Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
New Zealand fits inside South Africa 4.6 times.
New Zealand: 267,710 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
New Zealand’s coastline is 5.4 times as long as South Africa’s.
New Zealand: 15,134 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Africa’s highest peak towers 3,420 m above New Zealand’s.
New Zealand: 30 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Africa has 12 times as many people as New Zealand.
New Zealand: 5.32 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Africa is 2.6 times as densely populated as New Zealand.
New Zealand: 20 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in New Zealand are 8.1 cm taller than in South Africa.
New Zealand: 177.7 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in New Zealand are 6.1 cm taller than in South Africa.
New Zealand: 164.7 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in New Zealand is 9.1 years older than in South Africa.
New Zealand: 37.3 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.6 more children on average than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 1.57 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in New Zealand are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
New Zealand: 17.6% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
New Zealand has produced 5.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
New Zealand: 5.6 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, New Zealand 3.
New Zealand: 3 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Africa’s economy is 62% larger than New Zealand’s.
New Zealand: $264 billion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
New Zealand produces 3.6 times as much per person as South Africa.
New Zealand: Int$57,350 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
New Zealand: no data · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 5.1% in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 5.1% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
New Zealand and South Africa are practically level.
New Zealand: 1.2% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
New Zealand’s price level (US = 100) is 2.1× South Africa’s.
New Zealand: 86% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
New Zealand spends 9.4 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
New Zealand: $5,022 (2024) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in New Zealand live 16 years longer than in South Africa.
New Zealand: 82 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 6.1 times as likely to die before turning one as in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 4 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
New Zealand has 4.5 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
New Zealand: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
35% of adults in New Zealand are obese, versus 31% in South Africa.
New Zealand: 34.7% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in South Africa smoke, versus 9.3% in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 9.3% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in New Zealand rate their lives 1.99 points higher than in South Africa.
New Zealand: 7.00 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in New Zealand drink 3% more alcohol than in South Africa.
New Zealand: 8.9 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
New Zealand has 37% more meat per person than South Africa.
New Zealand: 79.5 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
New Zealand has 428 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
New Zealand: 3,122 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 474 more hours a year than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 1,708 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in New Zealand went to school 1.3 years longer than in South Africa.
New Zealand: 12.9 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
New Zealand welcomed 4.3 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
New Zealand: 0.6 (2024) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in New Zealand are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
New Zealand: 94% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in New Zealand have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
New Zealand: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in New Zealand live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
New Zealand: 84% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand 130.
New Zealand: 130 (2024) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Africa’s railway network is 5.1 times as long as New Zealand’s.
New Zealand: 4,128 km (2018) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from New Zealand fly 12 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
New Zealand: 2.82 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 38% of New Zealand, but only 14% of South Africa.
New Zealand: 37.8% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 10% more CO₂ than someone in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 6.2 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
89% of New Zealand’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
New Zealand: 88.5% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 3.5 times as much fine dust as in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 30 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 1.5 per 100k (2022) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 3.7 times as deadly as in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 6.6 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Africa is on average 7.3 °C warmer than New Zealand.
New Zealand: 11.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
New Zealand gets 3.1 times as much rain as South Africa.
New Zealand: 1,596 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is New Zealand bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. New Zealand fits inside South Africa 4.6 times.
Which has more people, New Zealand or South Africa?
South Africa has 12 times as many people as New Zealand (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, New Zealand or South Africa?
People in New Zealand live 16 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 82.0 years in New Zealand and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in New Zealand or South Africa?
Men in New Zealand are 8.1 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
