New Zealand's healthcare ranking varies by index, generally placing it in the top 20-25 globally, with strong points in Quality (especially care processes like prevention/coordination) but weaknesses in Choice and Fiscal Sustainability, facing challenges like long wait times despite its universal system. For example, it ranked 21st in the 2024 World Index of Healthcare Innovation (WIHI) but 1st in Care Processes in the Commonwealth Fund's 2024 report.
According to the latest 2025 CEOWORLD Health Care Index, Taiwan once again ranks as the country with the best healthcare in the world, maintaining its top position with an overall score of 78.72. South Korea (77.7) and Australia (74.11) remain in second and third place, respectively.
New Zealand's healthcare system is a universal public system. It is one of the top 20 healthcare systems in the world, on a par with the United States and the United Kingdom. With the 1938 Social Security Act, New Zealand brought into law universal and free healthcare.
Political and economic rankings
Ease of Doing Business Index, 2020 – 1st out of 191 countries; 1st in the sub-categories of Starting a Business and Getting Credit.
In the 2024 World Index of Health Innovation, Australia secured the 9th position overall, a decline from 5th place in 2022. This ranking highlights Australia's strengths in Quality and Choice, where it stands 6th and 3rd respectively.
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is consistently ranked as the #1 hospital in the world by publications like Newsweek and Statista for its overall excellence, research, and top-tier performance in numerous specialties, often holding the top spot for several years running. Other leading hospitals often appearing in the global top 10 include the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Toronto General Hospital.
However, the "First World" is generally thought of as the capitalist, industrial, wealthy, and developed countries. This definition includes the countries of North America and Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
New Zealand is known worldwide for its quality of life and relaxed pace. New Zealanders enjoy a balanced lifestyle — this means we work hard but make time for recreational activities and being with family and friends. Our time off work is protected by law.
United States. The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world's most dominant economic and military power.
Healthcare and Education
Both countries offer high-quality healthcare and public education. In Australia, the public healthcare system provides heavily subsidised medical services. New Zealand also has a strong public healthcare system, which is mostly free or low-cost for citizens and residents.
Yes, roughly 80% (or around 78%) of New Zealand's land is considered uninhabited, not because it's truly barren, but due to challenging terrain like mountains, vast protected areas (National Parks), and large expanses of farmland managed by few people, causing most of the population to cluster along the coasts and in major cities like Auckland.
New Zealand is expensive
We tend to pay more than other countries for rent, eating out, groceries, electricity, petrol and clothing. However, New Zealand cities don't rank as expensive compared to the global cost of living in other countries.
The best doctors in the world are often found in countries with top-ranked healthcare systems and medical education. These include the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
As of 2025, the global landscape of clinical trials is led by the following five countries, each demonstrating significant contributions to medical research: United States: With 4,034 active clinical trials, the U.S. maintains its leadership position in clinical research.
The richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita is often cited as Singapore, followed closely by Luxembourg, depending on the specific report and year, with Singapore leading in 2025 estimates with around $156,000-$157,000 per person, while Luxembourg is a strong contender just below that, highlighting small, finance-heavy economies as wealthiest per person.
While rankings vary slightly by source and year, South Sudan and Burundi are consistently listed as the world's poorest countries, often trading the top spot based on metrics like GDP per capita or extreme poverty rates, with Afghanistan, Central African Republic, and Malawi also frequently appearing at the very bottom due to conflict, instability, and food insecurity.
It used to be that once someone's salary hit six digits, they would be considered highly paid. But there are now about a dozen sectors paying at least a median $100,000. Over the past 10 years, the median wage across New Zealand has risen from about $67,000 – depending how you measure it – to nearly $80,000.
Safety and quality of life are essential factors to consider when choosing between Australia and New Zealand. Both countries have low crime rates and high quality of life, with Australia ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, while New Zealand is considered one of the most peaceful countries.
92-day rule
You do not have to apply for a certificate of exemption from withholding tax if you come from a country that has a DTA with New Zealand and you're eligible for total New Zealand tax relief under that agreement. You must also be present in New Zealand for a total of 92 or fewer days in any 12-month period.
Hazards such as coastal floods, heatwaves, droughts and bushfires are projected to occur more frequently, more severely, and often at the same time, with the report warning Australia — a land mass that warms much faster than oceans — will "reach a given warming level much faster than the globe".
Most English-speaking countries recognize seven continents (Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, Australia/Oceania), but some models, particularly geological ones, propose eight, adding Zealandia (a largely submerged continent) to the traditional seven, while others merge Asia and Europe into Eurasia. So, it's either 7 or 8 depending on the classification system used, with 7 being the common educational standard and 8 (including Zealandia) gaining scientific traction.
Private debt is currently around 130% of GDP as contrasted with government (public) debt which is quite low at 34% of GDP. So yes the Australian public has a lot of debt. Having said that Australia is still a very rich country with median wealth per capita roughly $270k USD or $400k AUD.