New Zealand have a high standard of living. New Zealanders eat more butter and meat per person than do the people of any other country. The government's medical program provides excellent health care. About 70% of New Zealand people own their houses. Almost every family has a car.
Most New Zealanders live in single family houses with a small vegetable gardens. In the larger cities, some people live in high-rise apartment buildings. Almost in every New Zealand home there are refrigerators, wash machines, and other modern electrical appliances. But air conditioning and central heating are rare because the weather rarely becomes extremely hot or extremely cold. In summer, New Zealanders prefer to keep windows open. In winter, fireplaces or electric heater keep the homes warm.
Although about four fifths of New Zealand's population live in urban areas, cities are uncrowded. Traffic jams seldom occur, even in downtown areas. Large cities have excellent restaurants, milk bars, theatres, concert halls, and other places of entertainment. City life in New Zealand tends to be rather quiet. However it changing in larger cities, where international tourism is developing rapidly.
Near a fifth of New Zealand's people live in rural areas -in some of them, small settlements are linked by good roads. But in other areas, rancher's nearest neighbours may live kilometers away. Some ranchers live almost in isolation. Nevertheless, most farms and ranches have electricity. Many farm ilies run their farms with little or no hired help.