New Zealand
Australasia
Oceania
Stunning landscapes, top-3 ease of doing business and no general capital-gains tax, with a revamped Active Investor Plus visa - though it's remote and local tech salaries trail Australia.
82
Overall score
Excellent · 95% data coverage
Language
EnglishCurrency
NZDCitizenship
5 years (PR-based)Personal tax
10.5–39%Cost of living
NZD 2,600 / mo (single)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
89
Access
17%93Residence12%
79Citizenship and passport5%
72
Earning power
25%73Salary and work12%
71Buying power13%
72
Business and wealth
20%60Taxes7%
84Business8%
70Investment5%
86
Daily life
25%85Quality of life18%
89Education7%
97
Rights and institutions
13%98Freedom6%
97Rule of law7%
Pros
- No general capital-gains tax
- Top-ranked ease of doing business
- Active Investor Plus visa; great lifestyle
Cons
- Very geographically isolated
- Lower tech salaries than Australia
- Housing costs high
Best for
Investors & entrepreneursSkilled migrantsLifestyle-first families
Score profile
Access
Residence
93
Citizenship
73
Passport
94
Earning power
Salary & work
73
Buying power
71
Cost of living
38
Economy
76
Business and wealth
Taxes
60
Personal tax
29
Corporate tax
20
Business
84
Investment
70
Wealth building
67
Daily life
Safety
86
Healthcare
85
Environment
98
Infrastructure
82
Education
89
HDI
94
Rights and institutions
Freedom
98
Rule of law
97
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
93Excellent
Migrant stock28.2% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality1.84 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
Skilled Migrant (points)Active Investor PlusAccredited Employer Work VisaStudy → work
| Student | Student visa; up to 20 hrs/week (full-time in breaks). |
|---|---|
| Work | Accredited Employer Work Visa via approved employers. |
| Self-employed | Entrepreneur Work Visa for founders; investor routes for capital. |
| Permanent | Permanent Resident Visa after 2 years on a resident visa. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
73Good
| Years required | 5 years as a resident (with strong presence requirement) |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | English (sufficient for everyday use) |
| Residence | Residence-class visa held ~5 years with 240+ days/yr presence |
| Notes | Permanent residence is reached first via skilled, work-to-residence or investor pathways. |
Passport
Passport power
94Excellent
186 / 198
Mobility
#9
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free139
- On arrival38
- eTA9
- Visa required12
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
73Good
Output per worker$89,558 PPP (2024)
Unemployment5.1% (2025)
Participation70.4% of 15+ (2025)
| Tech salary (estimate) | NZD 110,000–150,000 (senior dev) |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Solid contracting; smaller market than Australia |
| Job market | Auckland & Wellington tech hubs; Xero and a healthy SaaS scene. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
71Good
GNI / person$53,600 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$28,837 PPP (2022)
Price level90 (US = 100) (2025)
Inflation2.8% / yr (2025)
Cost of living
Affordability
38Limited
Price level90 (US = 100) (2025)
| Rent | NZD 1,800–2,800 (1BR Auckland) |
|---|---|
| Monthly | NZD 2,600 |
| Cities | Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch |
Economy
Economic strength
76Good
Output & income
GDP$264.1B (2025)
GDP / person$49,591 (2025)
GNI / person$53,600 PPP (2025)
GDP growth1.3% / yr (2024)
Stability & labour
Inflation2.8% / yr (2025)
Unemployment5.1% (2025)
Output per worker$89,558 PPP (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture4.0% of GDP (2023)
Industry19.4% of GDP (2023)
Services68.2% of GDP (2023)
Main industries
Agriculture & dairyTourismFood processingForestryTechnologyWine
Top exports
Dairy productsMeatWood & forestryWineFruit
| Type | High-income, agri- and services-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Dairy & agribusiness, Tourism, Niche tech & screen production |
| Summary | A high-income economy built on world-leading dairy and agri-exports, tourism and a growing tech sector. |
| Currency | New Zealand dollar (commodity-linked) |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
60Moderate
| Personal | 10.5–39% progressive |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 28% |
| Capital gains | No general CGT (some property 'bright-line' rules apply) |
| Dividends | Imputation credit system |
| Exit tax | None |
| Foreign companies | CFC and FIF rules apply to foreign investments |
Personal tax
Personal tax
29Low
| Personal | 10.5–39% progressive |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Sole trader simple; GST above NZD 60k |
| Capital gains | No general CGT (some property 'bright-line' rules apply) |
| Dividends | Imputation credit system |
| Exit tax | None |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
20Low
| Corporate | 28% |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | No general CGT (some property 'bright-line' rules apply) |
| Dividends | Imputation credit system |
| Foreign companies | CFC and FIF rules apply to foreign investments |
Business
Business friendliness
84Excellent
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality1.84 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness1.85 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Yes: foreign ownership permitted (OIO consent for some assets) |
|---|---|
| Local company | Company online in ~1 day; needs a resident director (NZ/AU) |
| Freelance | Sole trader simple; GST above NZD 60k |
Investment
Investing environment
70Good
Market cap39% of GDP (2025)
Private credit143% of GDP (2025)
| Capital gains | No general CGT; FIF rules affect some foreign holdings; KiwiSaver tax-advantaged |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | None |
| Brokers | Good: Sharesies, Hatch, Interactive Brokers |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
67Good
Salary & work
73Good
Business
84Excellent
Investment
70Good
Tax friendliness
60Moderate
Cost of living
38Limited
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
86Excellent
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption1.93 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability1.15 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
85Excellent
Outcomes
Life expectancy82.0 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality4.7 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians3.61 per 1,000 (2022)
Hospital beds2.51 per 1,000 (2023)
Health spending$5,576 PPP / person (2024)
System & costs
| System | Universal public (Te Whatu Ora) + private |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Public for residents; private optional for speed |
| Average cost | Private cover ~NZD 80–150 / mo |
Environment
Environment score
98Excellent
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure6.9 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress8.0% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
82Excellent
Digital infrastructure
Internet use93.5% (2024)
Internet resilience73 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed87 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed73 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses6.7% of output (2024)
Transport
Transport quality3.80 / 5 (2022)
Rail density14.8 km / 1,000 km² (1998)
Air connectivity33,515 departures / million people (2023)
Education
Education score
89Excellent
Attainment
Expected schooling19.3 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.9 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment77% gross (2024)
Education spending5.2% of GDP (2023)
| Tuition | NZD 22,000–35,000 / yr (international) |
|---|---|
| Public university | Subsidised for domestic; international full-fee |
| Languages | English |
| Student work | Up to 20 hrs/week; post-study work visa available |
HDI
Human development score
94Excellent
HDI0.938 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling19.3 years (2023)
Mean schooling12.9 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
98Excellent
| Freedom in the World | 98 / 100 (Free) |
|---|
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
97Excellent
| Rule of Law percentile | 97 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.