Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Afghanistan, you would:
Health
live 15.7 years longer
In Afghanistan, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 16.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 11.4 times more doctors per person
Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
have 2.1 times more access to essential health services
Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. New Zealand scores 85 as of 2021.
be 65.4% more likely to be obese
In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
be 3.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 61.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 119.0 times more money
Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
Life
be 98.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In New Zealand, 7.0 women do as of 2023.
be 91.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In New Zealand, on the other hand, 4.0 children do as of 2024.
have 68.5% fewer children
In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Zealand, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 17.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Afghanistan, approximately 85% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 5.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In New Zealand, about 93.5% do as of 2024.
be 23.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.9% less on healthcare
Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
spend 79.7% more on education
Afghanistan spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 63.8% less likely to be murdered
Afghanistan has a homicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 72.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Afghanistan, road accidents kill 24.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 475.6 times more home broadband
Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
live with 85.3% less strain on fresh water
Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
be 91.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 21.5 times more CO2
Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand emits 6.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Afghanistan vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Afghanistan? See an in-depth size comparison.