Human Development & Quality of Life in New Zealand
HDI 0.938 · UNDP rank 17 · latest published data
The headline development measure for New Zealand is HDI 0.938 in 2023, corresponding to UNDP rank 17 and the very high human development band. Two details sharpen that picture. Gender inequality is low on the GII scale at 0.082, with UNDP rank 30. Inequality produces a visible but not dominant adjustment, taking HDI 0.938 to IHDI 0.853 with a 9.1% loss.
What sits inside New Zealand's HDI
For New Zealand, health contributes through life expectancy of 82.1; education through 19.3 expected and 12.9 mean years of schooling; and income through GNI per capita of $47,260 in 2021 PPP dollars. Those are the published inputs behind the 2023 HDI.
Inequality changes the headline
New Zealand's IHDI adjusts the headline index for inequality in health, education and income outcomes. It describes distribution, so it is not used here as a quality-of-life rating. For a like-for-like reading, use the UNDP definition rather than a proxy before drawing conclusions from small differences.
Gender and planetary-pressure adjustments
Looking at the published indicators, New Zealand has additional UNDP measures of GDI 0.973, GII 0.082, PHDI 0.731. They are related indicators, but they should not be combined into one country score.
A separate quality-of-life signal
For New Zealand, the OECD series provides a comparable 2021 life-satisfaction value of 7.70/10. A subjective well-being observation is contextual information here, not an HDI component.
What New Zealand's numbers say together
New Zealand's additional indicators read as IHDI 0.853 with a 9.1% loss; PHDI 0.731 after a 22.1% adjustment; GDI 0.973; life satisfaction 7.70/10 (2021). They are related indicators, but they should not be combined into one country score.
Looking at the published indicators, the headline UNDP result for New Zealand is HDI 0.938, rank 17, for 2023. Broader quality-of-life indicators remain outside that index.
The IHDI is 0.853, and UNDP reports an overall loss of 9.1% relative to the headline index.
The GDI value is 0.973 in group 2; it should be read alongside, not merged into, HDI.
The subjective well-being figure presented for New Zealand is 7.70/10, observed in 2021. Quality-of-life evidence is presented alongside HDI only when a comparable observation is available.
Frequently asked questions
What is New Zealand's HDI?
In the Human Development Report 2025, New Zealand is listed at HDI 0.938 for 2023, rank 17.
How does inequality affect New Zealand's HDI?
For New Zealand, IHDI is 0.853 and the associated inequality loss is 9.1%. This adjustment concerns the distribution of HDI achievements.
What is the life satisfaction score shown for New Zealand?
In the OECD current well-being series used for this profile, New Zealand records 7.70/10 in 2021. Life satisfaction adds a different perspective and is therefore not folded into HDI.
Is HDI the same as quality of life?
No. Quality of life is broader than the HDI framework, which centres on health, education and income. A subjective well-being observation is contextual information here, not an HDI component.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the development indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Primary source for 2023 HDI and its components, plus IHDI, GDI, GII and PHDI where reported.
Report edition underlying the 2023 human-development indices and ranking.
Source for the dated 0-10 life-satisfaction observation. This separate measure is not part of HDI.
Data note: Reference years are shown with each indicator; unavailable observations remain unfilled.