Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of New Zealand, you would:
Health
be 74.4% less likely to die by suicide
New Zealand has a suicide rate of 11.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Brunei, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.5 years less
In New Zealand, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 66.0% less spent on your healthcare
New Zealand spends $5,576 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Brunei spends $1,896 as of 2023.
have 47.8% fewer doctors per person
New Zealand has 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
Economy
make 35.0% less money
New Zealand has a GDP per capita of $49,591 as of 2025, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $32,235 as of 2025.
Life
have 20.9% more children
In New Zealand, there are approximately 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In New Zealand, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Brunei, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In New Zealand, approximately 4.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Brunei, on the other hand, 8.6 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.8% less on healthcare
New Zealand spends 10.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.9% less coastline
New Zealand has a total of 15,134 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.
Safety
be 45.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In New Zealand, road accidents kill 6.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Brunei, they kill 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 56.9% less strain on fresh water
New Zealand withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 33.6% more electricity
New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Brunei uses 10,674 kWh as of 2023.
find 44.3% less home broadband
New Zealand has 38.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Brunei has 21.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 66.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In New Zealand, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Brunei, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.4 times more CO2
New Zealand emits 6.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: New Zealand vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to New Zealand? See an in-depth size comparison.