Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside New Zealand 2.9 times.
New Zealand: 267,710 km² (2023) · Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
New Zealand’s coastline is 8.4 times as long as Portugal’s.
New Zealand: 15,134 km (2026 edition) · Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Portugal’s highest peak towers 2,321 m above New Zealand’s.
New Zealand: 30 m (2026 edition) · Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Portugal has 2 times as many people as New Zealand.
New Zealand: 5.32 million (2025) · Portugal: 10.8 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Portugal is 5.8 times as densely populated as New Zealand.
New Zealand: 20 per km² (2025) · Portugal: 118 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in New Zealand are 3.3 cm taller than in Portugal.
New Zealand: 177.7 cm (2019) · Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in New Zealand are 3.4 cm taller than in Portugal.
New Zealand: 164.7 cm (2019) · Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 8.9 years older than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 37.3 years (2023) · Portugal: 46.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in New Zealand have 0.2 more children on average than in Portugal.
New Zealand: 1.57 children per woman (2024) · Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 18% in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 17.6% (2025) · Portugal: 24.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
New Zealand has produced 5.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Portugal 1.9.
New Zealand: 5.6 (2025) · Portugal: 1.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
New Zealand has 3 official languages, Portugal 1.
New Zealand: 3 (2026) · Portugal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Portugal’s economy is 31% larger than New Zealand’s.
New Zealand: $264 billion (2025) · Portugal: $347 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
New Zealand produces 8% more per person than Portugal.
New Zealand: Int$57,350 (2025) · Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
New Zealand: no data · Portugal: 33.9 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.2% in Portugal, versus 5.1% in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 5.1% (2025) · Portugal: 6.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Portugal and New Zealand are practically level.
New Zealand: 1.2% (2024) · Portugal: 1.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
New Zealand’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Portugal’s.
New Zealand: 86% (2025) · Portugal: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
New Zealand spends 69% more on health per person than Portugal.
New Zealand: $5,022 (2024) · Portugal: $2,971 (2024)
How long do people live?
Portugal and New Zealand are practically level.
New Zealand: 82 years (2024) · Portugal: 82.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in New Zealand is 48% more likely to die before turning one than in Portugal.
New Zealand: 4 per 1,000 (2024) · Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 62% more doctors per person than New Zealand.
New Zealand: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
35% of adults in New Zealand are obese, versus 23% in Portugal.
New Zealand: 34.7% (2024) · Portugal: 23% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 9.3% in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 9.3% (2024) · Portugal: 28.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in New Zealand rate their lives 0.97 points higher than in Portugal.
New Zealand: 7.00 (2025) · Portugal: 6.03 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 55% more alcohol than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 8.9 litres (2023) · Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 25% more meat per person than New Zealand.
New Zealand: 79.5 kg (2023) · Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 431 kcal more food per person per day than New Zealand.
New Zealand: 3,122 kcal (2023) · Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Portugal put in 27 more hours a year than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 1,708 hours (2023) · Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in New Zealand went to school 3.2 years longer than in Portugal.
New Zealand: 12.9 years (2023) · Portugal: 9.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 4.5 times as many tourists per resident as New Zealand (2019).
New Zealand: 0.6 (2024) · Portugal: 2.71 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in New Zealand are online, versus 88% in Portugal.
New Zealand: 94% (2024) · Portugal: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
New Zealand and Portugal are practically level.
New Zealand: 100% (2024) · Portugal: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in New Zealand live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
New Zealand: 84% (2025) · Portugal: 61% (2025)
How many phones per person?
New Zealand has 130 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124.
New Zealand: 130 (2024) · Portugal: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
New Zealand’s railway network is 63% longer than Portugal’s.
New Zealand: 4,128 km (2018) · Portugal: 2,527 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from New Zealand fly 67% more passengers per resident than those from Portugal.
New Zealand: 2.82 (2023) · Portugal: 1.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 38% of New Zealand, but only 36% of Portugal.
New Zealand: 37.8% (2023) · Portugal: 36.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in New Zealand emits 83% more CO₂ than someone in Portugal.
New Zealand: 6.2 t (2024) · Portugal: 3.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
89% of New Zealand’s electricity is renewable, versus 81% in Portugal.
New Zealand: 88.5% (2025) · Portugal: 81% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Portugal carries 50% more fine dust than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2 times as likely to be murdered in New Zealand as in Portugal.
New Zealand: 1.5 per 100k (2022) · Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Portugal are 9% deadlier than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 6.6 per 100k (2021) · Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 4.8 °C warmer than New Zealand.
New Zealand: 11.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
New Zealand gets 2.1 times as much rain as Portugal.
New Zealand: 1,596 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is New Zealand bigger than Portugal?
New Zealand is larger. Portugal fits inside New Zealand 2.9 times.
Which has more people, New Zealand or Portugal?
Portugal has 2 times as many people as New Zealand (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, New Zealand or Portugal?
Portugal and New Zealand are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 82.0 years in New Zealand and 82.4 in Portugal.
Are people taller in New Zealand or Portugal?
Men in New Zealand are 3.3 cm taller than in Portugal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
