International rankings of New Zealand

This is a list of New Zealand's international rankings on a range of social, economic and other criteria.

Ease of Doing Business Index, 2020 – 1st out of 191 countries; 1st in the sub-categories of Starting a Business and Getting Credit.^[1]

Freedom in the World, 2025 – 99/100; of which, political rights score 40/40, and civil liberties score 59/60.^[2]

World Press Freedom Index, 2025 – 16th out of 180 countries at 81.37/100.^[3]

GDP per capita – 29th highest (2016), at I$36,172

Human Development Index – 17th highest (2025), at 0.938

Income equality – 54th most equal, at 36.2 (Gini Index)

Literacy rate – 10th equal at 99.0%

Unemployment rate – 48th lowest, at 4.0%.^[4]

Global Peace Index – 3rd at 1.282^[5]

Corruption – Least corrupt, at 9.4 on Corruption Perceptions Index^[6]

Economic freedom – 4th freest, at 80.6 on Index of Economic Freedom (2022), and 3rd, at 8.28 on Economic Freedom of the World index

Fragile States Index, 172/177, being one of the few "sustainable" states in the world.^[7]

World Intellectual Property Organization: Global Innovation Index 2024, ranked 25 out of 133 countries^[8]

Fertility rate- 155th most fertile, at 1.79 per woman

Birth rate – 140th most births, at 13.90 per 1000 people

Infant mortality – 169th most deaths, at 5.85 per 1000 live births

Death rate – 123rd highest death rate, at 7.52 per 1000 people

Life Expectancy – 17th highest, at 81.6 years (2015)

Suicide Rate – 72nd highest suicide rate, at 14.4 for males and 5.0 for females per 100,000 people (2014)

HIV/AIDS rate – 133rd highest percentage out of 162 countries, at 0.1%

Obesity rate – 22nd highest obesity rate out of 191 countries, at 30.8% according to The World Factbook.

In 2005 the International Agency for Research on Cancer found New Zealand men and women to have the third highest cancer rates in the world.^[9][10]

In 2012, New Zealand had the 12th highest rate of cancer out of the 34 OECD countries.

• CO₂ emissions – 49th highest emissions, at 7.22 tonnes per capita (2023)^[11]
• Electricity Consumption – 59th highest consumption of electricity, at 43.9 TWh (2023)^[12]
• Broadband Internet access – 15th highest uptake in OECD, at 29.5% (2008)^[13]
• List of countries by beer consumption per capita – 27th highest out of around 50 countries, at 61 litres per capita (2019)^[14]
• Environmental Performance Index – Comprising; Environmental health, air quality, water resources, biodiversity and habitat, productive natural resources, Sustainable energy – 7th out of 80 countries, at 88.9/100 (2007)^[15]
• Legatum Global Prosperity Index – Ranked most prosperous country in the world (2016)^[16]
• Ease of paying tax – 9th easiest (2008)^[17]
• Imprisonment rate – 68th highest out of 217, at 202 prisoners per 100,000 people (2016)^[18][19]
• List of countries by intentional homicide rate – 191st out of 218 countries (27th lowest rate)
• Victimisation rate – 3rd highest out of 30, with 21.5% of people aged 16 or more being victims (2008)^[20][21]
• Top Country Award – Won the honour two years in a row (2007, 2008) from Wanderlust Magazine^[22]
• Good Country Index – Ranked 5th out of 195 (2014)^[23]
• Better Life Index – Ranked 12th of the 41 OECD countries based on statistics and perceptions of quality of life (2025)^[24]

• List of international rankings

• Bryant, Nick (15 May 2010). "Why New Zealand is a lifestyle superpower". BBC News.