Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of United States, you would:
Health
live 3.1 years longer
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 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 16.9% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
be 23.7% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
see 58.6% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
Economy
be 21.0% more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
make 44.9% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
Life
be 58.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 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 27.3% less likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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 39.7% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 24.0% less coastline
United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 74.7% less likely to be murdered
United States has a homicide rate of 5.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 53.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 71.4% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 37.8% less electricity
United States uses 12,839 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 14.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 55.9% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 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: United States vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.