Argentina and New Zealand Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

In comparing Argentina and New Zealand, we see Argentina’s population is about 9 times larger and its land area is over 10 times bigger. Economically, Argentina’s GDP is more than twice that of New Zealand, yet its GDP per capita is significantly lower. Argentina also faces greater income inequality and military spending is slightly higher, despite a smaller GDP percentage.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Argentina	New Zealand	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	46.23 million (32nd)	5.12 million (118th)	Argentina’s population is approximately 9 times larger than New Zealand’s.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	2.78 million sq. km (8th)	0.27 million sq. km (73rd)	Argentina is 10.3 times larger than New Zealand.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	631.13B USD (22nd)	248.10B USD (49th)	Argentina’s total GDP is approximately 2.54 times larger than New Zealand’s.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$13,651 (64th)	48,419 USD (25th)	Argentina’s GDP per capita is roughly 72% lower than New Zealand’s, with Argentinians producing about $34,768 less per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Argentina	New Zealand	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.849 (48th)	0.939 (16th)	Argentina’s HDI is 0.849 (high), while New Zealand’s is 0.939 (very high). New Zealand’s score is 0.090 higher, indicating significantly better human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	49.9 (132nd)	77.8 (5th)	Argentina’s Index of Economic Freedom is 35.9% lower than New Zealand’s, 27.9 points less.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	42 (2021 est.)	36.2 (1997)	With a 15.8% higher Gini coefficient, Argentina has a higher degree of income inequality than New Zealand.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Argentina	New Zealand
Total imports	92.57B USD	68.43B
Imports % of GDP	15.35%	29.56%
Main import partners	China 21%, Brazil 20%, US 14%, Germany 3%, Paraguay 2%	China 21%, Australia 14%, US 8%, South Korea 7%, Singapore 6%
Main import items	refined petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas, fertilizers, cars	refined petroleum, cars, plastic products, garments, trucks
Total exports	83.36B USD	59.04B
Exports % of GDP	16.30%	24.24%
Main export Partners	Brazil 15%, China 9%, US 8%, Chile 6%, India 5%	China 28%, Australia 11%, US 11%, Japan 6%, South Korea 4%
Main export items	soybean meal, corn, soybean oil, wheat, trucks	milk, beef, wood, sheep and goat meat, butter

Argentina imports 36% more than New Zealand, but New Zealand’s imports make up 14% more of its GDP than Argentina’s. Argentina’s exports are 1.4 times New Zealand’s, but they focus on grains and trucks, while New Zealand excels in dairy and meat.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Argentina	New Zealand
Military expenditure	3.1B USD	3.0B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	0.41%	1.18%
Active military	72k	9k
Active military per 1,000 capita	2.3	2.5

Argentina’s military expenditure is slightly higher at $3.12 billion, but it allocates only 0.41% of its GDP to defense, compared to New Zealand’s more substantial commitment of 1.18% despite its lower total spending of $3.03 billion.