The following is a comparison between Australia and New Zealand, two developed countries in the Oceania region. Let’s read.
Australia and New Zealand – country comparison Flags GDP • Australia has a larger GDP and a higher GDP per capita than New Zealand. Both countries are advanced economies, with the service sector accounting for the largest share of economic activity. The table below compares the GDP and GDP per capita of the two countries.
2025 (IMF) Australia New Zealand Currency Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar GDP (nominal, USD) $1.84 trillion $258.83 billion GDP per capita (nominal, USD) $66.35 thousand $48.62 thousand GDP (PPP, international $) $2 trillion $297.26 billion GDP per capita (PPP, international $) $72.13 thousand $55.84 thousand
Population 2025 estimate Australia New Zealand Population 27 million 5.3 million Population aged 0-14 18% 17.8% Population aged 15-64 64% 64.4% Population aged 65 and older 18% 17.8% Total fertility rate, per woman 1.6 1.7
Life Australia New Zealand Life expectancy at birth (2023/UN) 83.92 82.09 Human Development Index rank (2023) 7th 17th Human Development Index value 0.958 0.938
Overview • Australia is one of the largest countries in the world . It is more than 28 times larger than New Zealand.
• Australia has a larger population compared to New Zealand. Both Australia and New Zealand are sparsely populated countries.
Australia New Zealand Area around 7.7 million sq km around 268,000 sq km Population 27 million (2025 estimate) 5.3 million (2025 estimate) Capital city Canberra Wellington Largest city Sydney Auckland Most spoken language English English Most popular sport Australian rules football Rugby
(Also read: India vs New Zealand – country comparison )
Geography Australia New Zealand Region Oceania Oceania Forest cover (2023) 17.4% 37.8% Total number of time zones 9 5 Highest mountain Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 m/7,310 ft) (mainland) Mount Cook/Aoraki (3,724 m/12,218 ft) Major rivers Murray River, Murrumbidgee River, Darling River, Lachlan River, Warrego River, etc. Waikato River, Clutha River, Whanganui River, Taieri River, Rangitīkei River, etc. Longest river Murray River Waikato River Largest island Mainland Australia South Island Largest lake Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Lake Taupō National animal Kangaroo and Emu Kiwi
Tourism Australia New Zealand International tourist arrivals 8.3 million (2024) 3.2 million (2024) Number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites 21 3 Popular places to visit Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Great Barrier Reef, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, etc. Auckland, Queenstown, Wellington, Bay Of Islands, Tongariro National Park, Napier, Fiordland National Park, etc.
