Quality of life comparison
If you lived in New Zealand instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 7.3 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 8.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). New Zealand spends $5,576 as of 2024.
have 3.3 times more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. New Zealand has 36.1 as of 2022.
have 25.0% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. New Zealand scores 85 as of 2021.
be 14.2 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In New Zealand, that number is 34.0% of people as of 2024.
be 63.3% more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In New Zealand, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 9.8 times more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in New Zealand, the GDP per capita is $49,591 as of 2025.
be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In New Zealand, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 85.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 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 66.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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.
have 17.8% fewer children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 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 11.1% more likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In New Zealand, about 93.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 80.3% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. New Zealand spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.2 times more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In New Zealand, that number is 10.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 4.4 times more coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In New Zealand, that number is 15,134 km.
Safety
be 62.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In New Zealand, they kill 6.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 60.5% more home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. New Zealand has 38.0 as of 2024.
live with 55.6% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. New Zealand withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 3.1 times more electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. New Zealand uses 7,989 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 76.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In New Zealand, it causes 12.0 as of 2019.
emit 40.7% more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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: Vietnam vs. New Zealand
New Zealand: At a glance
How big is New Zealand compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.