Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
live 6.2 years longer
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 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 87.8% more spent on your healthcare
Bulgaria spends $2,970 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 16.4% more access to essential health services
Bulgaria scores 73 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. New Zealand scores 85 as of 2021.
be 67.4% more likely to be obese
In Bulgaria, 20.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
have 16.6% fewer doctors per person
Bulgaria has 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
be 25.3% more likely to die by suicide
Bulgaria has a suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.4 times more money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
be 43.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Bulgaria, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 13.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 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 32.9% more children
In Bulgaria, there are approximately 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Zealand, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 16.7% more likely to die during childbirth
In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In New Zealand, 7.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 13.4% more likely to have internet access
In Bulgaria, approximately 82.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In New Zealand, about 93.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 15.8% more on education
Bulgaria spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 27.0% more on healthcare
Bulgaria spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 42.8 times more coastline
Bulgaria has a total of 354 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 21.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bulgaria, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 33.9% more likely to be murdered
Bulgaria has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
Infrastructure
live with 80.0% less strain on fresh water
Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 49.0% more electricity
Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 81.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 13.2% more CO2
Bulgaria emits 5.3 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: Bulgaria vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.