Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United Kingdom instead of New Zealand, you would:

Health

be 19.5% less likely to be obese

In New Zealand, 34.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.

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see 18.5% more spent on your healthcare

New Zealand spends $5,576 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.

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be 19.9% less likely to die by suicide

New Zealand has a suicide rate of 11.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 16.2% more money

New Zealand has a GDP per capita of $49,591 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.

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Life

have 10.3% fewer children

In New Zealand, there are approximately 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 13.4% more on education

New Zealand spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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spend 10.6% more on healthcare

New Zealand spends 10.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.

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Geography

see 17.9% less coastline

New Zealand has a total of 15,134 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.

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Safety

be 23.3% less likely to be murdered

New Zealand has a homicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 63.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In New Zealand, road accidents kill 6.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 10.8% more home broadband

New Zealand has 38.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.

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live with 78.3% more strain on fresh water

New Zealand withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.

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use 47.5% less electricity

New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 29.8% less CO2

New Zealand emits 6.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Compare further: New Zealand vs. United Kingdom

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United Kingdom is 25.1% more expensive than New Zealand overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
New Zealand is around the same size as United Kingdom.
→
Moving from New Zealand to United Kingdom · OECD 2019
12,000 people moved from New Zealand to United Kingdom.
→
City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Auckland vs London
→

United Kingdom: At a glance

United Kingdom (sometimes abbreviated UK) is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 241,930 sq km. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic's withdrawal from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.
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How big is United Kingdom compared to New Zealand? See an in-depth size comparison.

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