Iceland vs New Zealand: Birth rate and death rate
Iceland
6.83 deaths per 1,000 people
in 2023
New Zealand
6.79 deaths per 1,000 people
in 2021
Iceland rank
37th
New Zealand rank
38th
Birth rate and death rate over time
- Iceland
- New Zealand
How they compare
Iceland currently reports 6.83 deaths per 1,000 people against 6.79 deaths per 1,000 people in New Zealand, a difference of 0.04 deaths per 1,000 people.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1948 it was New Zealand ahead.
Iceland ranks 37th and New Zealand ranks 38th of 41 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 9 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 7.39 deaths per 1,000 people | 8.72 deaths per 1,000 people | 1.33 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
| 1950s | 6.78 deaths per 1,000 people | 8.62 deaths per 1,000 people | 1.84 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
| 1960s | 6.62 deaths per 1,000 people | 8.38 deaths per 1,000 people | 1.76 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
| 1970s | 6.54 deaths per 1,000 people | 8.05 deaths per 1,000 people | 1.51 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
| 1980s | 6.81 deaths per 1,000 people | 8.01 deaths per 1,000 people | 1.2 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 6.74 deaths per 1,000 people | 7.42 deaths per 1,000 people | 0.6854 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 6.27 deaths per 1,000 people | 6.84 deaths per 1,000 people | 0.5691 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 6.56 deaths per 1,000 people | 6.77 deaths per 1,000 people | 0.2115 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 6.47 deaths per 1,000 people | 6.61 deaths per 1,000 people | 0.1423 deaths per 1,000 people | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher birth rate and death rate, Iceland or New Zealand?
- Iceland, at 6.83 deaths per 1,000 people against 6.79 deaths per 1,000 people in New Zealand as of 2023.
- What is the difference in birth rate and death rate between Iceland and New Zealand?
- 0.04 deaths per 1,000 people, with Iceland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and New Zealand?
- 74 years are reported by both, from 1948 to 2021.
- How do Iceland and New Zealand rank globally for birth rate and death rate?
- Iceland ranks 37th and New Zealand ranks 38th of 41 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Human Mortality Database (2025) β with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Birth rate and death rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Death rate, calculated as the number of deaths divided by the average number of people alive during the year.