ARCHIVE // NZ // 2022
New Zealand
2022 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 1,764,984 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
state-owned Television New Zealand operates multiple TV networks and 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 television and radio stations are available; cable and satellite TV systems are available, as are a range of streaming services (2019)
Internet country code
[time series]
.nz
Internet users
[time series]
total: 4,677,556 (2020 est.) percent of population: 92% (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
[time series]
general assessment: the principal growth areas in in New Zealand s telecom market have been in mobile broadband and fiber; the UFB1 rollout was completed in November 2019 and the UFB2 rollout is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022; Chorus noted that as of the beginning of 2022, 1Gb/s plans accounted for about 23% of all fiber connections, while 43% of business customers adopted a gigabit service; New Zealand s mobile market continues to undergo significant developments; there have been considerable gains made in LTE services, with effective competition between Spark, Vodafone NZ, and 2degrees; the widening coverage of LTE networks has been supported by the Rural Broadband Initiative rollout, which added a significant number of mobile sites to new or underserved areas; as the initiative is winding down, this has enabled the participating telcos to invest in NB-IoT and other platforms; Vodafone NZ expects to extend its NB-IoT footprint to cover at least 60% of the country by 2024; the market is undergoing additional consolidation, with approval of the merger between 2degrees and Orcon Group having been granted by regulators in May 2022; this will create the country s third-largest integrated telco, offering fixed and mobile services in competition with Spark and Vodafone NZ. The merger proposal came fast of the heels of Vocus Group and its local subsidiary Orcon having acquired 2degrees from Trilogy International in December 2021; this deal created a new company, Voyage Digital. (2020) domestic: fixed-line roughly 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership 127 per 100 persons (2020) international: country code - 64; landing points for the Southern Cross NEXT, Aqualink, Nelson-Levin, SCCN and Hawaiki submarine cable system providing links to Australia, Fiji, American Samoa, Kiribati, Samo, Tokelau, US and around New Zealand; satellite earth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 858,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 6.148 million (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127 (2020 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
milk, beef, kiwi fruit, apples, potatoes, mutton, grapes, wheat, barley, green onions/shallots
Budget
[time series]
revenues: 74.11 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 70.97 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
[time series]
1.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Credit ratings
[time series]
Fitch rating: AA (2011) Moody's rating: Aaa (2002) Standard & Poors rating: AA (2011) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Current account balance
[time series]
-$6.962 billion (2019 est.) -$8.742 billion (2018 est.)
Debt - external
[time series]
$190.621 billion (2019 est.) $192.327 billion (2018 est.)
Economic overview
[time series]
Over the past 40 years, the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy, dependent on concessionary British market access, to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes, but left behind some at the bottom of the ladder and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. Per capita income rose for 10 consecutive years until 2007 in purchasing power parity terms, but fell in 2008-09. Debt-driven consumer spending drove robust growth in the first half of the decade, fueling a large balance of payments deficit that posed a challenge for policymakers. Inflationary pressures caused the central bank to raise its key rate steadily from January 2004 until it was among the highest in the OECD in 2007 and 2008. The higher rate attracted international capital inflows, which strengthened the currency and housing market while aggravating the current account deficit. Rising house prices, especially in Auckland, have become a political issue in recent years, as well as a policy challenge in 2016 and 2017, as the ability to afford housing has declined for many. Expanding New Zealand s network of free trade agreements remains a top foreign policy priority. New Zealand was an early promoter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and was the second country to ratify the agreement in May 2017. Following the United States withdrawal from the TPP in January 2017, on 10 November 2017 the remaining 11 countries agreed on the core elements of a modified agreement, which they renamed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). In November 2016, New Zealand opened negotiations to upgrade its FTA with China; China is one of New Zealand s most important trading partners.
Exchange rates
[time series]
New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.41794 (2020 est.) 1.52334 (2019 est.) 1.45709 (2018 est.) 1.4279 (2014 est.) 1.2039 (2013 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$50.43 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $57.16 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $57.71 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - commodities
[time series]
dairy products, sheep/goat meats, lumber, beef products, fresh fruits (2019)
Exports - partners
[time series]
China 28%, Australia 14%, United States 9%, Japan 6% (2019)
Fiscal year
[time series]
1 April - 31 March note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$205.202 billion (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 57.2% (2017 est.) government consumption: 18.2% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 23.4% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 27% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -26.1% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 5.7% (2017 est.) industry: 21.5% (2017 est.) services: 72.8% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
36.2 (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports
[time series]
$47.86 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $57.75 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $58.39 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - commodities
[time series]
cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, delivery trucks, gas turbines (2019)
Imports - partners
[time series]
China 18%, Australia 15%, United States 9%, Japan 6%, Germany 5% (2019)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
1.8% (2017 est.)
Industries
[time series]
agriculture, forestry, fishing, logs and wood articles, manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, real estate services, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
1.6% (2019 est.) 1.5% (2018 est.) 1.8% (2017 est.)
Labor force
[time series]
2.709 million (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture: 6.6% industry: 20.7% services: 72.7% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
NA
Public debt
[time series]
31.7% of GDP (2017 est.) 33.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$215.6 billion (2020 est.) $213.5 billion (2019 est.) $210.07 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
2.22% (2019 est.) 3.22% (2018 est.) 3.8% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$42,400 (2020 est.) $42,900 (2019 est.) $42,900 (2018 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$20.68 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $17.81 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
36.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
4.13% (2019 est.) 4.32% (2018 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 10.5% male: 10.8% female: 10.2% (2021 est.)
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
40.344 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 5.139 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 25.76 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 9.445 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Coal
[time series]
production: 3.226 million metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 3.001 million metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 1.14 million metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 1.09 million metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 7.575 billion metric tons (2019 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 9.615 million kW (2020 est.) consumption: 41,169,838,000 kWh (2019 est.) exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.) imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 2,256,332,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 19.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 5.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 54.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 18.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
186.804 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Natural gas
[time series]
production: 4,771,126,000 cubic meters (2019 est.) consumption: 4,946,237,000 cubic meters (2019 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) proven reserves: 31.148 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Petroleum
[time series]
total petroleum production: 13,400 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 184,600 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 21,600 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 99,900 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 41 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports
[time series]
1,782 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports
[time series]
56,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production
[time series]
115,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants
[time series]
particulate matter emissions: 5.73 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 34.38 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 34.3 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
[time series]
temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Environment - current issues
[time series]
water quality and availability; rapid urbanization; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
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
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 43.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.1% (2018 est.) forest: 31.4% (2018 est.) other: 25.4% (2018 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
fresh water lake(s): Lake Taupo - 610 sq km
Revenue from coal
[time series]
coal revenues: 0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
[time series]
forest revenues: 0.5% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
327 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 810 million cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 1.184 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 3.207 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 87% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 3.405 million tons (2016 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 268,838 sq km land: 264,537 sq km water: 4,301 sq km note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Area - comparative
[time series]
almost twice the size of North Carolina; about the size of Colorado
Climate
[time series]
temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Coastline
[time series]
15,134 km
Elevation
[time series]
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 lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 388 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
41 00 S, 174 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
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, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire 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
Irrigated land
[time series]
7,000 sq km (2014)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 0 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 43.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.1% (2018 est.) forest: 31.4% (2018 est.) other: 25.4% (2018 est.)
Location
[time series]
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Major lakes (area sq km)
[time series]
fresh water lake(s): Lake Taupo - 610 sq km
Map references
[time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims
[time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Natural hazards
[time series]
earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity volcanism: significant volcanism on North Island; Ruapehu (2,797 m), which last erupted in 2007, 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"
Natural resources
[time series]
natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Population distribution
[time series]
over three-quarters of New Zealanders, including the indigenous Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas
Terrain
[time series]
predominately mountainous with large coastal plains
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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
Capital
[time series]
name: Wellington geographic coordinates: 41 18 S, 174 47 E 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 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) etymology: named in 1840 after Arthur WELLESLEY, the first Duke of Wellington and victorious general at the Battle of Waterloo
Citizenship
[time series]
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
[time series]
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 amendments: 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; amended many times, last in 2020
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ etymology: Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to reach New Zealand in 1642; he named it Staten Landt, but Dutch cartographers renamed it Nova Zeelandia in 1645 after the Dutch province of Zeeland; British explorer Captain James COOK subsequently anglicized the name to New Zealand when he mapped the islands in 1769
Dependent areas
[time series]
Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas Stewart UDALL (since 1 December 2021) note - also accredited to Samoa embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington 6011 mailing address: 4370 Auckland Place, Washington DC 20521-4370 telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000 FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490 email address and website: AucklandACS@state.gov https://nz.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Auckland
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Bede Gilbert CORRY (since 16 September 2022) chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5277 email address and website: wshinfo@mfat.govt.nz https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/americas/united-states-of-america/ consulate(s) general: Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York
Executive branch
[time series]
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 Jacinda ARDERN (since 26 October 2017); Deputy Prime Minister Grant ROBERTSON (since 2 November 2020) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor-general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor-general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor-general
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
Government type
[time series]
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Independence
[time series]
26 September 1907 (from the UK)
International law organization participation
[time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
[time series]
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, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices, including the chief justice); note - the Supreme Court in 2004 replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final appeals court 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 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
Legal system
[time series]
common law system, based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori
Legislative branch
[time series]
description: unicameral House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats for 2020-23 term); 72 members directly elected in 65 single-seat constituencies and 7 Maori constituencies by simple majority vote and 48 directly elected by closed party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms) elections: last held on 17 October 2020 (next scheduled for 2023) election results: percent of vote by party - Labor Party 49.1%, National Party 26.8%, ACT Party 8%, Green Party 6.3%, Maori Party 1%; seats by party - Labor Party 64, National Party 35, Green Party 10, ACT Party 10, Maori Party 1; composition - men 61, women 59, percent of women 49.2%
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "God Defend New Zealand" lyrics/music: Thomas BRACKEN [English], Thomas Henry SMITH [Maori]/John Joseph WOODS note: adopted 1940 as national song, adopted 1977 as co-national anthem; New Zealand has two national anthems with equal status; as a commonwealth realm, in addition to "God Defend New Zealand," "God Save the King" serves as a royal anthem (see United Kingdom); "God Save the King" normally played only when a member of the royal family or the governor-general is present; in all other cases, "God Defend New Zealand" is played
National heritage
[time series]
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)
National holiday
[time series]
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); Anzac Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
Southern Cross constellation (four, five-pointed stars), kiwi (bird), silver fern; national colors: black, white, red (ochre)
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
ACT New Zealand [David SEYMOUR] Green Party [Marama DAVIDSON] Mana Movement [Hone HARAWIRA] (formerly Mana Party) Maori Party [Debbie NGAREWA-PACKER and Rawiri WAITITI] New Zealand First Party or NZ First [Winston PETERS] New Zealand Labor Party [Jacinda ARDERN] New Zealand National Party [Christopher LUXON]
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
Polynesian settlers may have arrived in New Zealand in the late 1200s, with widespread settlement in 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. Competition for land and resources led to intermittent fighting between different Maori iwi (tribes) by the 1500s as large game became extinct. Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to see the islands in 1642 but after an encounter with local Maori, he sailed away. British captain James COOK was the next European to arrive in New Zealand 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 he had few legal powers. In 1835, some Maori iwi from the North Island declared independence as the United Tribes of New Zealand. Fearing an impending French settlement and takeover, they asked the British for protection. In 1840, the British negotiated their protection in the Treaty of Waitangi, which was eventually signed by more than 500 different Maori chiefs, although many chiefs did not or were not asked to sign. In the English-language version of the treaty, the British thought the Maori ceded their land to the UK, but translations of the treaty appeared to give the British less authority, and land tenure issues stemming from the treaty are still present and being actively negotiated in New Zealand. The UK declared New Zealand a separate colony in 1841 and gave it limited self-government in 1852. Different traditions of authority and land use led to a series of wars from the 1840s to the 1870s fought between Europeans and various Maori iwi. 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, signed the Australia, New Zealand, and US (ANZUS) Treaty, and militarily supported the US in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. 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. In recent years, New Zealand has explored reducing some of its ties to the UK. There in an active, minority movement about changing New Zealand to a republic, and in 2015-16, a referendum on changing the New Zealand flag to remove the Union Jack failed 57% to 43%.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
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 New Zealand 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; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments (2022)
Military and security forces
[time series]
New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2022)
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
approximately 9,500 active-duty troops (4,700 Army; 2,300 Navy; 2,500 Air Force) (2022)
Military deployments
[time series]
up to 220 Antarctica (summer season only) (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the NZDF is equipped mostly with imported weapons and equipment from Western suppliers; the US has been the leading provider since 2010 (2022)
Military expenditures
[time series]
1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.3% of GDP (2021) 1.5% of GDP (2020) 1.4% of GDP (2019) (approximately $3.1 billion) 1.2% of GDP (2018) (approximately $2.62 billion)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
17 years of age for men and women for voluntary military service; soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18; no conscription (2022) note 1: New Zealand opened up all military occupations to women in 2000; in 2019, women accounted for about 18% of the uniformed full-time personnel note 2: as of 2022, the NZDF s program for recruiting foreign volunteers had been suspended
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 19.63% (male 496,802/female 469,853) 15-24 years: 12.92% (male 328,327/female 308,132) 25-54 years: 39.98% (male 996,857/female 972,566) 55-64 years: 11.93% (male 285,989/female 301,692) 65 years and over: 15.54% (male 358,228/female 407,031) (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
[time series]
total: 9.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 3.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 2.88 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.)
Birth rate
[time series]
12.78 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
NA
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
79.9% (2014/15) note: percent of women aged 16-49
Current health expenditure
[time series]
9.7% of GDP (2019)
Death rate
[time series]
6.89 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 53.4 youth dependency ratio: 29 elderly dependency ratio: 24.4 potential support ratio: 4.1 (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
6% of GDP (2020 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
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.) note: based on the 2018 census of the usually resident population; percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic group
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
(2021 est.) <0.1%
Hospital bed density
[time series]
2.6 beds/1,000 population (2019)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 3.44 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Languages
[time series]
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.) note: shares sum to 124.1% due to multiple responses on the 2018 census
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 82.54 years male: 80.78 years female: 84.39 years (2022 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
1.673 million Auckland, 422,000 WELLINGTON (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
9 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 37.2 years male: 36.4 years female: 37.9 years (2020 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
[time series]
27.8 years
Nationality
[time series]
noun: New Zealander(s) adjective: New Zealand
Net migration rate
[time series]
5.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
30.8% (2016)
Physician density
(Physicians density)
[time series]
3.62 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Population
[time series]
5,053,004 (2022 est.)
Population distribution
[time series]
over three-quarters of New Zealanders, including the indigenous Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas
Population growth rate
[time series]
1.17% (2022 est.)
Religions
[time series]
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.) note: based on the 2018 census of the usually resident population; percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one religion
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2020)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 20 years male: 20 years female: 21 years (2020)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Tobacco use
[time series]
total: 13.7% (2020 est.) male: 15% (2020 est.) female: 12.3% (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.86 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 87% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 10.5% male: 10.8% female: 10.2% (2021 est.)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
[time series]
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
New Zealand-Antarctica : asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Illicit drugs
[time series]
significant consumer of amphetamines
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
total: 123 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 39 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 84 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 33 under 914 m: 48 (2021)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
ZK
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 115 by type: container ship 1, general cargo 12, oil tanker 4, other 98 (2021)
National air transport system
[time series]
number of registered air carriers: 15 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 199 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 17,249,049 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,349,300,000 (2018) mt-km
Pipelines
[time series]
331 km condensate, 2,500 km gas, 172 km liquid petroleum gas, 288 km oil, 198 km refined products (2018)
Ports
(Ports and terminals)
[time series]
major seaport(s): Auckland, Lyttelton, Manukau Harbor, Marsden Point, Tauranga, Wellington
Railways
[time series]
total: 4,128 km (2018) narrow gauge: 4,128 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified)
Roadways
[time series]
total: 94,000 km (2017) paved: 61,600 km (2017) (includes 199 km of expressways) unpaved: 32,400 km (2017)