Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Colombia, you would:
Health
live 4.1 years longer
In Colombia, 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 3.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Colombia spends $1,758 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 42.4% more doctors per person
Colombia has 25.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
be 36.6% more likely to be obese
In Colombia, 24.9% 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
Colombia has a suicide rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 38.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Colombia, 8.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 5.8 times more money
Colombia has a GDP per capita of $8,562 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
Life
be 88.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Colombia, approximately 59.0 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 61.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Colombia, approximately 10.5 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 16.8% fewer children
In Colombia, there are approximately 13.2 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 17.9% more likely to have internet access
In Colombia, approximately 79.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In New Zealand, about 93.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.6% more on healthcare
Colombia spends 8.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 4.7 times more coastline
Colombia has a total of 3,208 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 94.1% less likely to be murdered
Colombia has a homicide rate of 24.9 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 59.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Colombia, road accidents kill 16.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2.2 times more home broadband
Colombia has 17.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
use 5.2 times more electricity
Colombia uses 1,551 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
live with 2.2 times more strain on fresh water
Colombia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
be 50.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Colombia, air pollution causes 24.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.3 times more CO2
Colombia emits 1.8 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: Colombia vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Colombia? See an in-depth size comparison.