People

Population: 194 197 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 30% (male 29 423; female 28 320)

15-64 years: 65% (male 63 444; female 62 055)

65 years and over: 5% (male 5 202; female 5 753) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.64% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 21.08 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 4.84 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.15 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 12.71 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 75.01 years

male: 71.75 years

female: 78.44 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.46 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: New Caledonian(s)

adjective: New Caledonian

Ethnic groups: Melanesian 42.5% European 37.1% Wallisian 8.4% Polynesian 3.8% Indonesian 3.6% Vietnamese 1.6% other 3%

Religions: Roman Catholic 60% Protestant 30% other 10%

Languages: French 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 91%

male: 92%

female: 90% (1976 est.)