Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in New Zealand instead of South Dakota, you would:

Health

live 5.8 years longer

In South Dakota, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In New Zealand, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 20.9% less money

South Dakota has a GDP per capita of $61,724 as of 2024, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $48,800 as of 2023.

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be 55.8% more likely to be unemployed

In South Dakota, 2.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 3.7% as of 2023.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, The World Factbook.

Compare further: South Dakota vs. New Zealand
Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
New Zealand is 13.3% more expensive than South Dakota
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Size Comparison · See true size
South Dakota is about 1.4 times smaller than New Zealand.
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New Zealand: At a glance

New Zealand (sometimes abbreviated NZ) is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 264,537 sq km. The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. That same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both world wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.
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How big is New Zealand compared to South Dakota? See an in-depth size comparison.

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