New Caledonia holds a quarter of the world's nickel reserves.

Omissions

• The commonly quoted 'quarter of the world's nickel' figure refers to RESOURCES (geological endowment, including uneconomic or unexploited deposits), not to RESERVES (economically extractable deposits).
• The same French-language sources that cite the 25% figure explicitly add that New Caledonia holds only about 9% of global reserves — and USGS-based data put the reserve share even lower, at roughly 5-6%.
• USGS notes New Caledonian nickel mine output fell by an estimated 52% in 2024 owing to unrest and low prices, a relevant context for the territory's actual weight in the nickel market (about 3.1% of world mine production).
• Automatic source check: 1 primary source(s) with unreachable URL(s) were discarded (https://www.mineralinfo.fr/sites/default/files/2025-06/Fiche_Ni_2024_publique_TA.pdf); the verdict stands on the remaining evidence.

Sources

• PrimaryNatural Resources Canada — Nickel factsWorld nickel reserves table listing "New Caledonia (France), 110, 3.1%" for mine production and world reserves of nickel estimated at 130 million tonnes in 2024
• PrimaryUSGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 — Nickel"In New Caledonia, production decreased by an estimated 52% owing to widespread unrest in addition to reduced global nickel prices."
• SecondaryMaison de la Nouvelle-Calédonie (MNC Paris) — 'Le nickel en Nouvelle-Calédonie'"La Nouvelle-Calédonie possède environ 25 % des ressources mondiales de nickel, mais elle ne détient que 9 % des réserves planétaires, au même niveau que l..."
• SecondaryNovethic — 'En Nouvelle-Calédonie, la biodiversité sacrifiée sur l'autel du nickel'"25% des ressources mondiales de ce métal. Et 9% des réserves globales jugées exploitables"