CountryDuel

Land

Size, shape and altitude

How big is it, really?

Italy is 13% bigger than New Zealand.

Italy: 302,070 km² (2023) · New Zealand: 267,710 km² (2023)

Drag it across the map

How much coast is there?

New Zealand’s coastline is 2 times as long as Italy’s.

Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · New Zealand: 15,134 km (2026 edition)

How high can you climb?

Italy’s highest peak towers 4,718 m above New Zealand’s.

Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · New Zealand: 30 m (2026 edition)

How far apart are they?

People

Who lives there, and how closely

How many people live there?

Italy has 11 times as many people as New Zealand.

Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · New Zealand: 5.32 million (2025)

How crowded is it?

Italy is 9.9 times as densely populated as New Zealand.

Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · New Zealand: 20 per km² (2025)

How tall are the men?

Men in New Zealand are 3.3 cm taller than in Italy.

Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · New Zealand: 177.7 cm (2019)

How tall are the women?

Women in New Zealand are 2.8 cm taller than in Italy.

Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · New Zealand: 164.7 cm (2019)

How old is the typical person?

The typical person in Italy is 10 years older than in New Zealand.

Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · New Zealand: 37.3 years (2023)

How many children per woman?

Women in New Zealand have 0.4 more children on average than in Italy.

Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · New Zealand: 1.57 children per woman (2024)

How many people are 65 or older?

25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 18% in New Zealand.

Italy: 25.1% (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, Italy 3.4.

Italy: 3.4 (2025) · New Zealand: 5.6 (2025)

How many official languages?

New Zealand has 3 official languages, Italy 1.

Italy: 1 (2026) · New Zealand: 3 (2026)

What shape is the population?

Money

What an economy looks like per person

How big is the economy?

Italy’s economy is 9.7 times the size of New Zealand’s.

Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · New Zealand: $264 billion (2025)

How much is produced per person?

Italy produces 10% more per person than New Zealand.

Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · New Zealand: Int$57,350 (2025)

How evenly is income shared?

Italy: 34.3 (2023) · New Zealand: no data

How many people are looking for work?

Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 5.1% in New Zealand.

Italy: 6.4% (2025) · New Zealand: 5.1% (2025)

How much goes to the military?

Italy and New Zealand are practically level.

Italy: 1.6% (2024) · New Zealand: 1.2% (2024)

How expensive is it?

New Zealand’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Italy’s.

Italy: 69% (2025) · New Zealand: 86% (2025)

Health

Long lives, small beginnings

How much is spent on health?

New Zealand spends 48% more on health per person than Italy.

Italy: $3,398 (2024) · New Zealand: $5,022 (2024)

How long do people live?

People in Italy live 1.9 years longer than in New Zealand.

Italy: 84 years (2024) · New Zealand: 82 years (2024)

How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?

A baby in New Zealand is 74% more likely to die before turning one than in Italy.

Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · New Zealand: 4 per 1,000 (2024)

How many doctors are there?

Italy has 16% more doctors per person than New Zealand.

Italy: 4.2 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 18% in Italy.

Italy: 17.9% (2024) · New Zealand: 34.7% (2024)

How many adults smoke?

22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 9.3% in New Zealand.

Italy: 22.4% (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 0.42 points higher than in Italy.

Italy: 6.57 (2025) · New Zealand: 7.00 (2025)

How much do people drink?

Adults in New Zealand drink 5% more alcohol than in Italy.

Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · New Zealand: 8.9 litres (2023)

How much meat is on the menu?

New Zealand has 12% more meat per person than Italy.

Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · New Zealand: 79.5 kg (2023)

How much food is there per day?

Italy has 631 kcal more food per person per day than New Zealand.

Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · New Zealand: 3,122 kcal (2023)

How long do people work?

New Zealand and Italy are practically level.

Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · New Zealand: 1,708 hours (2023)

How long do people go to school?

Adults in New Zealand went to school 2.1 years longer than in Italy.

Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · New Zealand: 12.9 years (2023)

How many tourists visit?

Italy welcomed 63% more tourists per resident than New Zealand (2019).

Italy: 0.98 (2024) · New Zealand: 0.6 (2024)

Connected

Online, electrified, urban

How many people are online?

94% of people in New Zealand are online, versus 89% in Italy.

Italy: 89% (2024) · New Zealand: 94% (2024)

Who has electricity at home?

Italy and New Zealand are practically level.

Italy: 100% (2024) · New Zealand: 100% (2024)

How many live in cities?

84% of people in New Zealand live in cities, versus 70% in Italy.

Italy: 70% (2025) · New Zealand: 84% (2025)

How many phones per person?

Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand 130.

Italy: 133 (2024) · New Zealand: 130 (2024)

How much railway is there?

Italy’s railway network is 4.2 times as long as New Zealand’s.

Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · New Zealand: 4,128 km (2018)

How much do they fly?

Airlines from New Zealand fly 8.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy.

Italy: 0.34 (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 33% of Italy.

Italy: 32.9% (2023) · New Zealand: 37.8% (2023)

How much CO₂ does each person emit?

The average person in New Zealand emits 22% more CO₂ than someone in Italy.

Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · New Zealand: 6.2 t (2024)

How green is the power grid?

89% of New Zealand’s electricity is renewable, versus 49% in Italy.

Italy: 48.8% (2025) · New Zealand: 88.5% (2025)

How clean is the air?

The air in Italy carries 2.2 times as much fine dust as in New Zealand.

Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · New Zealand: 7 µg/m³ (2024)

Where does the power come from?

Safety

Measured risk, not vibes

How common is murder?

You are 2.6 times as likely to be murdered in New Zealand as in Italy.

Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · New Zealand: 1.5 per 100k (2022)

How dangerous are the roads?

Roads in New Zealand are 32% deadlier than in Italy.

Italy: 5 per 100k (2021) · New Zealand: 6.6 per 100k (2021)

Climate

What the year feels like

How warm is it?

Italy is on average 2.8 °C warmer than New Zealand.

Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · New Zealand: 11.1°C (2016–2025 avg)

How much rain falls?

New Zealand gets 55% more rain than Italy.

Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · New Zealand: 1,596 mm (2016–2025 avg)

What does the year feel like?
Time machine

Quick answers

Is Italy bigger than New Zealand?

Italy is larger. Italy is 13% bigger than New Zealand.

Which has more people, Italy or New Zealand?

Italy has 11 times as many people as New Zealand (2025 estimates).

Where do people live longer, Italy or New Zealand?

People in Italy live 1.9 years longer than in New Zealand. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 82.0 in New Zealand.

Are people taller in Italy or New Zealand?

Men in New Zealand are 3.3 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).

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