Unofficial figures in New Caledonia show that the population has grown by 15 percent over the past eight years to a total of just over 230,000.
Figures published by the local newspaper show that the greater Noumea area now has a population of about 150,000, with the town of Dumbea having grown by about a third.
The figures also show that there has been no drift from the mainly Kanak provinces to the Noumea area, with islands like Lifou and Mare recording a population growth.
The accuracy of the figures is not guaranteed as last year's census was partly boycotted following a revised questionnaire that abandoned the criteria of ethnicity.
