Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
be 35.1% less likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 63.2% more likely to be obese
In Belgium, 20.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
see 25.6% less spent on your healthcare
Belgium spends $7,489 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
Economy
be 14.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 18.4% less money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
Life
have 19.9% more children
In Belgium, there are approximately 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Zealand, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 75.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Belgium, approximately 4.0 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 29.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Belgium, approximately 3.1 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.
Expenditures
spend 17.0% less on education
Belgium spends 6.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 227.6 times more coastline
Belgium has a total of 66 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 35.2% more likely to be murdered
Belgium has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 43.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 84.8% less strain on fresh water
Belgium withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 12.5% more electricity
Belgium uses 7,099 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
find 14.0% less home broadband
Belgium has 44.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
Environment
be 20.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Belgium, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 17.8% less CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 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. How we calculate this
Compare further: Belgium vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.