New Zealand

New Zealand
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	11th best
Capital	Wellington
Land Area	263 310km21
Location	Australasia, Polynesia
Population	4.7m2
Life Expectancy	82.45yrs (2017)3
GNI	$44 057 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	NZ, NZL, 5545
Internet Domain	.nz6
Currency	Dollar (NZD)7
Telephone	+648

1. Overview
2. New Zealand National and Social Development
3. New Zealand's Demographics and Migration
4. New Zealand's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. New Zealand's Health
6. New Zealand's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. New Zealand's Modernity and Learning
8. New Zealand's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#UK

“The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both world wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Plucked straight from a film set or a coffee-table book of picture-perfect scenery, New Zealand is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. `Wow!´ will escape from your lips at least once a day. New Zealand is bigger than the UK with one-fourteenth the population. Filling in the gaps are the sublime forests, mountains, lakes, beaches and fiords that have made NZ one of the best hiking (locals call it `tramping´) destinations on the planet. Tackle one of nine epic `Great Walks´ or just spend a few dreamy hours wandering through some easily accessible wilderness.

NZ chefs find inspiration in new-world culinary oceans, especially the Pacific with its abundant seafood. Thirsty? NZ´s cool-climate wineries have been collecting wine-award trophies for decades now, but the country´s booming craft-beer scene also deserves your serious scrutiny. And with coffee culture firmly entrenched, you can usually find a decent double-shot. See how Maori culture impresses itself on contemporary Kiwi life: across NZ you can hear Maori language, watch traditional Maori song, dance and usually a blood-curdling haka (war dance), visit marae (meeting houses) or join in a hangi (Maori feast).”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. New Zealand National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
11	Finland	0.940
12	Singapore	0.939
13=	Belgium	0.937
13=	New Zealand	0.937
15	Canada	0.936
16	Liechtenstein	0.935
17	Luxembourg	0.930
18	UK	0.929
	Australasia Avg	0.70
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
26	France	$45 937
27	UK	$45 225
28	S. Korea	$44 501
29	New Zealand	$44 057
30	Italy	$42 840
31	Japan	$42 274
32	Israel	$41 524
33	Slovenia	$39 746
	Australasia Avg	$12 519
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	29.1
2	Norway	32.3
3	Sweden	34.1
	...
8	Japan	41.8
9	Germany	41.9
10	Ireland	42.1
11	New Zealand	42.1
12	Belgium	42.5
13	Australia	43.1
14	Iceland	44.2
15	France	44.3
	Australasia Avg	95.6
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. New Zealand's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

New Zealand's population is predicted to rise to 5.211 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.66. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
121	Oman	4.8m
122	Liberia	4.8m
123	Ireland	4.8m
124	New Zealand	4.7m
125	Central African Rep.	4.7m
126	Mauritania	4.4m
127	Panama	4.2m
128	Croatia	4.2m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
15	Canada	82.7
16	Luxembourg	82.6
17	France	82.5
18	New Zealand	82.5
19	Israel	82.3
20	Finland	82.0
21	Ireland	82.0
22	Belgium	81.9
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
50	Azerbaijan	1.67
51	USA	1.67
52	Honduras	2.34
53	New Zealand	1.66
54	S. Africa	2.34
55	Turks & Caicos Islands	1.66
56	Guatemala	2.35
57	Barbados	1.63
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
151	Hungary	32.9
152	Romania	33.6
153	USA	33.8
154	New Zealand	34.9
155	UK	35.0
156	Barbados	35.6
157	Lithuania	36.0
158	Czechia	36.1
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
19	Brunei	25.3%
20	Israel	23.6%
21	Palau	23.0%
22	New Zealand	22.7%
23	Canada	21.5%
24	Kazakhstan	20.0%
25	Austria	19.0%
26	Sweden	17.6%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
42	Lebanon	15.6%
43	Equatorial Guinea	14.9%
44	Seychelles	14.6%
45	New Zealand	14.5%
46	Ukraine	14.4%
47	Israel	14.0%
48	Swaziland	13.4%
49	Lithuania	13.2%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. New Zealand's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #new_zealand #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Australasia (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	New Zealand	13.3
2	Australia	16.0
3	Kiribati	70.1
4	Marshall Islands	75.0
5	Tuvalu	76.7
6	Micronesia	78.2
7	Palau	80.7
8	Nauru	82.3
9	Fiji	87.1
10	Vanuatu	98.7
11	Samoa	100.4
12	Tonga	105.5
13	Solomon Islands	108.9
	Australasia Avg	79.23
q=14.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
4	Netherlands	9.8
5	Iceland	12.9
6	New Zealand	13.3
7	Canada	14.7
8	Austria	14.9
9	Australia	16.0
10	Luxembourg	16.2
11	Finland	17.4
12	Belgium	18.4
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₁₉.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Africa, The Middle East and Asia₁₉.

For more, see:

• " Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Press Freedom Higher is better20
Pos.		202520
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
13	Luxembourg	83.04
14	Lithuania	82.27
15	Latvia	81.82
16	New Zealand	81.37
17	Iceland	81.36
18	Belgium	80.12
19	Trinidad & Tobago	79.71
20	UK	78.89
	Australasia Avg	70.62
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Slavery Lower is better21
Pos.		2018 % Victims21
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
4	Australia	0.06
5=	New Zealand	0.06
6	Chile	0.08
7=	Mauritius	0.10
7=	Uruguay	0.10
9	Costa Rica	0.13
10=	USA	0.13
10=	Argentina	0.13
12	Hong Kong	0.14
	Australasia Avg	0.38
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better22
Pos.		2014 Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
4	Ireland	4
5	Denmark	5
6=	UK	6
6=	Canada	6
6=	Australia	6
9	Finland	9
10	Netherlands	10
11=	Luxembourg	11
11=	Austria	11
	Australasia Avg	36.0
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
12=	Palau	1.0
12=	Czechia	1.0
12=	Finland	1.0
12=	New Zealand	1.0
12=	Netherlands	1.0
12=	Germany	1.0
12=	Micronesia	1.0
12=	Iceland	1.0
	Australasia Avg	1.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better23
Pos.		2009 Treaties23
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
47	Poland	20
48=	S. Korea	20
48=	Panama	20
48=	New Zealand	20
51	Uganda	19
52=	Colombia	19
52=	Switzerland	19
52=	UK	19
	Australasia Avg	8.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better24
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty24
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
51	Finland	7.49
52	Togo	7.50
53	Iraq	7.55
54	New Zealand	7.56
55	Iceland	7.57
56	Jamaica	7.61
57	Honduras	7.64
58	Congo, DR	7.72
	Australasia Avg	14.35
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 report on the state of the world's human rights, had little to say about New Zealand: "An independent inquiry called for an end to the detention in correctional facilities of people seeking asylum. Reports highlighted ongoing concerns about the prison system. Civil society strongly criticized a new oversight system for Oranga Tamariki/the Ministry for Children"₂₅.

Gender Equality:

New Zealand is notable for its equality between the sexes and this has been a feature of the country's culture for quite some time.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality Lower is better26
Pos.		202226
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
21	Portugal	0.08
22	Japan	0.08
23	France	0.08
24	New Zealand	0.09
25	Israel	0.09
26	Croatia	0.09
27	Estonia	0.10
28	UK	0.10
	Australasia Avg	0.37
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Gender Biases Lower is better27
Pos.		2022 %27
1	Sweden	31.828
2	New Zealand	34.429
3	Australia	37.029
4	Germany	40.229
5	Canada	41.129
6	Norway	42.130
7	Andorra	43.129
8	Netherlands	44.228
9	USA	50.729
10	Finland	52.530
11	Spain	53.528
12	Switzerland	56.930
	Australasia Avg	35.72
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
4	Norway	1913
5=	Denmark	1915
5=	Iceland	1915
7	Russia	1917
8=	Latvia	1918
8=	Estonia	1918
8=	Kyrgyzstan	1918
11	Austria	1919
12=	Slovakia	1919
	Australasia Avg	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better31
Pos.		2014 %31
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
10=	Thailand	13
10=	Czechia	13
12	Canada	14
13=	New Zealand	14
13=	Australia	14
15	Norway	15
16=	Ghana	15
16=	Finland	15
	Australasia Avg	14.0
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality Higher is better32
Pos.		2017 Score32
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
15	Argentina	69
16=	Malta	63
16=	Andorra	63
16=	New Zealand	63
16=	Portugal	63
20	Canada	62
21	Colombia	58
22	Finland	57
	Australasia Avg	07.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought Lower is better33
Pos.		202133
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
26	S. Korea	1.8
27	Barbados	2.0
28=	Gabon	2.0
28=	New Zealand	2.0
28=	Sierra Leone	2.0
28=	Luxembourg	2.0
28=	S. Sudan	2.0
33	Greece	2.3
	Australasia Avg	2.6
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. New Zealand's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #new_zealand #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Australasia (2025)34
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank34
1	New Caledonia	57.9
2	Australia	66.3
3	New Zealand	69.9
4	Guam	99.3
5	Fiji	105.9
6	French Polynesia	114.5
7	Vanuatu	118.8
8	Solomon Islands	119.7
9	Palau	121.6
10	Tonga	124.3
11	Papua New Guinea	125.9
12	Tuvalu	126.7
13	Kiribati	129.5
	Australasia Avg	112.00
q=19.

Health (2025)34
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank34
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
36	Slovenia	67.5
37	Ireland	68.0
38	UK	68.4
39	New Zealand	69.9
40	Thailand	70.8
41	Spain	70.8
42	Brunei	71.2
43	Mauritius	71.9
	World Avg	97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₅. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue₃₅.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₅, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₅.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

New Zealand does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. New Zealand comes in the best 20 for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₆ (amongst the best in Australasia) and in its average life expectancy₁₁ (one of the highest in Australasia). It does better than average when it comes to its fertility rate₁₄ (amongst the lowest in Australasia), its adolescent birth rate₃₇ (one of the lowest in Australasia) and in its immunizations take-up₃₈. New Zealand does not succeed in everything, however. New Zealand does worse than average in terms of its suicide rate₃₉ (yet still one of the best in Australasia), its smoking rate₄₀ (amongst the highest in Australasia), its alcohol consumption rate₄₁ (one of the highest in Australasia) and in the prevalence of overweight adults₄₂ (still low for Australasia). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. Life expectancy in New Zealand improved by +7.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, on par with the global average improvement of +7.9yrs. Its peak fertility rate was 4.31 in 1961.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
15	Canada	82.7
16	Luxembourg	82.6
17	France	82.5
18	New Zealand	82.5
19	Israel	82.3
20	Finland	82.0
21	Ireland	82.0
22	Belgium	81.9
	Australasia Avg	70.11
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better41
Pos.		2016 Per Capita41
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
155=	Denmark	10.4
156	Cook Islands	10.6
157=	Australia	10.6
158	New Zealand	10.7
159=	Finland	10.7
160	Uruguay	10.8
161=	Cyprus	10.8
162	Serbia	11.1
	Australasia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
50	Azerbaijan	1.67
51	USA	1.67
52	Honduras	2.34
53	New Zealand	1.66
54	S. Africa	2.34
55	Turks & Caicos Islands	1.66
56	Guatemala	2.35
57	Barbados	1.63
	Australasia Avg	2.82
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better40
Pos.		201440
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
101	Singapore	652
102	Bangladesh	665
103	Morocco	671
104	New Zealand	680
105	Kyrgyzstan	68343
106	Qatar	698
107	UAE	715
108	Namibia	740
	Australasia Avg	372
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate39
Pos.		2013 Per 100k39
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
54	Chile	22.4
55	Canada	22.7
56	Iceland	23.5
57	New Zealand	23.6
58	Ireland	23.7
59	Norway	23.8
60=	Denmark	23.9
60=	Germany	23.9
	Australasia Avg	20.00
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
14	UAE	14
15	Saudi Arabia	15
16	Belgium	16
17	New Zealand	17
18	Jordan	18
19	S. Korea	19
20	Kuwait	20
21	Japan	21
	Australasia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better42
Pos.		1976 %42
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
165	Ukraine	42.2
166	Australia	42.4
167	Lithuania	42.6
168	New Zealand	42.7
169	Russia	43.8
170=	Belgium	43.9
170=	Estonia	43.9
172	Hungary	44.0
	Australasia Avg	48.8
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better44
Pos.		2022 %44
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
158	Bermuda	34.0%
159	Antigua & Barbuda	34.1%
160	Jamaica	34.2%
161	New Zealand	34.2%
162	Turkey	34.3%
163	Malta	34.6%
164	Uruguay	34.7%
165	Jordan	35.6%
	Australasia Avg	49.3%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 Per 100037
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
53	Malta	11.5
54	Algeria	11.6
55	Saudi Arabia	11.6
56	New Zealand	11.8
57	Serbia	14.4
58	Albania	14.5
59	Russia	14.5
60	USA	15.1
	Australasia Avg	40.2
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better38
Pos.		2015 Avg %38
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
93	Burundi	93.3
94	Chile	93.3
95	Georgia	93.1
96	New Zealand	92.9
97	Nauru	92.9
98	USA	92.8
99	Latvia	92.8
100	Romania	92.7
	Australasia Avg	86.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. New Zealand's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #new_zealand #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Australasia (2025)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	New Zealand	75.8
2	Australia	76.6
3	Fiji	89.1
4	Vanuatu	93.0
5	Tonga	96.1
6	Papua New Guinea	104.5
7	Samoa	107.0
8	Kiribati	111.4
9	Micronesia	114.6
10	Cook Islands	119.6
11	Solomon Islands	121.6
12	Marshall Islands	123.1
13	Palau	124.5
	Australasia Avg	93.28
q=16.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)45
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank45
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
74	Belgium	75.3
75	Cape Verde	75.6
76	Afghanistan	75.7
77	New Zealand	75.8
78	Bulgaria	75.8
79	Malawi	76.0
80	Benin	76.5
81	Australia	76.6
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₆. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

The lowest in Australasia New Zealand ranks 77th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This is formulated from 21 data sets. New Zealand comes in the best 20 for its environmental performance₄₇ (the best in Australasia). It does better than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₈. But, things still need to improve in New Zealand. New Zealand does worse than average in terms of its score on the Green Future Index₄₉ (yet still the highest in Australasia), energy to GDP efficiency₅₀ (yet still the best in Australasia), the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₅₁ (yet still amongst the highest in Australasia) and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₅₂.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better48
Pos.		Total48
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
79	Germany	0.6%
80	Norway	0.6%
81	Cyprus	0.5%
82	New Zealand	0.4%
83	Slovenia	0.4%
84	Wallis & Futuna	0.3%
85	Japan	0.2%
86	Niue	0.2%
	Australasia Avg	0.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better47
Pos.		201847
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
14	Norway	77.5
15	Belgium	77.4
16	Italy	77.0
17	New Zealand	76.0
18	Netherlands	75.5
19	Israel	75.0
20	Japan	74.7
21	Australia	74.1
	Australasia Avg	55.2
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better50
Pos.		2022 Avg50
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
103	Greece	1.20
104	Algeria	1.20
105	Ecuador	1.22
106	New Zealand	1.22
107	Georgia	1.22
108	Mauritania	1.24
109	Iraq	1.24
110	Australia	1.25
	Australasia Avg	1.23
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
51	Gambia	66%
52	Hungary	66%
53	Azerbaijan	66%
54	New Zealand	66%
55	Spain	66%
56	Guatemala	66%
57	Belgium	66%
58	Papua New Guinea	66%
	Australasia Avg	48.2%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

New Zealand was one of the 30 who signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on its first day and was amongst the first batch of countries who signed the Montreal Protocol on protecting the Ozone layer in 1988, whilst most others delayed until subsequent years.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better51
Pos.		2011 %51
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
111	Kazakhstan	25.0%
112	Iraq	24.9%
113	Sweden	24.3%
114	New Zealand	24.2%
115	Poland	23.8%
116	Belarus	23.7%
117	Afghanistan	23.6%
118	Russia	23.5%
	Australasia Avg	28.0%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better52
Pos.		2021 kg52
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
143	Grenada	78.6
144	Ireland	80.2
145	Kuwait	81.3
146	New Zealand	81.4
147	S. Korea	81.5
148	Dominica	81.6
149	Hungary	82.1
150	UK	82.3
	Australasia Avg	74.2
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in New Zealand was nearly double the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment. It managed to reduce this by over 10kgs per year (only 17 countries managed the same).₅₂

Green Future Index Higher is better49
Pos.		2023 Score49
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
38	Brazil	4.7
39=	Romania	4.7
39=	Kenya	4.7
41	New Zealand	4.6
42=	Philippines	4.6
42=	Israel	4.6
42=	Australia	4.6
45	Taiwan	4.5
	Australasia Avg	4.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

7. New Zealand's Modernity and Learning

#australia #belgium #education #english #intelligence #maths #modernity #new_zealand #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to Australasia (2020)53
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank53
1	New Zealand	15.2
2	Australia	16.6
3	Palau	47.4
4=	Tonga	62.0
5	Fiji	71.5
6	Samoa	99.8
7	Marshall Islands	111.1
8	Vanuatu	125.6
9	Kiribati	127.3
10	Micronesia	133.6
11	Tuvalu	138.2
12	Solomon Islands	154.5
13	Papua New Guinea	158.4
	Australasia Avg	97.01
q=13.

Modernity & Learning (2020)53
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank53
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
4	Iceland	15.0
5	New Zealand	15.2
6	Sweden	15.8
7	Germany	16.3
8	Australia	16.6
9	Switzerland	17.4
10	Estonia	17.9
11	Norway	18.3
12	UK	19.4
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₅₄. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₅₄. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₅.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₆

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₄, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₄.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

In 1993, 2009 and 2011, education in New Zealand was the 3rd-longest in the world, at 17.0 years (rising to 18.6 years), beaten only by Australia and Belgium. ₅₇

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2958
2	Israel	4.1158
3	Japan	3.5858
	...
28	Luxembourg	1.2658
29	Spain	1.2258
30	Russia	1.1958
31	New Zealand	1.1759
32	Brazil	1.1560
33	Malaysia	1.1360
34	Turkey	1.0158
35	Lithuania	0.9561
	Australasia Avg	1.71
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better62
Pos.		201862
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
15	Armenia	97.2%
16	Hungary	97.2%
17	Palau	97.1%
18	New Zealand	96.9%
19	Switzerland	96.5%
20	Moldova	96.4%
21	Germany	96.3%
22	Russia	95.9%
	Australasia Avg	79.3%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better63
Pos.		2021 Years63
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
4	Belgium	19.6
5	Sweden	19.4
6	Iceland	19.2
7	Finland	19.1
8	Ireland	18.9
9	Denmark	18.7
10	Netherlands	18.7
11	Grenada	18.7
12	Turkey	18.3
	Australasia Avg	13.4
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
9	Belgium	9
10	Slovenia	10
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
13	Latvia	13
14	Bulgaria	14
15	Iceland	15
16	Bosnia & Herzegovina	16
	Australasia Avg	58.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better64
Pos.		2015 Score64
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
13=	Germany	1524
13=	Netherlands	1524
15	Switzerland	1519
16	New Zealand	1517
17=	Norway	1513
17=	Denmark	1513
19	Poland	1511
20	Belgium	1508
	Australasia Avg	1512
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

IQ Higher is better65
Pos.		200665
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
12=	Norway	100
12=	Austria	100
12=	UK	100
15	New Zealand	99
16=	Poland	99
16=	Germany	99
16=	Finland	99
16=	Estonia	99
	Australasia Avg	98.5
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better66
Pos.		201666
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
16	Bahrain	92%
17	Estonia	91%
18	Japan	91%
19	New Zealand	89%
20=	USA	89%
20=	Canada	89%
20=	Belgium	89%
23	Czechia	88%
	Australasia Avg	44.3%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better67
Pos.		2017 Ratio67
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
22	Brazil	13.9
23	Netherlands	10.5
24	Czechia	10.1
25	New Zealand	9.7
26	Romania	8.7
27	Austria	7.5
28	Hungary	7.4
29	Guatemala	6.9
	Australasia Avg	1.55
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better68
Pos.		202468
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
29	Portugal	62.8%
30	Slovenia	62.3%
31	Cyprus	61.6%
32	New Zealand	61.1%
33	Croatia	61.1%
34	Malta	61.0%
35	Slovakia	60.7%
36	Hungary	60.2%
	Australasia Avg	60.4%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. New Zealand's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #charity #corruption #culture #denmark #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #new_zealand #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Compared to Australasia (2020)69
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank69
1	New Zealand	15.5
2	Australia	29.4
3	Fiji	77.4
4	Samoa	83.3
5	Tonga	105.3
6	Papua New Guinea	110.3
	Australasia Avg	70.21
q=6.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)69
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank69
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
4	New Zealand	15.5
5	Finland	16.1
6	Sweden	19.6
7	Singapore	20.2
8	Austria	20.7
9	Switzerland	21.2
10	Iceland	22.3
11	Ireland	22.8
12	Canada	23.1
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better70
Pos.		2022 %70
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
4	Australia	55.0
5	New Zealand	54.0
6	Myanmar (Burma)	52.0
7=	Sierra Leone	51.0
7=	Canada	51.0
9	Zambia	50.0
10=	Ukraine	49.0
10=	Ireland	49.0
12	Czechia	48.0
	Australasia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better71
Pos.		2022 Points71
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
4	Norway	84.0
5=	Singapore	83.0
5=	Sweden	83.0
7	Switzerland	82.0
8	Netherlands	80.0
9	Germany	79.0
10=	Ireland	77.0
10=	Luxembourg	77.0
12	Hong Kong	76.0
	Australasia Avg	55.83
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

When the Corruption Perception Index was launched in 1995, New Zealand scored the 4th-best, but rose to 1st position the next year, and attained that again 2008-2009. It had the 2nd-best average score of the 2010s too, after Denmark.

Happiness Higher is better72
Pos.		2024 Score72
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
9	Luxembourg	7.1
10	Mexico	7.0
11	Australia	7.0
12	New Zealand	7.0
13	Switzerland	6.9
14	Belgium	6.9
15	Ireland	6.9
16	Lithuania	6.8
	Australasia Avg	6.96
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
32	Costa Rica	32
33	Serbia	33
34	S. Korea	34
35	New Zealand	35
36	Belize	36
37	Iceland	37
38	Croatia	38
39	Bulgaria	39
	Australasia Avg	61.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
66	Benin	66
67	Lesotho	67
68	Panama	68
69	New Zealand	69
70	Tunisia	70
71	Montenegro	71
72	Ukraine	72
73	Chile	73
	Australasia Avg	91.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better73
Pos.		2023 Score73
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
4	New Zealand	1.31
5	Austria	1.32
6	Singapore	1.33
7	Portugal	1.33
8	Slovenia	1.33
9	Japan	1.34
10	Switzerland	1.34
11	Canada	1.35
12	Czechia	1.38
	Australasia Avg	1.64
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
30	Paraguay	30
31	Jordan	31
32	India	32
33	New Zealand	33
34	Malaysia	34
35	S. Korea	35
36	Qatar	36
37	Germany	37
	Australasia Avg	88.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better36
Pos.		2017 Rank36
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
16	France	16
17	Cyprus	17
18	Slovenia	18
19	New Zealand	19
20	Luxembourg	20
21	Ireland	21
22	Costa Rica	22
23	Thailand	23
	Australasia Avg	103.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better74
Pos.		2019 Score74
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
26=	Moldova	0.12
26=	Serbia	0.12
26=	Estonia	0.12
29	New Zealand	0.14
30	Uruguay	0.17
31	Dominican Rep.	0.18
32	Hungary	0.18
33	Switzerland	0.19
	Australasia Avg	1.38
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better75
Pos.		201975
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
30	Hungary	4.20
31=	Croatia	4.30
31=	Poland	4.30
31=	New Zealand	4.30
34	Belarus	4.40
35=	Canada	4.60
35=	Malta	4.60
37	Serbia	4.90
	Australasia Avg	13.47
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Disbelief In God (2007)76
Pos.		Higher is better %76
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
21	Taiwan	24
22=	New Zealand	22
22=	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
25=	Ukraine	20
25=	Mongolia	20
27	Austria	18
28=	Slovakia	17
28=	Switzerland	17
28=	Belarus	17
31	Greece	16
32=	Iceland	16
33	Spain	15
34=	Israel	15
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₇₇:

Christian	57%
Muslim	1.2%
Hindu	2.1%
Buddhist	1.6%
Folk Religion	0.5%
Jewish	0.2%
Unaffiliated	36.6%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Protestant 38.6% (Anglican 13.8%, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Reformed 10%, Christian (no denomination specified) 4.6%, Methodist 3%, Pentecostal 2%, Baptist 1.4%, other Christian 3.8%), Roman Catholic 12.6%, Maori Christian 1.6%, Hindu 1.6%, Buddhist 1.3%, other religions 2.2%, none 32.2%, other or unidentified 9.9% (2006 Census)₇₈.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?