country profile

New Caledonia

East Asia & PacificHigh income295K population

Last updated October 1, 2026

FacebookTwitter/XLinkedInReddit
Microstate notice: This country is classified as a microstate (population under 300,000) and is indexed but not included in GEFRI global or regional rankings.
Progressing readiness

Composite GEFRI Score

Access & Parity is strongest, while Governance remains a constraint

New Caledonia shows progressing readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (64th percentile worldwide). Reforms are translating into broader capability, though uneven performance continues to slow system-wide alignment.

68.87Composite score
Global percentile
64th
Global rank
Not ranked (microstate)
Regional rank
Not ranked (microstate)
Viewing data for
Advanced readiness
Infrastructure
80.55
56th percentileGlobal avg. 70.44
Progressing readiness
Human Capital
61.44
37th percentileGlobal avg. 66.18
Progressing readiness
Innovation
62.44
76th percentileGlobal avg. 48.64
Emerging readiness
Governance
58.32
72nd percentileGlobal avg. 47.24
Advanced readiness
Access & Parity
81.61
60th percentileGlobal avg. 60.85

Country profile

New Caledonia shows progressing readiness, with important strengths but continued gaps across the system. Most dimension scores sit close to global norms, without a single dimension standing far above the rest.

Uneven scores across dimensions show where readiness conditions are less aligned. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Strong tertiary enrollment expands future talent pipelines and strengthens national innovation potential.

Strong R&D funding and a sizable research workforce keep the innovation pipeline active, supporting the system’s capacity to adapt. Policy and regulatory teams coordinate effectively, keeping reforms aligned and providing the stability needed for long-term educational planning. Gender parity across secondary pathways reflects sustained commitment to equitable participation.

Many indicators are imputed, so the profile should be treated as a limited signal rather than a complete measurement.

Key insights

Sits above the global median at the 64th percentile.

Scores range from Access & Parity (81.6) to Governance (58.3), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Leads regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
61Korea, Rep.87.81
82Australia87.35
93Singapore87.32
124Japan86.36
145New Zealand86.16
176Hong Kong SAR, China84.76
——PalauMicrostate73.70
——NauruMicrostate72.29
497Thailand71.84
528Brunei Darussalam71.04
——GuamMicrostate70.25
589China69.90
——American SamoaMicrostate69.54
6210Malaysia69.47
——Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate69.09
6411Mongolia68.89
——New CaledoniaMicrostate68.87
6712Fiji68.59
6913Macao SAR, China68.46
——French PolynesiaMicrostate67.52
7414Viet Nam67.48
7515Indonesia67.40
——TongaMicrostate61.97
——SamoaMicrostate61.50
8916Philippines61.14
——TuvaluFCSMicrostate59.55
——Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate55.97
10917Vanuatu54.91
——KiribatiFCSMicrostate50.18
11718Timor-LesteFCS48.26
——Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate47.16
12419Cambodia44.55
12520Korea, Dem. People's Rep.44.05
13521Solomon IslandsFCS40.74
14222MyanmarFCS37.12
14323Lao PDR36.74
15624Papua New GuineaFCS32.24