Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 8.8 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 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 8.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 6.5 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
have 41.7% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. New Zealand scores 85 as of 2021.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 11.0 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
be 57.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 85.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 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 70.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 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 12.0% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Zealand, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 10.9% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.3 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 40.9% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 45.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 13.0 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
live with 5.7 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
be 78.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.0 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand emits 6.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.