Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of El Salvador, you would:
Health
live 9.7 years longer
In El Salvador, the average life expectancy is 72 years (68 years for men, 76 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 4.7 times more spent on your healthcare
El Salvador spends $1,176 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
El Salvador has 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
be 56.2% more likely to die by suicide
El Salvador has a suicide rate of 7.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 8.6 times more money
El Salvador has a GDP per capita of $5,767 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
be 53.9% more likely to be unemployed
In El Salvador, 3.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 82.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In El Salvador, approximately 39.0 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 54.5% less likely to die during infancy
In El Salvador, approximately 8.8 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 29.3% fewer children
In El Salvador, there are approximately 15.6 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 40.7% more likely to have internet access
In El Salvador, approximately 66.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In New Zealand, about 93.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 56.9% more on education
El Salvador spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Geography
see 49.3 times more coastline
El Salvador has a total of 307 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 81.5% less likely to be murdered
El Salvador has a homicide rate of 7.9 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 69.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In El Salvador, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.1 times more home broadband
El Salvador has 12.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
live with 33.4% less strain on fresh water
El Salvador withdraws 12% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 7.0 times more electricity
El Salvador uses 1,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 61.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In El Salvador, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.0 times more CO2
El Salvador emits 1.5 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: El Salvador vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to El Salvador? See an in-depth size comparison.