New Zealand Demographics

Population of New Zealand (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of New Zealand

New Zealand Population
5,287,479
see live
Yearly Change
+0.68%
Global Share
0.06%
Global Rank
126

Median Age

The median age in New Zealand is 38.0 years (2026).

Fertility in New Zealand

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.64
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in New Zealand

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
82.5
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
84.1
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
80.9
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in New Zealand


Infant Mortality
3.5
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
4.4
(per 1,000 live births)


New Zealand Urban Population

Currently, 84.1% of the population of New Zealand is urban (4,445,389 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in New Zealand is 20 people per km² (52 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 264,537 km² (102,138 sq. miles).

Largest Urban Areas in New Zealand

The 30 largest of 132 urban areas, ranked by population estimates for June 30, 2025 (by Statistics New Zealand). An urban area is a continuous built-up area, which can span several municipalities.

RankUrban AreaPopulation
1Auckland1,547,200
2Christchurch407,800
3Wellington209,800
4Hamilton192,100
5Tauranga160,900
6Lower Hutt113,200
7Dunedin104,000
8Palmerston North81,200
9Hibiscus Coast67,800
10Napier66,400
11New Plymouth60,200
12Porirua60,100
13Rotorua58,500
14Whangārei56,100
15Invercargill51,200
16Nelson50,800
17Hastings49,800
18Upper Hutt44,500
19Whanganui42,800
20Gisborne38,100
21Rolleston34,100
22ParaparaumuKapiti29,900
23Blenheim29,800
24Timaru29,300
25Queenstownincl. Lake Hayes Estate29,000
26Pukekohe28,800
27Taupō27,000
28Cambridge22,700
29Masterton22,600
30Ashburton21,600
See all 132 urban areas in New Zealand

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.