National Identity
- Official name
- New Zealand
- Official name (in Māori)
- Aotearoa
- Name 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
Sources:- Constitution Act 1986 ↗ - New Zealand Legislation - Parliamentary Counsel Office
- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
As published by the Ministry for Culture & Heritage of New Zealand The New Zealand flag has a royal blue background with a Union Jack in the first quarter, and four five-pointed red stars with white borders on the fly.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Ministry for Culture & Heritage of New Zealand The New Zealand flag can be made to any size, with the length always twice the width, that is a ratio of 1:2.
As published in EnglishAs published by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage The New Zealand flag is the symbol of the realm, government and people of New Zealand. Its royal blue background is derived from the ensign of the Blue Squadron of the Royal Navy. The stars of the Southern Cross emphasise this country's location in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union Jack in the first quarter recognises New Zealand's historical origins as a British colony and dominion.
As published in EnglishAs published by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage The New Zealand flag hasn't always been our official flag. Although widely used since 1869, it was only formally adopted in 1902 amidst the pomp and patriotism of the South African War. For six decades before that, the Union Jack fluttered from New Zealand's flagpoles. But even that wasn't our first flag. Between 1834 and 1840, the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand was recognised as the first 'national' flag of these islands.
As published in EnglishAs published by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Initial ideas for the design of New Zealand's emblem included the seal of New Zealand and the words 'New Zealand', but both were found to be too difficult to work into the design of the Blue Ensign. The four stars of the Southern Cross were also proposed, but were rejected as not being exclusively representative of New Zealand. In 1867, the colonial government settled on the abbreviation ‘NZ’ in red lettering with a white border to represent New Zealand on the Blue Ensign. In 1869 this emblem was replaced by the earlier suggestion of the Southern Cross, made up of four red stars with white borders.
As published in EnglishAs published by the Ministry for Culture & Heritage of New Zealand The flag was designed in 1869 by Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham, KCB, a British explorer, author and officer in the Royal Navy.
As published in EnglishAs published by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage King Edward VII approved the Act on 24 March 1902 and the Governor's proclamation to this effect was published in the New Zealand Gazette on 12 June 1902.
As published in EnglishAs published by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage In 2016, for the first time, New Zealanders voted on their flag. The options were the current New Zealand flag and the Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue) design which had been selected from among five designs in a referendum in 2015. Nearly 57% of voters opted for the current flag.
As published in EnglishSources:- mch.govt.nz ↗ - the Ministry for Culture & Heritage of New Zealand
- nzhistory.govt.nz ↗ - the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage
- nzhistory.govt.nz ↗ - the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage
- National anthem
- God Defend New Zealand1:03
- Title (in English)
- God Defend New Zealand
- Title (in Māori)
- Aotearoa
- Lyrics
1God of Nations at Thy feet, In the bonds of love we meet, Hear our voices, we entreat, God defend our free land. Guard Pacific’s triple star From the shafts of strife and war, Make her praises heard afar, God defend New Zealand.
2Men of every creed and race, Gather here before Thy face, Asking Thee to bless this place, God defend our free land. From dissension, envy, hate, And corruption guard our State, Make our country good and great, God defend New Zealand.
3Peace, not war, shall be our boast, But, should foes assail our coast, Make us then a mighty host, God defend our free land. Lord of battles in Thy might, Put our enemies to flight, Let our cause be just and right, God defend New Zealand.
4Let our love for Thee increase, May Thy blessings never cease, Give us plenty, give us peace, God defend our free land. From dishonour and from shame, Guard our country’s spotless name, Crown her with immortal fame, God defend New Zealand.
5May our mountains ever be Freedoms ramparts on the sea, Make us faithful unto Thee, God defend our free land. Guide her in the nations’ van, Preaching love and truth to man, Working out Thy glorious plan, God defend New Zealand.
Source: - Citizens
- New Zealanders
- Official name:Constitution Act 1986 ↗ - New Zealand Legislation - Parliamentary Counsel Office
- Official name, Citizens:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Coat of arms:Image credit
- National flag:mch.govt.nz ↗ - the Ministry for Culture & Heritage of New Zealand
- National flag:nzhistory.govt.nz ↗ - the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage
- National flag:nzhistory.govt.nz ↗ - the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Location
- Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
- Total area
- 268,838 km²
- Land area
- 264,537 km²
- Water area
- 4,301 km²
- Land borders
- None
- Coastline
- 15,134 km
- Terrain
Predominately mountainous with large coastal plains - Mean elevation
- 388 m
- Highest point
- 3,724 mAoraki/Mount Cook
- Lowest point
- 0 mPacific Ocean
- Climate
Temperate with sharp regional contrasts - Avg. temperature
- 10.2 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 7.1 to 14.2 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 1,574 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 19.3 15 11.4 134 February 19.4 15.1 11.5 109 March 17.7 13.5 10 114 April 15 10.9 7.8 121 May 12.3 8.6 5.9 131 June 9.6 6.1 3.6 130 July 8.8 5.4 2.8 129 August 9.8 6.2 3.4 129 September 11.7 7.9 4.8 140 October 13.6 9.6 6.3 152 November 15.4 11.3 7.8 138 December 17.7 13.6 10.1 149 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable2.0%Perm. crops0.3%Pasture34.6%Forest38.6%Other24.5%
- Arable land
- 520,000 hectares (2.0%)
- Permanent crops
- 72,000 hectares (0.3%)
- Permanent meadows & pastures
- 9,119,000 hectares (34.6%)
- Forest
- 10,167,934 hectares (38.6%)
- Other land
- 6,452,066 hectares (24.5%)
Source: - Major lakes
- Lake Taupo610 km²
- Natural hazards2026
- Earthquakes6.1High#54/191Tsunamis5.4High#53/191Epidemics4.6Medium#107/191Coastal floods4.4Medium#77/191River floods3.7Medium#122/191Tropical cyclones1.8Very low#48/191Drought1.8Very low#133/191
Scores out of 10, ranks out of 191 countries.
Source:- INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Mean elevation, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate, Major lakes:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
- Natural hazards:INFORM Risk Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +0.68% per year+35,580 people/yearWorld Rank122ndof 237
- Birth rate
- 11.0 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 7.6 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +3.1 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 38.0 yearsWorld Rank86thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years17.6%15-64 years64.3%65 years +18.0%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 18.0%
- Share aged under 18
- 21.5%
- Total dependency ratio
- 55
- Youth dependency ratio
- 27
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 28
- Sex ratio
- 0.99 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 1.9% 2.5% 70-79 3.9% 4.3% 60-69 5.5% 5.9% 50-59 6.0% 6.3% 40-49 6.1% 6.2% 30-39 7.3% 7.1% 20-29 6.6% 6.3% 10-19 6.5% 6.2% 0-9 5.9% 5.6% - 2026
- 0.46 below the replacement level for New Zealand ()1.64 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank143rdof 237
- 0.79 daughters per woman0.21 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +3.4 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 3.4 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +3.1 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 84.1% live in cities4,445,389 urban residents
- Largest urban areas2025
- Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, HamiltonRankUrban AreaPopulation (2025 estimate)1Auckland1,547,2002Christchurch407,8003Wellington209,8004Hamilton192,1005Tauranga160,9006Lower Hutt113,2007Dunedin104,0008Palmerston North81,2009Hibiscus Coast67,80010Napier66,400Source:
- Statistics New Zealand (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Over three quarters of New Zealanders, including the Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas.
- Ethnic groups2018
- Respondents could pick more than one ethnic group, so shares sum past 100%.European64.1%Maori16.5%Chinese4.9%Indian4.7%Samoan3.9%Tongan1.8%Cook Islands Maori1.7%English1.5%Filipino1.5%New Zealander1.0%Other13.7%
Based on the 2018 census of the usually resident population.
Source:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Religions2018
- Respondents could pick more than one religion, so shares sum past 100%.Christian37.3%Hindu2.7%Maori1.3%Muslim1.3%Buddhist1.1%Other religion1.6%None48.6%Refused to answer6.7%
- 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%
Other religion includes Judaism, Spiritualism and New Age religions, Baha'i, Asian religions other than Buddhism.
Source:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Languages
- Māori (Te Reo Māori), English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Statistics New Zealand (2025 estimate), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyThe Sovereign in right of New Zealand is head of state, represented by a Governor-General appointed at pleasure; the Letters Patent name a Realm including the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency (Constitution Act 1986, s. 2; Letters Patent, cls. 1, 2).Sources:
- Constitution Act 1986 (NZ Public Act 1986 No 114), as at 13 November 2025 ↗, Constitution Act 1986, s. 2; Letters Patent, cls. 1, 2
- Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand (SR 1983/225), 28 October 1983, reprint as at 22 August 2006 ↗, Constitution Act 1986, s. 2; Letters Patent, cls. 1, 2
- Electoral Act 1993 (NZ Public Act 1993 No 87), as at 3 September 2007 ↗, Constitution Act 1986, s. 2; Letters Patent, cls. 1, 2
- System of government
- ParliamentaryNo enactment provides for the Prime Minister or confidence votes, which rest on convention; ministers must sit in the wholly elected House, and the Governor-General may dissolve Parliament, whose term is three years (Constitution Act 1986, ss. 6, 17, 18; Electoral Act 1993, s. 27).Sources:
- Constitution Act 1986 (NZ Public Act 1986 No 114), as at 13 November 2025 ↗, Constitution Act 1986, ss. 6, 17, 18; Electoral Act 1993, s. 27
- Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand (SR 1983/225), 28 October 1983, reprint as at 22 August 2006 ↗, Constitution Act 1986, ss. 6, 17, 18; Electoral Act 1993, s. 27
- Electoral Act 1993 (NZ Public Act 1993 No 87), as at 3 September 2007 ↗, Constitution Act 1986, ss. 6, 17, 18; Electoral Act 1993, s. 27
- Territorial organisation
- Unitary
- Official websites
- Capital
- Wellington209,800 people(2024)
- National holidays
- 13 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- FriJan 2Day after New Year's Day
- FriFeb 6Waitangi Day
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- SatApr 25Anzac Day
- MonApr 27Anzac Day (observed)
- MonJun 1King's Birthday
- FriJul 10Matariki
- MonOct 26Labour Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
- MonDec 28Boxing Day (observed)
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- NZSTNew Zealand TimeUTC+12 (UTC+13 in summer)
New Zealand spans multiple time zones, the capital's is shown here. All 2 time zones
- Currency
- New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +64
- Internet TLD
- .nz
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- NZ, NZL
- Infrastructure
- Passengers carried
- 15,033,155 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Heliports
- 62
- Aircraft departures
- 178,457 by the country's airlines(2023)
- Air freight
- 767.8 million tonne-km(2023)
- Aircraft registration prefix
- ZK
Sources:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Flag carrier
- Air New ZealandPartly state-owned
- Passenger rail
- KiwiRail (Great Journeys NZ)
- 2025
- 81 / 100World Rank4thof 182
Significant declinerDown 10 points since 2015, when it scored 91.
Confidence intervalCorruption index score by year Year Score Lower bound Upper bound 2012 90 87 94 2013 91 87 95 2014 91 87 95 2015 91 87 95 2016 90 86 94 2017 89 85 93 2018 87 83 91 2019 87 83.3 90.7 2020 88 85.6 90.4 2021 88 85.7 90.3 2022 87 84.7 89.3 2023 85 81.9 88.1 2024 83 80.1 85.9 2025 81 77.7 84.3 Source:- Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Constitution Act 1986 (NZ Public Act 1986 No 114), as at 13 November 2025 ↗ - Parliamentary Counsel Office (New Zealand)
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand (SR 1983/225), 28 October 1983, reprint as at 22 August 2006 ↗ - Parliamentary Counsel Office (New Zealand)
- Form of state, System of government, Territorial organisation:Electoral Act 1993 (NZ Public Act 1993 No 87), as at 3 September 2007 ↗ - Parliamentary Counsel Office (New Zealand)
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Corruption Perceptions Index:Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 ↗ - Transparency International, CC BY 4.0
Economy
- High income
- GDP growth (real)2026
- +2% per yearWorld Rank133rdof 195
- GDP per capita (PPP)2026
- GDP per capita (nominal)
- $51,043 (28th in the world)
Source:- 2023
- Services68.2% of GDPIndustry19.4% of GDPAgriculture4% of GDPManufacturing8.3%part of industry
- Households
- +57%
- Government
- +21.1%
- Investment
- +23.1%
- Exports
- +24.7%
- Imports
- −26%
The shape of the economyGDP by end useSource:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Inflation2026
- 4.1%up 1.2 percentage points1.2pp from 2025
- Labor force2024
- 3 million (58% of population)World Rank109thof 187
- Labor force participation2024
- 70.6% of people aged 15+
- Unemployment2024
- 4.7%
- Youth unemployment2024
- 14.0% ages 15 to 24
- Labor productivity2024
- $51.2 per hour worked at PPP
- Labor cost2023
- NZ$40.90 per hour$25.12 (USD), $27.58 (PPP)
- Budget balance2026
- 4.1% of GDP deficit
- Current account
- 3.4% of GDP, $9.3 billion deficit
Source: - Debt2024
- Central government debt51.2% of GDPHousehold debt90.3% of GDPCompany debt69.8% of GDPInterest on debt2.1% of GDP
- Trade2025
- Goods$47.2 billion70.8%
- Services$19.5 billion29.2%
- Total exports
- $66.7 billion
- Change from 2024
- up 7.3 percent on the previous year7.3%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- 2024
- +0.52World Rank49thof 145
- Projected GDP growth
- +1.2% a year over the next 10 years
Source:- Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products2024
- Kiwi fruit, Meat of sheep (fresh or chilled), Raw milk of cattle, and 6 more
- 1Kiwi fruit61.3×
- 2Meat of sheep (fresh or chilled)15.8×
- 3Raw milk of cattle11×
- 4Meat of cattle with the bone (fresh or chilled)4.3×
- 5Apples2.4×
- 6Grapes2.1×
- 7Barley1×
- 8Potatoes0.6×
- 9Wheat0.2×
ProductSource:- FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Industries
- agriculture, forestry, fishing, logs and wood articles, manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, real estate services, tourism
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- GDP (nominal), GDP growth (real), GDP per capita (PPP), Inflation, Budget balance:IMF World Economic Outlook ↗
- Labor force, Labor force participation, Unemployment, Youth unemployment, Labor productivity, Labor cost:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- Debt:IMF Global Debt Database ↗
- Debt:IMF Public Finances in Modern History ↗
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Economic Complexity Index:Atlas of Economic Complexity ↗ - Harvard Growth Lab
- Agricultural products:FAOSTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
Cost of Living
- Cost of living index
- Loading
- Monthly costs (excluding rent)
- Loading
- Rent
- Loading
- Buying an apartment
- Loading
- Average gross salary2022
- NZ$5,990 per month$3,798 (USD), $4,064 (PPP)
- Men
- NZ$6,840 per month($4,337)
- Women
- NZ$5,100 per month($3,234)
Source:- ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
- 2024
- NZ$4,010 per month, gross$2,427 (USD), $2,673 (PPP)
- Average gross salary, Minimum wage:ILOSTAT ↗ - International Labour Organization
Society
- 2023
- 0.938Very highWorld Rank17thof 193New ZealandWorld
Human Development Index by year Year New Zealand World 1990 0.811 0.608 1991 0.813 0.611 1992 0.822 0.614 1993 0.838 0.617 1994 0.852 0.620 1995 0.858 0.625 1996 0.862 0.631 1997 0.871 0.636 1998 0.881 0.641 1999 0.886 0.646 2000 0.896 0.651 2001 0.902 0.657 2002 0.905 0.662 2003 0.910 0.669 2004 0.912 0.675 2005 0.917 0.681 2006 0.918 0.688 2007 0.921 0.694 2008 0.920 0.698 2009 0.923 0.701 2010 0.926 0.707 2011 0.927 0.713 2012 0.929 0.717 2013 0.933 0.721 2014 0.932 0.726 2015 0.934 0.731 2016 0.938 0.735 2017 0.936 0.739 2018 0.938 0.741 2019 0.938 0.745 2020 0.940 0.742 2021 0.939 0.742 2022 0.933 0.752 2023 0.938 0.756 Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Mean years of schooling2023
- 12.9 years
- Expected for a child today
- 19.3 years
Source:- Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Education expenditure2023
- 5.2% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 12.7%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users2024
- 93.5% of the population
- Households with Internet access
- 97.3%
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Mobile subscriptions2024
- 6.8 million
- Fixed telephone lines
- 564,000
- Fixed broadband
- 38 subscriptions per 100 people
Counts subscriptions, not people.
Source:- ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership2021
- 57% of adults
- Debit-card ownership
- 96%
- Account at a bank or mobile-money provider
- 99%
- Made or received a digital payment
- 98%
Source:- Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 2,051 people
- Asylum seekers
- 4,119
- Stateless persons
- 29
- Internally displaced persons
- 19All due to disasters
- Refugees from New Zealand abroad
- 54
Sources:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists2024
- Official tourism site3.2 million arrivalsdown 14% against 201914% below 2019World Rank55thof 139
- Per resident
- 6.1 arrivals per 10 residents
- Same-day visitors
- 137,963 arrivals
- $9.6 billion
- Spending per arrival
- $3,013
- 4.4% tourism direct GDP
- Domestic trips
- 16.6 million overnight trips by residents(2012, latest available)
- Residents' trips abroad
- 1.6 million overnight trips(2022)
- $4.5 billion
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2024A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- 3 sites2 natural1 mixed
Site Type Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand Natural Tongariro National Park Mixed New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands Natural Source:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Human Development Index, Mean years of schooling:Human Development Report ↗ - United Nations Development Programme
- Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Internet users, Mobile subscriptions:ITU DataHub ↗ - International Telecommunication Union
- Credit-card ownership:Global Findex Database ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Refugees hosted:Global Internal Displacement Database ↗ - Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Active humanitarian crisisAug 2026
- None - no active crisis
- Homicide rate2022
- Low by global standards1.5 per 100,000 peopleWorld Rank68thof 115
- Crime rates
- 7 offence categories
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 1.5 75 2022 Serious assault 1,068.8 55,286 2023 Sexual violence 117.2 6,065 2023 Kidnapping 8.1 420 2023 Burglary 1,148.0 58,201 2020 Theft 2,645.9 134,146 2020 Vehicle theft 952.4 48,285 2020 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Prison population2022
- 155.2 per 100,000 people
- Persons held
- 7,964
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Active humanitarian crisis:INFORM Severity Index ↗ - European Commission Joint Research Centre
- Homicide rate, Crime rates, Prison population:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 82.5 years
- Health expenditure2024
- 10.1% of GDP$5,022 per person
- Physicians2022
- 3.61 per 1,000 population
- Hospital beds2023
- 2.5 per 1,000 population
- Infant mortality2026
- 3.5 per 1,000 live births
- Maternal mortality2023
- 7 per 100,000 live births
- Alcohol consumption2022
- 9.2 litres of pure alcohol per adult per year
- Tobacco use2023
- 9.8% of adults
- Men
- 10.8%
- Women
- 8.8%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending2023
- 4.7% of household spendingWorld Rank21stof 105
- World median
- 3.1%
Source:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Road traffic deaths2019
- 9.6 per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Health expenditure, Physicians, Hospital beds, Road traffic deaths:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Maternal mortality:Maternal mortality estimates ↗ - UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-agency Group
- Alcohol consumption, Tobacco use:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- Alcohol and Tobacco Spending:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 31.8 Mt per yearup 0.1 percent on the previous year0.1% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 6.4 t per personWorld Rank43rdof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- 0.08%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 34.4 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 10 Mt CO₂-eq
- Fluorinated gases
- 1.59 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 77.8 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 4 µg/m³ of PM2.5Most polluted189thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
- National standard
- 10 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- water quality and availability
- rapid urbanization
- deforestation
- soil erosion and degradation
- native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species
Source:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- International agreements
- 17 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 109 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement in force 2016 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in force 1994 Kyoto Protocol in force 2005 Ozone layer Montreal Protocol in force 1989 Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) in force 1988 Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity in force 1993 CITES in force 1989 Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) in force 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in force 2005 Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in force 1976 World Heritage Convention in force 1985 UN Convention to Combat Desertification in force 2000 Chemicals and waste Basel Convention in force 1995 Rotterdam Convention (PIC) in force 2004 Stockholm Convention (POPs) in force 2004 Minamata Convention on Mercury signed 2013, not ratified Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in force 1996 High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) signed 2023, not ratified MARPOL 73/78 in force 1998 Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- No access to safe drinking water2022
- 0% of the population
- Renewable water2022
- 327 billion m³ per year
- Per person
- 63,721 m³ per year
- Dependency ratio
- 0% originates outside the country
- Annual water withdrawal
- 4.9 billion m³ per year
- Withdrawn for agriculture
- 65%
- Water stress
- 8% of available freshwater withdrawn
Source:- AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity2024
- 34% of adults
- Men
- 32.3%
- Women
- 35.7%
Source:- Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
- No access to safe drinking water, Renewable water:AQUASTAT ↗ - Food and Agriculture Organization
- Obesity:Global Health Observatory ↗ - World Health Organization
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 126 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- 0.10%
- Supply
- Deficitproduces 53% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- No electricity trade44 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 44 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 41 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- Deficitproduces 12% of what it consumes, 2025Oil reserves202545.4 million barrelsWorld Rank76thof 99
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal:Worldwide Oil and Gas Survey ↗ - Oil & Gas Journal
Defense
- Military expenditure2024
- 1.2% of GDP$3 billion, 2.8% of government spending
- Military personnel2025
- approximately 8,800active (Regular Force) New Zealand Defense Forces
- Army
- 4,300
- Navy
- 2,100
- Air Force
- 2,400
The total NZDF complement is about 15,300 including the Regular Force, Reserves, and civilians.
Source:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Military service2025
- Voluntaryno conscription; men and women 17+, soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18
New Zealand opened up all military occupations to women in 2000; as of 2024, women accounted for about 20% of Regular Force personnel.
Source:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Space program2025
- New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA; established 2016 under the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment)
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
- Launch sites
- Mahia Peninsula Launch Complex (Hawke's Bay)
- 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
Key milestones
Source:- The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Nuclear weapons2026
- None - no nuclear arsenal
- Military expenditure:SIPRI Military Expenditure Database ↗ - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
- Military expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Military personnel, Military service, Space program:The World Factbook: New Zealand - CIA
- Nuclear weapons:Status of World Nuclear Forces ↗ - Federation of American Scientists
