Photo: Karora derivative work: Inkey · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 05 of 18 · Country Index 2026
New Zealand: Health & Wellbeing
How long, and how well fed, do people live?
New Zealand is placed 53rd of 200 countries on health & wellbeing in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Life Expectancy at Birth 82.09 (2023); Under-Five Mortality Rate 4.738 (2024).
Share
Health & Wellbeing
53rd
of 200 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
- 82.09Life Expectancy at Birth, 2023Years a newborn would live at current death rates
- 4.738Under-Five Mortality Rate, 2024Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)
- —Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five, 2024No reading for this country
- 4.9Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity, 2024Population in severe food insecurity (%)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place New Zealand on health & wellbeing — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Life Expectancy at Birth
UN DESA Population Division
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
82.09
Years a newborn would live at current death rates
Higher is better
New Zealand: 82.09. Across the 222 countries in this edition, values run from 54.46 (Nigeria) to 86.37 (Monaco); the world median is 74.63.
- World median
- 74.63
- Best in Australia and New Zealand
- 83.92 Australia
Key 2 of 4
Under-Five Mortality Rate
UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
4.738
Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)
Lower is better
New Zealand: 4.738. Across the 200 countries in this edition, values run from 1.26 (San Marino) to 115.65 (Nigeria); the world median is 14.54.
- World median
- 14.54
- Best in Australia and New Zealand
- 3.607 Australia
Key 3 of 4
Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five
UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
No reading
Children under 5 who are stunted (%)
Lower is better
UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) publishes no reading from 2014–2024 for New Zealand, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 162 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.518 (Latvia) to 52.8 (Burundi); the world median is 13.8.
- World median
- 13.8
- Best in Australia and New Zealand
- 1.876 Australia
Key 4 of 4
Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
4.9
Population in severe food insecurity (%)
Lower is better
New Zealand: 4.9. Across the 125 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Brazil) to 62.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 4.9.
- World median
- 4.9
- Best in Australia and New Zealand
- 4.4 Australia
02Over time
Which way New Zealand is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Life Expectancy at Birth
Years a newborn would live at current death rates · higher is better
New ZealandWorld median
New Zealand rose from 78.67 in 2000 to 82.09 in 2023; the world median went from 70.68 to 74.63.
Every year’s figures
Year New Zealand World median 2023 82.088 74.630 2022 81.006 74.313 2021 82.300 72.433 2020 82.663 73.063 2019 81.832 74.196 2018 81.884 74.081 2017 81.605 74.029 2016 82.003 74.013 2015 81.587 73.783 2014 81.411 73.330 2013 81.612 73.386 2012 81.167 73.210 2011 80.842 73.003 2010 81.052 72.827 2009 80.545 72.426 2008 80.246 72.264 2007 80.122 72.113 2006 80.015 72.027 2005 80.031 71.876 2004 79.355 71.477 2003 79.141 71.409 2002 78.866 71.173 2001 78.662 70.926 2000 78.668 70.678 Under-Five Mortality Rate
Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births) · lower is better
New ZealandWorld median
New Zealand fell from 7.388 in 2000 to 4.738 in 2024; the world median went from 30.43 to 14.54.
Every year’s figures
Year New Zealand World median 2024 4.74 14.5 2023 4.85 15.2 2022 4.95 14.7 2021 5.05 15.1 2020 5.13 15.3 2019 5.22 15.7 2018 5.30 16.3 2017 5.40 16.8 2016 5.51 17.5 2015 5.63 17.9 2014 5.75 18.3 2013 5.88 18.7 2012 6.00 18.8 2011 6.11 19.0 2010 6.21 19.2 2009 6.30 20.8 2008 6.37 20.7 2007 6.45 21.8 2006 6.53 22.8 2005 6.63 24.0 2004 6.74 25.9 2003 6.88 26.9 2002 7.04 28.0 2001 7.20 29.1 2000 7.39 30.4 Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity
Population in severe food insecurity (%) · lower is better
New ZealandWorld median
New Zealand rose from 2.8 in 2015 to 4.9 in 2024; the world median went from 3.4 to 4.9.
Every year’s figures
Year New Zealand World median 2024 4.9 4.9 2023 4.3 4.7 2022 3.8 5.4 2021 3.3 5.7 2020 3.5 5.6 2019 3.9 5.0 2018 4.4 4.2 2017 4.2 4.0 2016 3.3 3.4 2015 2.8 3.4
03In context
New Zealand beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 200 countries on health & wellbeing, never a place within the region.
New Zealand and Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 200; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Life Expectancy at BirthYears a newborn would live at current death rates | Under-Five Mortality RateDeaths before age five (per 1,000 live births) | Stunting Prevalence in Children Under FiveChildren under 5 who are stunted (%) | Prevalence of Severe Food InsecurityPopulation in severe food insecurity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australiacompare | 38th | 83.92 | 3.607 | 1.876 | 4.4 |
| New Zealand | 53rd | 82.09 | 4.738 | — | 4.9 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Australia and New Zealand
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 200.
- Australia38th
- New Zealand53rd
Placed either side on health & wellbeing
The countries immediately above and below New Zealand in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where New Zealand is ahead of the world, and behind
38 more statistics filed under health & wellbeing, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median24
Statistics on which New Zealand does better than the middle country measured.
Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 PandemicAriel Karlinsky and Dmitry Kobak (World Mortality Dataset) · 2026 · world median 272.3511.3272.35No earlier reading
New Zealand: 11.3 · world median 272.35 · Excess deaths per 100,000 people, March 2020 to the end of each country's data (at most December 2023). Ariel Karlinsky and Dmitry Kobak (World Mortality Dataset), 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from -264.9 to 1,013; lower is better.
Human Capital IndexWorld Bank Group · 2020 · world median 0.5640.7760.564No real change since 2010
New Zealand: 0.776 · world median 0.564 · HCI score (0–1). World Bank Group, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 0.292 to 0.879; higher is better.
Position 13th of 172 · derived.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2587.971.25No real change since 2013
New Zealand: 87.9 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 15th of 196 · derived.
Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.7620.9380.762▼ Worsened since 2013
New Zealand: 0.938 · world median 0.762 · HDI score (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.388 to 0.972; higher is better.
Ranked 17th of 193 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Life Expectancy at Age 65UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 16.3920.7716.39▼ Worsened since 2013
New Zealand: 20.77 · world median 16.39 · Further years a 65-year-old would live at current death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 12.13 to 23.21; higher is better.
Position 24th of 222 · derived.
Low Birthweight PrevalenceUNICEF and WHO (Joint Low Birthweight Estimates) · 2020 · world median 10.215.85710.21No real change since 2010
New Zealand: 5.857 · world median 10.21 · Live births weighing under 2,500 g (%). UNICEF and WHO (Joint Low Birthweight Estimates), 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 3.993 to 27.44; lower is better.
Position 137th of 158 · derived, 1st = worst.
Stillbirth RateUN IGME · 2023 · world median 8.1632.7538.163No real change since 2013
New Zealand: 2.753 · world median 8.163 · Stillbirths (per 1,000 total births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.18 to 34.9; lower is better.
Position 171st of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
PM2.5 Air Pollution ExposureAtmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis · 2023 · world median 14.456.714.45No real change since 2013
New Zealand: 6.7 · world median 14.45 · Population-weighted PM2.5 concentration (µg/m³). Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2.5 to 68.2; lower is better.
Position 187th of 220 · derived, 1st = worst.
Days Above 35°CECMWF · 2025 · world median 3.4803.48No real change since 2015
New Zealand: 0 · world median 3.48 · Days a year with a maximum temperature above 35°C, averaged over the country’s land. World Bank Group (Climate Change Knowledge Portal), from Copernicus ERA5 (ECMWF), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 222.89; lower is better.
Mortality Rate, Ages 5–14UN IGME · 2024 · world median 2.8580.9952.858No real change since 2014
New Zealand: 0.995 · world median 2.858 · Deaths between ages 5 and 14 (per 1,000 children aged 5). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.392 to 59.04; lower is better.
Position 168th of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.0820.351No real change since 2013
New Zealand: 0.082 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 30th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.657.0346.65No real change since 2013
New Zealand: 7.03 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 160th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adult Mortality (Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 133.764.5133.7▼ Worsened since 2013
New Zealand: 64.5 · world median 133.7 · Deaths before age 60 per 1,000 people alive at 15, at that year's death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 25.15 to 415.44; lower is better.
Position 182nd of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Infant Mortality RateUN IGME · 2024 · world median 12.264.02212.26No real change since 2014
New Zealand: 4.022 · world median 12.26 · Deaths before age one (per 1,000 live births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.214 to 71.87; lower is better.
Position 163rd of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Neonatal Mortality RateUN IGME · 2024 · world median 8.1342.6728.134No real change since 2014
New Zealand: 2.672 · world median 8.134 · Deaths in the first 28 days (per 1,000 live births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.544 to 39.47; lower is better.
Position 163rd of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Prevalence of UndernourishmentFAO · 2023 · world median 5.22.55.2▼ Worsened since 2013
New Zealand: 2.5 · world median 5.2 · Population undernourished (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2.5 to 54.2; lower is better.
Position 104th of 104 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.210.25▼ Worsened since 2014
New Zealand: 0.21 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4610.8827.46▲ Improved since 2013
New Zealand: 10.88 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 160th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Share of Dietary Energy Supply from Cereals, Roots and TubersFAO · 2022 · world median 413341▼ Worsened since 2012
New Zealand: 33 · world median 41 · Share of dietary energy supply from cereals, roots and tubers (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 21 to 82; lower is better.
Fruit Supply per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 84.83107.9484.83▲ Improved since 2013
New Zealand: 107.94 · world median 84.83 · Fruit available as food, excluding wine (kg per person per year). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.27 to 379.63; higher is better.
Vegetable Supply per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 102.69137.9102.69No real change since 2013
New Zealand: 137.9 · world median 102.69 · Vegetables available as food (kg per person per year). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 6.89 to 412.72; higher is better.
Dietary Energy SupplyFAO · 2024 · world median 2,9823,2622,982▼ Worsened since 2014
New Zealand: 3,262 · world median 2,982 · Dietary energy supply (kcal per person per day). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1,757 to 3,962; higher is better.
Position 53rd of 155 · derived.
HPV Vaccination Coverage, GirlsWUENIC · 2025 · world median 65.56865.5▼ Worsened since 2018
New Zealand: 68 · world median 65.5 · Girls in the target group given the final dose of HPV vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 99; higher is better.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.917.920.9▼ Worsened since 2015
New Zealand: 17.9 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 71st of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median5
Statistics on which New Zealand does worse than the middle country measured.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.996.696.9No earlier reading
New Zealand: 96.6 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Immunisation Coverage, Measles First Dose (MCV1)WUENIC · 2025 · world median 908990▼ Worsened since 2015
New Zealand: 89 · world median 90 · Infants given a first dose of measles vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 13 to 99; higher is better.
Immunisation Coverage, DTP3WUENIC · 2025 · world median 918891▼ Worsened since 2015
New Zealand: 88 · world median 91 · Infants given a third dose of DTP vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 39 to 99; higher is better.
Agreement That Vaccines Are SafeWellcome Trust · 2018 · world median 77.6572.1177.65No earlier reading
New Zealand: 72.11 · world median 77.65 · People aged 15+ who agree that vaccines are safe (% of those who had heard of vaccines). Wellcome Trust, 2018 edition, data for 2018.
Published values in that edition run from 29.29 to 97.91; higher is better.
Position 96th of 144 · derived.
Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance) · 2023 · world median 99.396.399.3▼ Worsened since 2013
New Zealand: 96.3 · world median 99.3 · Births attended by skilled health staff (%). UNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 60.9 to 100; higher is better.
Position 71st of 84 · derived.
No better end9
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Contraceptive Prevalence (Any Method)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 41.256441.25No real change since 2013
New Zealand: 64 · world median 41.25 · Share of all women aged 15–49 using any contraceptive method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 6.6 to 78.7.
Modern Contraceptive PrevalenceUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 35.460.135.4No real change since 2013
New Zealand: 60.1 · world median 35.4 · Share of all women aged 15–49 using a modern contraceptive method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2 to 73.8.
Pesticide Use per HectareFAO · 2024 · world median 1.738.871.73No real change since 2014
New Zealand: 8.87 · world median 1.73 · Pesticide use (kg per hectare of cropland). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 37.72.
Position 32nd of 178 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Meat Supply per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 57.8379.5457.83Moved since 2013
New Zealand: 79.54 · world median 57.83 · Meat available as food (kg per person per year, carcass weight). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 3.49 to 156.95.
Fish and Seafood Supply per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 16.1724.6116.17Moved since 2013
New Zealand: 24.61 · world median 16.17 · Fish and seafood available as food (kg per person per year, live-weight equivalent). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.38 to 83.81.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.6522.820.65No earlier reading
New Zealand: 22.8 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Adults Who Have Been Too Anxious or Depressed to Carry OnWellcome Trust · 2020 · world median 20.0517.3720.05No earlier reading
New Zealand: 17.37 · world median 20.05 · People aged 15+ who have ever been too anxious or depressed to continue their usual activities for two weeks or more (%). Wellcome Trust, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 2.934 to 49.35.
Average Weekly Hours WorkedILO · 2025 · world median 38.8933.4838.89Moved since 2015
New Zealand: 33.48 · world median 38.89 · Average weekly hours actually worked per employed person. International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 23.64 to 54.7.
Position 149th of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.553.714.55Moved since 2017
New Zealand: 3.71 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
No current reading for New Zealand
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four Visits, Care-Seeking for Children with Symptoms of Pneumonia, Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Spending, Children with Functional Difficulties, Early Initiation of Breastfeeding, Exclusive Breastfeeding Under Six Months, Fatal Occupational Injuries (last 2015), Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Global Report on Food Crises, INFORM Severity Index, Insecticide-Treated Net Use, Malaria Incidence (P. falciparum), Malaria Incidence (P. vivax), Malaria Mortality (P. falciparum), Minimum Dietary Diversity, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Oral Rehydration Salts for Children with Diarrhoea, Overweight Prevalence in Children Under Five, Postnatal Care for Newborns Within Two Days, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet, Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five, Violent Discipline of Children and Wasting Prevalence in Children Under Five. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Health & Wellbeing among New Zealand’s 15 topics
Health & Wellbeing is New Zealand’s 12th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Governance & Institutions2nd of 1944/4 keys
- Peace & Security5th of 1774/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties7th of 1984/4 keys
- Gender & Equality9th of 1834/4 keys
- Energy11th of 1653/3 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 16th of 1963/3 keys
- Work & Labour23rd of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience26th of 1934/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation29th of 1764/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade41st of 1774/4 keys
- Digital & Technology52nd of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing53rd of 2003/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge64th of 1983/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture60th of 1844/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability129th of 1863/4 keys
No standing on Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on health & wellbeing
The three countries placed highest of 200, and the leaders New Zealand can most readily be measured against.
1
San MarinoSouthern Europe
1st of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Matl derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
MonacoWestern Europe
2nd of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
AndorraSouthern Europe
3rd of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Tiia Monto derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 4 keys
South Korea5th4/4 keysHighest in Oceania
Australia38th3/4 keysThis page
New Zealand53rd3/4 keys
Positions out of 200 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about New Zealand and health & wellbeing
On health & wellbeing
Global Hunger Index 2025: Countries with the Most Alarming Hunger Crisis
Thirteen countries scored across four editions — 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2025 — and five the report could not score at all. DR Congo and South Sudan share 121st place on 37.5.
On health & wellbeing
World Happiness Report 2025: Finland Leads Again as the US and UK Face Major Declines
The ten highest life evaluations of 2025, drawn on a world map, and the six things the report uses to explain them. Costa Rica and Mexico are the only two outside Europe and the Middle East.
08Questions
New Zealand on health & wellbeing: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does New Zealand rank on health & wellbeing?
New Zealand is placed 53rd of 200 countries on Health & Wellbeing in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Life Expectancy at Birth, Under-Five Mortality Rate and Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Life Expectancy at Birth figure for New Zealand?
82.09 in 2023 (years a newborn would live at current death rates), according to UN DESA Population Division. The world median in the same edition was 74.63.
What is the latest Under-Five Mortality Rate figure for New Zealand?
4.738 in 2024 (deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)), according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). The world median in the same edition was 14.54.
How have New Zealand’s health & wellbeing figures changed?
Life Expectancy at Birth rose from 78.67 in 2000 to 82.09 in 2023; Under-Five Mortality Rate fell from 7.388 in 2000 to 4.738 in 2024; Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity rose from 2.8 in 2015 to 4.9 in 2024.
Which health & wellbeing statistics are missing for New Zealand?
No current reading is published for New Zealand on Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four Visits, Care-Seeking for Children with Symptoms of Pneumonia, Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Spending, Children with Functional Difficulties, Early Initiation of Breastfeeding, Exclusive Breastfeeding Under Six Months, Fatal Occupational Injuries, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Global Report on Food Crises, INFORM Severity Index, Insecticide-Treated Net Use, Malaria Incidence (P. falciparum), Malaria Incidence (P. vivax), Malaria Mortality (P. falciparum), Minimum Dietary Diversity, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Oral Rehydration Salts for Children with Diarrhoea, Overweight Prevalence in Children Under Five, Postnatal Care for Newborns Within Two Days, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet, Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five, Violent Discipline of Children and Wasting Prevalence in Children Under Five. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Health spending, hospital beds and doctors per person are not measured, because more of any of them does not guarantee better outcomes. Mental health and self-reported happiness are not part of this topic. Food supply per person is measured under Food & Agriculture. Maternal mortality and many other indicators are published here as context; maternal mortality is a key in Development & Human Capital instead.
How the Health & Wellbeing standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The health & wellbeing method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Life Expectancy at Birth — UN DESA Population Division, CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Under-Five Mortality Rate — UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five — UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 38 statistics on this page come from 15 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
New Zealand’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- New Zealand (banner) — Karora derivative work: Inkey, Public domain
- San Marino — Matl derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monaco — Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Andorra — Tiia Monto derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). New Zealand: Health & Wellbeing — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/new-zealand/health