Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Uruguay instead of New Zealand, you would:

Health

live 4.1 years less

In New Zealand, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022. In Uruguay, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 33.6% less money

New Zealand has a GDP per capita of $48,200 as of 2024, while in Uruguay, the GDP per capita is $32,000 as of 2024.

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be 73.5% more likely to be unemployed

In New Zealand, 4.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 8.5% as of 2024.

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Life

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In New Zealand, approximately 7.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2023. In Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.4 times more likely to die during infancy

In New Zealand, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Uruguay, on the other hand, 8.3 children do as of 2022.

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have 27.0% fewer children

In New Zealand, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025. In Uruguay, there are 9.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2025.

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Expenditures

spend 23.3% less on education

New Zealand spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Uruguay spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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Geography

see 95.6% less coastline

New Zealand has a total of 15,134 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
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How big is Uruguay compared to New Zealand? See an in-depth size comparison.

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