Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Guatemala, you would:
Health
live 9.3 years longer
In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 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 6.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Guatemala spends $935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 2.8 times more doctors per person
Guatemala has 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
have 44.1% more access to essential health services
Guatemala scores 59 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. New Zealand scores 85 as of 2021.
be 21.6% more likely to be obese
In Guatemala, 28.0% 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
Guatemala 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 7.5 times more money
Guatemala has a GDP per capita of $6,598 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
be 95.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Guatemala, 2.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 92.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Guatemala, approximately 94.0 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 76.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Guatemala, approximately 17.2 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 46.5% fewer children
In Guatemala, there are approximately 20.6 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 55.3% more likely to have internet access
In Guatemala, approximately 60.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In New Zealand, about 93.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 69.2% more on education
Guatemala spends 3.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 47.9% more on healthcare
Guatemala spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 37.8 times more coastline
Guatemala has a total of 400 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 93.8% less likely to be murdered
Guatemala has a homicide rate of 23.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 47.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Guatemala, road accidents kill 12.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.1 times more home broadband
Guatemala has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
use 10.9 times more electricity
Guatemala uses 733 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
live with 40.2% more strain on fresh water
Guatemala withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
be 70.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Guatemala, air pollution causes 40.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.4 times more CO2
Guatemala emits 1.1 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), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Guatemala vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.