New Caledonia is a special overseas collectivity of France.
Islands & Provinces
The population of the islands and provinces of New Caledonia by census years.
| Name | Abbr. | Status | Area A-L (km²) | Population Census (C) 1976-04-23 | Population Census (C) 1983-04-14 | Population Census (C) 1989-04-04 | Population Census (C) 1996-04-16 | Population Census (C) 2004-08-31 | Population Census (C) 2009-07-27 | Population Census (C) 2014-08-26 | Population Census (C) 2019-09-10 | Population Census (C) 2025-04-22 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lifou | Isl | 1,207 | 7,585 | 8,128 | 8,726 | 10,007 | 10,320 | 8,627 | 9,275 | 9,195 | 9,225 | 120700 | → | |
| Maré | Isl | 642 | 4,156 | 4,610 | 5,646 | 6,896 | 7,401 | 5,417 | 5,648 | 5,757 | 6,284 | 64200 | → | |
| Ouvéa | Isl | 132 | 2,777 | 2,772 | 3,540 | 3,974 | 4,359 | 3,392 | 3,374 | 3,401 | 3,162 | 13200 | → | |
| Îles Loyauté [Loyalty Islands] | LOY | Prov | 1,981 | 14,518 | 15,510 | 17,912 | 20,877 | 22,080 | 17,436 | 18,297 | 18,353 | 18,671 | 198100 | → |
| Îles Bélep | Isl | 70 | 624 | 686 | 745 | 923 | 930 | 895 | 843 | 867 | 686 | 7000 | → | |
| Grande Terre (Grande Terre Nord) | Isl | 9,513 | 31,397 | 30,624 | 33,781 | 40,490 | 43,544 | 44,242 | 49,644 | 49,043 | 50,261 | 951300 | ||
| Nord [North Province] | NOR | Prov | 9,583 | 32,021 | 31,310 | 34,526 | 41,413 | 44,474 | 45,137 | 50,487 | 49,910 | 50,947 | 958300 | → |
| L'Île-des-Pins | Isl | 152 | 1,095 | 1,287 | 1,465 | 1,671 | 1,840 | 1,969 | 1,958 | 2,037 | 2,050 | 15200 | → | |
| Grande Terre (Grande Terre Sud) | Isl | 6,860 | 85,599 | 97,261 | 110,270 | 132,875 | 162,395 | 181,038 | 198,025 | 201,107 | 192,928 | 686000 | ||
| Sud [South Province] | SUD | Prov | 7,012 | 86,694 | 98,548 | 111,735 | 134,546 | 164,235 | 183,007 | 199,983 | 203,144 | 194,978 | 701200 | → |
| New Caledonia | NCL | 18,575 | 133,233 | 145,368 | 164,173 | 196,836 | 230,789 | 245,580 | 268,767 | 271,407 | 264,596 | → |
- (1976) UN Demographic Yearbook 1983.
(1983) (1989) (1990) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques France.
(2004) (2009) (2014) (2019) (2025) Institut de la Statistique et des Études Économiques Nouvelle-Calédonie.
Major Communes
| Name | Adm. | Population Census (C) 2025-04-22 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nouméa | SUD | 85,976 |
| 2 | Dumbéa | SUD | 34,926 |
| 3 | Païta | SUD | 27,609 |
| 4 | Le Mont-Dore | SUD | 25,303 |
Contents: Communes
The population all New Caledonian communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants by census years.
| Name | Adm. | Population Census (C) 1976-04-23 | Population Census (C) 1983-04-15 | Population Census (C) 1989-04-04 | Population Census (C) 1996-04-16 | Population Census (C) 2004-08-31 | Population Census (C) 2009-07-27 | Population Census (C) 2014-08-26 | Population Census (C) 2019-09-10 | Population Census (C) 2025-04-22 | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulouparis (Bouloupari) | SUD | 925 | 1,139 | 1,456 | 1,591 | 2,089 | 2,418 | 3,005 | 3,315 | 3,359 | 86560 | → |
| Bourail | SUD | 3,149 | 3,410 | 4,122 | 4,364 | 4,779 | 4,999 | 5,444 | 5,531 | 5,575 | 79760 | → |
| Canala | NOR | ... | ... | 2,907 | 3,374 | 3,512 | 3,341 | 3,687 | 3,701 | 3,911 | 43870 | → |
| Dumbéa | SUD | 4,191 | 5,538 | 10,052 | 13,888 | 18,602 | 24,103 | 31,812 | 35,873 | 34,926 | 25460 | → |
| Houaïlou | NOR | 3,853 | 3,995 | 3,671 | 4,332 | 4,537 | 3,945 | 4,240 | 3,955 | 3,756 | 94060 | → |
| Koné | NOR | 2,479 | 2,919 | 2,919 | 4,055 | 4,500 | 5,199 | 7,340 | 8,144 | 8,048 | 37360 | → |
| Koumac | NOR | ... | 1,405 | 2,194 | 2,647 | 3,003 | 3,690 | 4,252 | 3,981 | 4,272 | 55000 | → |
| La Foa | SUD | 1,993 | 2,094 | 2,155 | 2,502 | 2,903 | 3,323 | 3,542 | 3,552 | 3,449 | 46400 | → |
| Le Mont-Dore | SUD | 10,659 | 14,614 | 16,370 | 20,780 | 24,195 | 25,683 | 27,155 | 27,620 | 25,303 | 64300 | → |
| Nouméa | SUD | 56,078 | 60,112 | 65,110 | 76,293 | 91,386 | 97,579 | 99,926 | 94,285 | 85,976 | 4570 | → |
| Païta | SUD | 3,407 | 4,834 | 6,049 | 7,862 | 12,062 | 16,358 | 20,616 | 24,563 | 27,609 | 69970 | → |
| Poindimié | NOR | 3,010 | 3,644 | 3,590 | 4,340 | 4,824 | 4,818 | 4,868 | 5,006 | 4,613 | 67310 | → |
| Pouembout | NOR | 734 | 692 | 854 | 1,189 | 1,471 | 2,078 | 2,591 | 2,752 | 3,062 | 674 | → |
| Poya | ... | 1,961 | 1,862 | 2,522 | 2,600 | 2,648 | 3,036 | 2,802 | 2,962 | 84580 | ||
| Thio | SUD | 2,894 | 3,019 | 2,368 | 2,614 | 2,743 | 2,629 | 2,643 | 2,524 | 2,581 | 99760 | → |
| Voh | NOR | 1,656 | 1,586 | 1,686 | 1,942 | 2,240 | 2,408 | 3,160 | 2,856 | 3,122 | 80490 | → |
- The islands of the Îles Loyauté correspond to municipalities; their population is reported in the first table. The largest part of Poya is located in the North Province, and the rest in the South Province.
- (1976) UN Demographic Yearbook 1983.
(1983) (1989) (1990) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques France.
(2004) (2009) (2014) (2019) (2025) Institut de la Statistique et des Études Économiques Nouvelle-Calédonie.