Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of China, you would:
Health
live 4.0 years longer
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 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 3.7 times more spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 16.0% more doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
be 3.7 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
be 33.2% more likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 3.6 times more money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
Life
be 56.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In New Zealand, 7.0 women do as of 2023.
have 62.9% more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 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 33.6% more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 69.4% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 62.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.9 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
Infrastructure
live with 80.6% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 22.5% more electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
find 19.4% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
Environment
be 81.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 35.5% less CO2
China emits 9.3 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: China vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.