Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 11.8 years longer
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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.
see 4.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 87.1% more doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
have 13.3% more access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. New Zealand scores 85 as of 2021.
be 53.1% more likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
be 74.5% more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 7.6 times more money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
be 19.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 86.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.
be 40.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, 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.
have 47.3% fewer children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In New Zealand, there are 11.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 3.7 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In New Zealand, about 93.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.4% more on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 82.9% more on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 17.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.3 times more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
live with 94.0% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 2.9 times more electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 86.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 44.7% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 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 (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.