New Zealand
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
New Zealand⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Polynesians settled New Zealand between the late 1200s and the mid-1300s. They called the land Aotearoa, which legend holds is the name of the canoe that Kupe, the first Polynesian in New Zealand, used to sail to the country; the name Aotearoa is now in widespread use as the local Maori name for the country. By the 1500s, competition for land and resources led to intermittent fighting between different Maori tribes as large game became extinct. Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to see the islands in 1642 but left after an encounter with local Maori. British sea captain James COOK arrived in 1769, followed by whalers, sealers, and traders. The UK only nominally claimed New Zealand and included it as part of New South Wales in Australia. Concerns about increasing lawlessness led the UK to appoint its first British Resident in New Zealand in 1832, although the position had few legal powers. In 1835, some Maori tribes from the North Island declared independence. Fearing an impending French settlement and takeover, the majority of Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the British in 1840. Land tenure issues stemming from the treaty are still being actively negotiated in New Zealand.
The UK declared New Zealand a separate colony in 1841 and granted limited self-government in 1852. Different traditions of authority and land use led to a series of wars between Europeans and various Maori tribes from the 1840s to the 1870s. Along with disease, these conflicts halved the Maori population. In the 1890s, New Zealand initially expressed interest in joining independence talks with Australia but ultimately opted against it and changed its status to an independent dominion in 1907. New Zealand provided more than 100,000 troops during each World War, many of whom fought as part of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). New Zealand reaffirmed its independence in 1947 and signed the Australia, New Zealand, and US (ANZUS) Treaty in 1951.
Beginning in 1984, New Zealand began to adopt nuclear-free policies, contributing to a dispute with the US over naval ship visits that led the US to suspend its defense obligations to New Zealand in 1986, but bilateral relations and military ties have been revitalized since the 2010s with new security agreements. A key challenge for Auckland that has emerged over the past decade is balancing concerns over China’s growing influence in the Pacific region with its role as New Zealand's largest export destination. New Zealand has close ties with Australia based to a large extent on the two nations’ common origins as British colonies and their shared military history.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 264,537 sq km
- Note
- note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
- Water
- 4,301 sq km
- Total
- 268,838 sq km
- Climate
- temperate with sharp regional contrasts
- Terrain
- predominately mountainous with large coastal plains
Land Use
- Other
- 24.5% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 38.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 36.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 34.6% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
- Coastline
- 15,134 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Pacific Ocean 0 m
- Highest point
- Aoraki/Mount Cook 3,724 m; note - the mountain's height was 3,764 m until 14 December 1991 when it lost about 10 m in an avalanche of rock and ice; erosion of the ice cap since then has brought the height down another 30 m
- Mean elevation
- 388 m
- Irrigated land
- 7,000 sq km (2014)
- Map references
- Oceania
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 24 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
volcanism: significant volcanism on North Island; Ruapehu (2,797 m) has a history of large eruptions in the past century; Taranaki has the potential to produce dangerous avalanches and lahars; other historically active volcanoes include Okataina, Raoul Island, Tongariro, and White Island; see note 2 under "Geography - note" - Geography note
- note 1: consists of two main islands and a number of smaller islands; South Island, the larger main island, is the 12th-largest island in the world and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps; North Island is the 14th-largest island in the world and is not as mountainous, but it is marked by volcanism
note 2: New Zealand lies along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes
note 3: almost 90% of the population lives in cities and over three-quarters on North Island; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world - Natural resources
- natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
- Area comparative
- almost twice the size of North Carolina; about the size of Colorado
- Geographic coordinates
- 41 00 S, 174 00 E
- Population distribution
- over three quarters of New Zealanders, including the Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Fresh water lake(s)
- Lake Taupo - 610 sq km
People & Society
- Languages
- English (de facto official) 95.4%, Maori (de jure official) 4%, Samoan 2.2%, Northern Chinese 2%, Hindi 1.5%, French 1.2%, Yue 1.1%, New Zealand Sign Language (de jure official) 0.5%, other or not stated 17.2% (2018 est.)
- Religions
- Christian 37.3% (Catholic 10.1%, Anglican 6.8%, Presbyterian and Congregational 5.2%, Pentecostal 1.8%, Methodist 1.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.2%, other 10.7%), Hindu 2.7%, Maori 1.3%, Muslim, 1.3%, Buddhist 1.1%, other religion 1.6% (includes Judaism, Spiritualism and New Age religions, Baha'i, Asian religions other than Buddhism), no religion 48.6%, objected to answering 6.7% (2018 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.88 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 12.4 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 6.93 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 37.2 years
- Total
- 38.1 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 38.6 years
Population
- Male
- 2,584,607
- Total
- 5,161,211 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 2,576,604
Nationality
- Noun
- New Zealander(s)
- Adjective
- New Zealand
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 11.2% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 10% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 8.9% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 87% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 19% (male 503,120/female 475,490)
- 15 64 years
- 64.2% (male 1,674,407/female 1,638,276)
- 65 years and over
- 16.9% (2024 est.) (male 407,080/female 462,838)
- Ethnic groups
- European 64.1%, Maori 16.5%, Chinese 4.9%, Indian 4.7%, Samoan 3.9%, Tongan 1.8%, Cook Islands Maori 1.7%, English 1.5%, Filipino 1.5%, New Zealander 1%, other 13.7% (2018 est.)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 55.8 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 29.5 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 3.8 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 26.3 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 3.61 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 10% of GDP (2021)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 19.8% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 2.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 2.7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.84 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 5.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 12.7% national budget (2023 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.83% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.9 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- over three quarters of New Zealanders, including the Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 81.2 years
- Female
- 84.8 years
- Total population
- 82.9 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 7 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 3.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 9.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 1.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 1.673 million Auckland, 422,000 WELLINGTON (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 30.8% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 27.8 years
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 57.7% (2018 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 19 years (2023 est.)
- Total
- 19 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 20 years (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant, with four five-pointed red stars edged in white centered in the right half of the flag
meaning: the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
Capital
- Name
- Wellington
- Etymology
- named in 1840 after Arthur WELLESLEY, the first Duke of Wellington, who was famous for his victory at Waterloo in 1815 and was a benefactor of the New Zealand Company that settled North Island
- Time zone note
- New Zealand has two time zones: New Zealand standard time (UTC+12) and Chatham Islands time (45 minutes in advance of New Zealand standard time; UTC+12:45)
- Time difference
- UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April
- Geographic coordinates
- 41 18 S, 174 47 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of New Zealand
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 3 years
Constitution
- History
- New Zealand has no single constitution document; the Constitution Act 1986, effective 1 January 1987, includes only part of the uncodified constitution; others include a collection of statutes or "acts of Parliament," the Treaty of Waitangi, Orders in Council, letters patent, court decisions, and unwritten conventions
- Amendment process
- proposed as bill by Parliament or by referendum called either by the government or by citizens; passage of a bill as an act normally requires two separate readings with committee reviews in between to make changes and corrections, a third reading approved by the House of Representatives membership or by the majority of votes in a referendum, and assent of the governor-general; passage of amendments to reserved constitutional provisions affecting the term of Parliament, electoral districts, and voting restrictions requires approval by 75% of the House membership or the majority of votes in a referendum
Country Name
- Former
- Nieuw Zeeland
- Etymology
- the name is an anglicized form of the Dutch name Nieuw Zeeland, or "New Sea Land," which was first used in 1643 in honor of the Dutch province of Zeeland
- Abbreviation
- NZ
- Conventional long form
- none
- Conventional short form
- New Zealand
- Independence
- 26 September 1907 (from the UK)
- Legal system
- common law system, based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori
- Dependent areas
- Tokelau (1)
- Government type
- parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices, including the chief justice)
- Subordinate courts
- Court of Appeal; High Court; tribunals and authorities; district courts; specialized courts for issues related to employment, environment, family, Maori lands, youth, military; tribunals
- Judge selection and term of office
- justices appointed by the governor-general upon the recommendation of the attorney- general; justices appointed until compulsory retirement at age 70
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Executive Council appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the prime minister
- Chief of state
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor-General Dame Cindy KIRO (since 21 October 2021)
- Head of government
- Prime Minister Christopher LUXON (since 27 November 2023)
- Election/appointment process
- the monarchy is hereditary; governor-general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the governor-general appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister; deputy prime minister also appointed by the governor-general
- National holiday
- Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840); Anzac Day, 25 April (1915)
- National color(s)
- black, white, red (ochre)
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 3 (2 natural, 1 mixed)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand (n); Tongariro National Park (m); New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands (n)
- Political parties
- ACT New Zealand
Green Party
New Zealand First Party or NZ First
Labor Party
National Party
Te Pāti Māori
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 3 years
- Number of seats
- 120 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- mixed system
- Legislature name
- House of Representatives
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 10/14/2023
- Expected date of next election
- September 2026
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 45.1%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- National Party (49); Labour Party (34); Green Party (14); ACT New Zealand (11); New Zealand First (8); Te Pāti Māori (4); Others (2)
National Anthem(s)
- Note
- note: New Zealand is one of only two countries that has two national anthems of equal status (Denmark is the other)
- Title
- "God Save the King"
- History
- royal anthem and one of two official national anthems; usually played only when a member of the royal family or a representative is present or when allegiance to the crown is demonstrated
- Lyrics/music
- unknown
- National symbol(s)
- Southern Cross constellation (four five-pointed stars), kiwi (bird), silver fern
- National coat of arms
- the first quarter of the shield shows four stars that represent the Southern Cross constellation and three ships that symbolize New Zealand's sea trade; in the second quarter, a fleece represents the sheep farming industry; the wheat sheaf in the third quarter represents the agricultural industry; the crossed hammers in the fourth quarter represent mining; the Māori chieftain holds a taiaha (a Māori war weapon) and a European woman holds the New Zealand flag; St. Edward's crown, shown above the shield, symbolizes the British monarch
- Administrative divisions
- 16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 667-5277
- Chancery
- 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 328-4800
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Rosemary BANKS (since 17 June 2024)
- Consulate(s) general
- Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York
- Email address and website
wshinfo@mfat.govt.nz
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/americas/united-states-of-america/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [64] (4) 499-0490
- Embassy
- 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington 6011
- Telephone
- [64] (4) 462-6000
- Mailing address
- 4370 Auckland Place, Washington DC 20521-4370
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires David GEHRENBECK (since January 2025); note - also accredited to Samoa
- Consulate(s) general
- Auckland
- Email address and website
AucklandACS@state.gov
https://nz.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
NEW ZEALAND · LEGISLATURE
House of Representatives
120 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
120
Majority line
61
Largest party
National Party
Parties
6
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Charles III
- Head of State
Christopher Luxon
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $83.167 billion (2022 est.)
- Expenditures
- $91.782 billion (2022 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $64.5B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $57.485 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $59.029 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $61.799 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $68.7B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $71.35 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $68.412 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $67.998 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- agriculture, forestry, fishing, logs and wood articles, manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, real estate services, tourism
- Labor force
- 3.124 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 52.2%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2022
- 54% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2021
- 0.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Remittances 2022
- 0.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 0.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 1.542 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 1.414 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 1.577 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 1.628 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 1.652 (2024 est.)
- Economic overview
- high-income, globally integrated Pacific island economy; strong agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism sectors; reliant on Chinese market for exports; recovery trajectory following deep post-pandemic recession; challenges of fiscal deficits, below-average productivity, cost of living, and drop in net migration
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 5.1%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 3.3% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 3.8% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 4.9% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- China 28%, USA 12%, Australia 12%, Japan 6%, S. Korea 3% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 20%, Australia 11%, USA 9%, S. Korea 7%, Japan 7% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $55,551
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $49,600 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $49,100 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $48,200 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.3%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 3.5% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 1.4% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- -0.1% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- milk, beef, kiwifruit, apples, grapes, lamb/mutton, potatoes, wheat, barley, chicken (2023)
- Exports commodities
- milk, wood, beef, butter, sheep and goat meat (2023)
- Imports commodities
- refined petroleum, cars, gas turbines, broadcasting equipment, trucks (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$12.1B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$21.627 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$17.065 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- -$15.978 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 29.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $260.236 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 57.5% (2022 est.)
- Government consumption
- 20.9% (2022 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 0.9% (2022 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 25.4% (2022 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 24% (2022 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -29.4% (2022 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 12.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 4.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.9%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 7.2% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 5.7% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 2.9% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $257.117 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $253.903 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $257.443 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $257.117 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 14.6% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 14.3% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 14% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $14.4 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $15.487 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $22.065 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 19.6% (2022 est.)
- Services
- 67.4% (2022 est.)
- Agriculture
- 4.6% (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 906,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 283,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 3.011 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 2.696 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 6.75 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 12,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 40.993 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 154,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Electricity
- Consumption
- 40.794 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 10.643 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 3.058 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Production
- 3.97 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 3.891 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 31.149 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 121.647 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Geothermal
- 17.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 12.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 59.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 1.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 96% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- state-owned Television New Zealand operates multiple TV networks; state-owned Radio New Zealand operates 3 radio networks and an external shortwave radio service to the South Pacific region; a small number of national commercial TV and radio stations and many regional commercial TV and radio stations are available; cable and satellite TV systems are available (2019)
- Internet country code
- .nz
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 660,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 13 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 6.56 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 115 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 1.93 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 37 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 2
- Small
- 10
- Medium
- 1
- Key ports
- Auckland, Bluff Harbor, Gisborne, Manukau Harbor, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Otago Harbor, Picton, Tauranga, Timaru, Wellington, Whangarei
- Very small
- 9
- Total ports
- 22 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 14
- Airports
- 206 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 4,128 km (2018)
- Narrow gauge
- 4,128 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified)
- Heliports
- 62 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 117 (2023)
- BY type
- container ship 2, general cargo 12, oil tanker 3, other 100
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- ZK
Environment
- Climate
- temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Land Use
- Other
- 24.5% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 38.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 36.9% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 34.6% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 87% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 6.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 158.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 95.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 1,105.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 3.405 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 22% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- water quality and availability; rapid urbanization; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 547 million cubic meters (2022)
- Industrial
- 1.184 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 3.207 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 33.506 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 7.43 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 4.24 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 21.836 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 8.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 327 billion cubic meters (2022)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- Signed, but not ratified
- Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation
Military & Security
- Military note
- the NZDF is responsible for protecting New Zealand’s sovereignty, promoting its interests, safeguarding peace and security, and conducting peacekeeping, humanitarian, and other international missions
New Zealand is a member of the Five Powers Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; the FPDA commits the members to consult with one another in the event or threat of an armed attack on any of the members and to mutually decide what measures should be taken, jointly or separately; there is no specific obligation to intervene militarily
New Zealand has been part of the Australia, New Zealand, and US Security (ANZUS) Treaty since 1951; however, the US suspended its ANZUS security obligations to New Zealand in 1986 after Auckland implemented a policy barring nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered warships from its ports; the US and New Zealand signed the Wellington Declaration in 2010, which reaffirmed close ties between the two countries, and in 2012 signed the Washington Declaration, which provided a framework for future security cooperation and defense dialogues; in 2016, a US naval ship conducted the first bilateral warship visit to New Zealand since the 1980s; New Zealand has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation (2025) - Military deployments
- small numbers of NZ military personnel are deployed on a variety of international missions in Africa, Antarctica, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.2%
- Military expenditures 2020
- 1.5% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2025)
- Military service age and obligation
- 17 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the NZDF's inventory is comprised of domestically produced and Western-supplied weapons and equipment, including from Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 8,800 active (Regular Force) New Zealand Defense Forces (4,300 Army; 2,100 Navy; 2,400 Air Force) (2025)
Terrorism
- Terrorist group(s)
- Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Space
- Space launch site(s)
- Mahia Peninsula Launch Complex (Hawke's Bay) (2025)
- Space agency/agencies
- New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA; established 2016 under the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment) (2025)
- Space program overview
- has a national space program focused largely on the development of a commercial space sector, particularly in the field of satellites and satellite launch vehicles (SLV); manufactures and launches commercial satellites and SLVs; researches and develops a range of other space-related technologies, including propulsion systems; participates in international programs and partners with a range of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Australia, Canada, the EU, the ESA, individual European countries, South Africa, and the US; has a growing commercial space sector (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 2009 - launched a 2-stage suborbital sounding rocket (Atea-1)
2018 - placed satellite in orbit on rocket built by a New Zealand-US commercial company and launched from a privately owned domestic launch site
2019 - began operations of the Kiwi Space Radar, which is designed to track debris in low Earth orbit
2021 - signed the US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration
2024 - first domestically made science payload sent to International Space Station on US rocket
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 26 (2024 est.)
- Refugees
- 5,622 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 29 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index86.0 / 100as of 2024-Q46 / 190−2.02024-Q4
Civica Pulse−1.9as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.81as of 2024-Q48 / 170−0.032024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—−1.02024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Free press (73/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.939as of 2022—2022
Corruption Perceptions Index85 / 100as of 20233 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — New Zealand — vintage 2026-Q1: New Zealand factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/new-zealand
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata