---
title: "Israel vs New Zealand — area, population, currency"
description: "Israel is 21,937 km² with 10,122,800 people; New Zealand is 268,838 km² with 5,324,700. Area, density, currency, languages and time zones side by side."
url: https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/israel-vs-new-zealand/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Israel vs New Zealand

**Israel vs New Zealand: New Zealand is larger; Israel has more people**

21,937 km² vs 268,838 km² · 10,122,800 vs 5,324,700

New Zealand is 12 times larger than Israel — 268,838 against 21,937 km². Israel is 1.9 times more populous than New Zealand — 10,122,800 against 5,324,700 people.

## Side by side

|  | Israel | New Zealand |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capital | Jerusalem | Wellington |
| Area | 21,937 km² | 268,838 km² |
| Population | 10,122,800 (2025) | 5,324,700 (2025) |
| Density | 461.4 /km² | 19.8 /km² |
| Currency | Israeli new shekel (ILS) | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
| Official languages | Arabic, Hebrew | English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language |
| Time zones | UTC+02:00 | UTC+12:00, UTC+12:45 |
| Calling code | +972 | +64 |
| Drives on the | right | left |
| Continent | Asia | Oceania |
| ISO codes | IL / ISR | NZ / NZL |

## Population density

Israel is 23 times more densely populated than New Zealand — 461 against 20 people per km². Density is where area and population interact, and it often reverses the impression the headline figures give — a large country with a small population can feel emptier than a small crowded one by an enormous margin.

## Practical differences

- They drive on opposite sides — Israel on the right, New Zealand on the left.
- Different currencies: the Israeli new shekel and the New Zealand dollar.
- New Zealand spans 2 time zones, so "local time" there is not a single answer.
- Different continents — Asia and Oceania.

## Israel

The Dead Sea shore is the lowest exposed land on Earth, about 430 m below sea level, and the water is around ten times saltier than the ocean. Israel recycles a higher share of its wastewater than any other country — roughly 85 percent — and most drinking water now comes from Mediterranean desalination.

## New Zealand

Two main islands and around 600 smaller ones, roughly 1,600 km long. New Zealand broke away from Gondwana about 80 million years ago and had no land mammals except bats until people arrived, which is why so many of its birds are flightless. The Southern Alps run most of the South Island and reach 3,724 m at Aoraki / Mount Cook.

> Neutral facts only. Nothing here addresses politics, government, economics or which country is preferable in any respect — population is the one figure that dates, and it carries its year.

## Common questions

### Is Israel bigger than New Zealand?

New Zealand is larger — 268,838 km² against 21,937 km².

### Which has more people, Israel or New Zealand?

Israel, with 10,122,800 against 5,324,700.

### What is the time difference between Israel and New Zealand?

Israel is UTC+02:00 and New Zealand is UTC+12:00, UTC+12:45. Daylight saving shifts the gap during the year in places that observe it.

## Related pages

- [Israel](https://atoneplace.net/country/israel/)
- [New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country/new-zealand/)
- [India vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/india-vs-new-zealand/)
- [India vs Israel](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/india-vs-israel/)
- [China vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/china-vs-new-zealand/)
- [China vs Israel](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/china-vs-israel/)
- [Japan vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/japan-vs-new-zealand/)
- [Canada vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/canada-vs-new-zealand/)
- [Canada vs Israel](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/canada-vs-israel/)
- [Australia vs New Zealand](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/australia-vs-new-zealand/)
- [Australia vs Israel](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/australia-vs-israel/)
- [New Zealand vs United States](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/new-zealand-vs-united-states/)
- [New Zealand vs United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/new-zealand-vs-united-kingdom/)
- [New Zealand vs Russia](https://atoneplace.net/country-vs/new-zealand-vs-russia/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]
- World Bank Open Data — The World Bank (https://data.worldbank.org/) [CC BY 4.0]