Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside New Zealand 2.7 times.
New Zealand: 267,710 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
New Zealand’s coastline is 6.3 times as long as South Korea’s.
New Zealand: 15,134 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
South Korea’s highest peak towers 1,920 m above New Zealand’s.
New Zealand: 30 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Korea has 9.7 times as many people as New Zealand.
New Zealand: 5.32 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 26 times as densely populated as New Zealand.
New Zealand: 20 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in New Zealand are 2.2 cm taller than in South Korea.
New Zealand: 177.7 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in New Zealand are 1.4 cm taller than in South Korea.
New Zealand: 164.7 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 7.2 years older than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 37.3 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in New Zealand have 0.8 more children on average than in South Korea.
New Zealand: 1.57 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 18% in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 17.6% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
New Zealand has produced 5.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
New Zealand: 5.6 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
New Zealand has 3 official languages, South Korea 1.
New Zealand: 3 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 7.1 times the size of New Zealand’s.
New Zealand: $264 billion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Korea produces 10% more per person than New Zealand.
New Zealand: Int$57,350 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
New Zealand: no data · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in New Zealand, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
New Zealand: 5.1% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, New Zealand 1.2%.
New Zealand: 1.2% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
New Zealand’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× South Korea’s.
New Zealand: 86% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
New Zealand spends 60% more on health per person than South Korea.
New Zealand: $5,022 (2024) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 1.6 years longer than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 82 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 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 South Korea.
New Zealand: 4 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
New Zealand has 38% more doctors per person than South Korea.
New Zealand: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
35% of adults in New Zealand are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
New Zealand: 34.7% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in South Korea smoke, versus 9.3% in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 9.3% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in New Zealand rate their lives 0.96 points higher than in South Korea.
New Zealand: 7.00 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in New Zealand drink 7% more alcohol than in South Korea.
New Zealand: 8.9 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 6% more meat per person than New Zealand.
New Zealand: 79.5 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 309 kcal more food per person per day than New Zealand.
New Zealand: 3,122 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 203 more hours a year than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 1,708 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in New Zealand went to school 0.16 years longer than in South Korea.
New Zealand: 12.9 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
New Zealand welcomed 90% more tourists per resident than South Korea (2019).
New Zealand: 0.6 (2024) · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 94% in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 94% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
New Zealand and South Korea are practically level.
New Zealand: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in New Zealand live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.
New Zealand: 84% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand 130.
New Zealand: 130 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Korea’s railway network is 4% longer than New Zealand’s.
New Zealand: 4,128 km (2018) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from New Zealand fly 91% more passengers per resident than those from South Korea.
New Zealand: 2.82 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 38% of New Zealand.
New Zealand: 37.8% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 81% more CO₂ than someone in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 6.2 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
89% of New Zealand’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
New Zealand: 88.5% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 3 times as much fine dust as in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.1 times as likely to be murdered in New Zealand as in South Korea.
New Zealand: 1.5 per 100k (2022) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Korea are 5% deadlier than in New Zealand.
New Zealand: 6.6 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 2.1 °C warmer than New Zealand.
New Zealand: 11.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
New Zealand gets 26% more rain than South Korea.
New Zealand: 1,596 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is New Zealand bigger than South Korea?
New Zealand is larger. South Korea fits inside New Zealand 2.7 times.
Which has more people, New Zealand or South Korea?
South Korea has 9.7 times as many people as New Zealand (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, New Zealand or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 1.6 years longer than in New Zealand. Life expectancy at birth is 82.0 years in New Zealand and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in New Zealand or South Korea?
Men in New Zealand are 2.2 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
