Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 15.0% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.4 years less
In Switzerland, 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 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
see 47.4% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 19.3% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
Economy
make 56.8% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
Life
have 26.8% more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Zealand, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 40.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Switzerland, approximately 5.0 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 17.6% more likely to die during infancy
In Switzerland, approximately 3.4 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 13.9% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 2.4 times more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.8 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 12.2% more electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
find 19.1% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
live with 23.8% more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
be 20.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 60.3% more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.