New Caledonia — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for New Caledonia, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for New Caledonia was 11.17% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 18.88% in 1994. The lowest was 10.71% in 2022 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -1.41% per year.
New Caledonia ranks 32 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 17%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 3.05%, so New Caledonia sits above it. It peaked in 1994 and has fallen 41% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 18%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 2 of 29 economies; Guam (5.57%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 25% in 2020. That is 5% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 16th of 187 in 1991 → 16th of 187 in 2000 → 33rd of 187 in 2010 → 36th of 187 in 2020 → 30th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11.17% | +0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 10.99% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 10.92% | +0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 10.71% | -0.9 pp |
| 2021 | 11.57% | -2.0 pp |
| 2020 | 13.56% | +2.7 pp |
| 2019 | 10.88% | -0.8 pp |
| 2018 | 11.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 11.68% | -1.0 pp |
| 2016 | 12.68% | -0.9 pp |
| 2015 | 13.62% | -1.0 pp |
| 2014 | 14.59% | +0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 14.39% | +0.3 pp |
| 2012 | 14.12% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 13.99% | -0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 14% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 13.97% | -0.4 pp |
| 2008 | 14.36% | -0.4 pp |
| 2007 | 14.75% | -0.5 pp |
| 2006 | 15.26% | -0.5 pp |
| 2005 | 15.78% | -0.5 pp |
| 2004 | 16.31% | -0.4 pp |
| 2003 | 16.67% | -0.4 pp |
| 2002 | 17.05% | -0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 17.39% | -0.5 pp |
| 2000 | 17.91% | -0.3 pp |
| 1999 | 18.2% | -0.3 pp |
| 1998 | 18.52% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 18.38% | -0.3 pp |
| 1996 | 18.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 18.63% | -0.2 pp |
| 1994 | 18.88% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 18.76% | +0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 18.61% | +0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 18.12% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was New Caledonia’s Unemployment in 1992?
18.61% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is New Caledonia’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -38.3% in total — about 1.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 11.17%; 2024: 10.99%; 2023: 10.92%; 2022: 10.71%; 2021: 11.57%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.