944.2%36.1%46.1%−4.5 ppsince 201512.5%11.5%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %24.7%202351/17010/28··33.0%—15.3%10.6%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment82.9%202553/1878/2984.6%85.4%83.1%−2.9 ppsince 201561.0%88.9%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)14.2%2025134/18721/2914.4%13.6%15.8%+0.8 ppsince 201535.3%8.0%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment1.8%2025163/18724/295.5%2.4%1.9%+0.2 ppsince 201521.7%2.9%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment20.6%202574/18712/2923.4%24.8%22.0%−4.8 ppsince 201528.5%22.2%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment77.6%202532/1878/2971.1%72.8%76.1%+4.6 ppsince 201549.9%74.9%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

New Caledonia and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with New Caledonia. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorNew CaledoniaAustralia
Labour force131,488202515.1m2025
Participation rate56.4%202566.5%2025
Women's participation51.1%202562.5%2025
Employment rate50.1%202563.8%2025
Unemployment11.2%20254.1%2025
Female unemployment12.1%20254.0%2025
Youth unemployment33.1%20259.6%2025
Youth NEET rate24.7%20238.4%2025
Wage workers82.9%202583.9%2025
Australia: labour
Labour in East Asia & Pacificall 37 economies rankedLabour: high-income countries86 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesNew Caledonia: all key statisticscountry profile