Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Sweden, you would:
Health
be 13.9% less likely to die by suicide
Sweden has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.0 years less
In Sweden, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 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 94.3% more likely to be obese
In Sweden, 17.5% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
see 28.2% less spent on your healthcare
Sweden spends $7,770 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 18.1% fewer doctors per person
Sweden has 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
Economy
be 41.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Sweden, 8.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 21.5% less money
Sweden has a GDP per capita of $63,133 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
Life
have 18.6% more children
In Sweden, there are approximately 9.3 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 Sweden, 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 100.0% more likely to die during infancy
In Sweden, approximately 2.0 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 28.8% less on education
Sweden spends 7.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 10.3% less on healthcare
Sweden spends 11.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 4.7 times more coastline
Sweden has a total of 3,218 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 27.0% more likely to be murdered
Sweden has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 3.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Sweden, road accidents kill 2.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 2.2 times more strain on fresh water
Sweden withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 34.7% less electricity
Sweden uses 12,226 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 50.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sweden, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 68.3% more CO2
Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand emits 6.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Sweden vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Sweden? See an in-depth size comparison.