Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of South Korea, you would:
Health
have 38.4% more doctors per person
South Korea has 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
be 56.7% less likely to die by suicide
South Korea has a suicide rate of 27.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.6 years less
In South Korea, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 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.
be 4.1 times more likely to be obese
In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 36.9% more money
South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
be 89.6% more likely to be unemployed
In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In South Korea, there are approximately 4.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Zealand, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 75.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In South Korea, approximately 4.0 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 73.9% more likely to die during infancy
In South Korea, approximately 2.3 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.
Expenditures
spend 15.9% more on healthcare
South Korea spends 8.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 6.3 times more coastline
South Korea has a total of 2,413 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 3.0 times more likely to be murdered
South Korea has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
Infrastructure
live with 90.6% less strain on fresh water
South Korea withdraws 85% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
find 20.4% less home broadband
South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
use 29.6% less electricity
South Korea uses 11,350 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 36.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In South Korea, air pollution causes 19.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 47.1% less CO2
South Korea emits 11.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand emits 6.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: South Korea vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to South Korea? See an in-depth size comparison.