Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
New Zealand fits inside Australia 29 times.
Australia: 7,741,220 km² (2023) · New Zealand: 267,710 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Australia’s coastline is 70% longer than New Zealand’s.
Australia: 25,760 km (2026 edition) · New Zealand: 15,134 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Australia’s highest peak towers 2,198 m above New Zealand’s.
Australia: 2,228 m (2026 edition) · New Zealand: 30 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Australia has 5.2 times as many people as New Zealand.
Australia: 27.6 million (2025) · New Zealand: 5.32 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
New Zealand is 5.6 times as densely populated as Australia.
Australia: 4 per km² (2025) · New Zealand: 20 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Australia are 1.1 cm taller than in New Zealand.
Australia: 178.8 cm (2019) · New Zealand: 177.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Australia and New Zealand are practically level.
Australia: 164.7 cm (2019) · New Zealand: 164.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Australia is 0.47 years older than in New Zealand.
Australia: 37.8 years (2023) · New Zealand: 37.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in New Zealand have 0.1 more children on average than in Australia.
Australia: 1.48 children per woman (2024) · New Zealand: 1.57 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Australia and New Zealand are practically level.
Australia: 18.1% (2025) · New Zealand: 17.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
New Zealand has produced 5.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Australia 3.6.
Australia: 3.6 (2025) · New Zealand: 5.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
New Zealand has 3 official languages, Australia 1.
Australia: 1 (2026) · New Zealand: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Australia’s economy is 6.8 times the size of New Zealand’s.
Australia: $1.8 trillion (2025) · New Zealand: $264 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Australia produces 25% more per person than New Zealand.
Australia: Int$71,934 (2025) · New Zealand: Int$57,350 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Australia: 33.8 (2020) · New Zealand: no data
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in New Zealand, versus 4.1% in Australia.
Australia: 4.1% (2025) · New Zealand: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Australia spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, New Zealand 1.2%.
Australia: 1.9% (2024) · New Zealand: 1.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Australia’s price level (US = 100) is 1× New Zealand’s.
Australia: 91% (2025) · New Zealand: 86% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Australia spends 39% more on health per person than New Zealand.
Australia: $6,980 (2023) · New Zealand: $5,022 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Australia live 1 year longer than in New Zealand.
Australia: 83.1 years (2024) · New Zealand: 82 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in New Zealand is 29% more likely to die before turning one than in Australia.
Australia: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · New Zealand: 4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Australia has 13% more doctors per person than New Zealand.
Australia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2022) · New Zealand: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
35% of adults in New Zealand are obese, versus 32% in Australia.
Australia: 32.4% (2024) · New Zealand: 34.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Australia smoke, versus 9.3% in New Zealand.
Australia: 11.6% (2024) · New Zealand: 9.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in New Zealand rate their lives 0.08 points higher than in Australia.
Australia: 6.92 (2025) · New Zealand: 7.00 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Australia drink 19% more alcohol than in New Zealand.
Australia: 10.5 litres (2023) · New Zealand: 8.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Australia has 47% more meat per person than New Zealand.
Australia: 116.8 kg (2023) · New Zealand: 79.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Australia has 440 kcal more food per person per day than New Zealand.
Australia: 3,562 kcal (2023) · New Zealand: 3,122 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in New Zealand put in 96 more hours a year than in Australia.
Australia: 1,611 hours (2023) · New Zealand: 1,708 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
New Zealand and Australia are practically level.
Australia: 12.9 years (2023) · New Zealand: 12.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Australia: no data · New Zealand: 0.6 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Australia are online, versus 94% in New Zealand.
Australia: 96% (2024) · New Zealand: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Australia and New Zealand are practically level.
Australia: 100% (2024) · New Zealand: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
88% of people in Australia live in cities, versus 84% in New Zealand.
Australia: 88% (2025) · New Zealand: 84% (2025)
How many phones per person?
New Zealand has 130 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Australia 113.
Australia: 113 (2024) · New Zealand: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Australia’s railway network is 7.9 times as long as New Zealand’s.
Australia: 32,606 km (2022) · New Zealand: 4,128 km (2018)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from New Zealand fly 13% more passengers per resident than those from Australia.
Australia: 2.5 (2023) · New Zealand: 2.82 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 38% of New Zealand, but only 17% of Australia.
Australia: 17.4% (2023) · New Zealand: 37.8% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Australia emits 2.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in New Zealand.
Australia: 14.5 t (2024) · New Zealand: 6.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
89% of New Zealand’s electricity is renewable, versus 39% in Australia.
Australia: 38.6% (2025) · New Zealand: 88.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in New Zealand carries 30% more fine dust than in Australia.
Australia: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · New Zealand: 7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 71% more likely to be murdered in New Zealand than in Australia.
Australia: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · New Zealand: 1.5 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in New Zealand are 47% deadlier than in Australia.
Australia: 4.5 per 100k (2021) · New Zealand: 6.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Australia is on average 11.4 °C warmer than New Zealand.
Australia: 22.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · New Zealand: 11.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
New Zealand gets 3.6 times as much rain as Australia.
Australia: 447 mm (2016–2025 avg) · New Zealand: 1,596 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Australia bigger than New Zealand?
Australia is larger. New Zealand fits inside Australia 29 times.
Which has more people, Australia or New Zealand?
Australia has 5.2 times as many people as New Zealand (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Australia or New Zealand?
People in Australia live 1 year longer than in New Zealand. Life expectancy at birth is 83.1 years in Australia and 82.0 in New Zealand.
Are people taller in Australia or New Zealand?
Men in Australia are 1.1 cm taller than in New Zealand (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).