2022 Edition

Background

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%.

Area

land

264,537 sq km

note

note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

total

268,838 sq km

water

4,301 sq km

Area - comparative

almost twice the size of North Carolina; about the size of Colorado

Climate

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Coastline

15,134 km

Elevation

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

41 00 S, 174 00 E

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, 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

7,000 sq km (2014)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

43.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.1% (2018 est.)

forest

31.4% (2018 est.)

other

25.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Taupo - 610 sq km

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activityvolcanism: 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

natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone

Population distribution

over three-quarters of New Zealanders, including the indigenous Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas

Terrain

predominately mountainous with large coastal plains

Age structure

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

beer

3.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

9.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

2.88 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

12.78 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

79.9% (2014/15)

note

note: percent of women aged 16-49

Current health expenditure

9.7% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

6.89 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

24.4

potential support ratio

4.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.4

youth dependency ratio

29

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

6% of GDP (2020 est.)

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.)

note

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

(2021 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.6 beds/1,000 population (2019)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

3.64 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.44 deaths/1,000 live births

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.)

note

note: shares sum to 124.1% due to multiple responses on the 2018 census

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.39 years (2022 est.)

male

80.78 years

total population

82.54 years

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

1.673 million Auckland, 422,000 WELLINGTON (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

9 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

37.9 years (2020 est.)

male

36.4 years

total

37.2 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.8 years

Nationality

adjective

New Zealand

noun

New Zealander(s)

Net migration rate

5.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

30.8% (2016)

Physicians density

3.62 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

5,053,004 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

over three-quarters of New Zealanders, including the indigenous Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas

Population growth rate

1.17% (2022 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.)

note

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

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

21 years (2020)

male

20 years

total

20 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

12.3% (2020 est.)

male

15% (2020 est.)

total

13.7% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.86 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

87% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

10.2% (2021 est.)

male

10.8%

total

10.5%

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

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in September; ends first Sunday in April

etymology

named in 1840 after Arthur WELLESLEY, the first Duke of Wellington and victorious general at the Battle of Waterloo

geographic coordinates

41 18 S, 174 47 E

name

Wellington

time difference

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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)

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

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

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

Country name

abbreviation

NZ

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

New Zealand

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

Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Thomas Stewart UDALL (since 1 December 2021) note - also accredited to Samoa

consulate(s) general

Auckland

email address and website

AucklandACS@state.govhttps://nz.usembassy.gov/

embassy

29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington 6011

FAX

[64] (4) 499-0490

mailing address

4370 Auckland Place, Washington DC  20521-4370

telephone

[64] (4) 462-6000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Bede Gilbert CORRY (since 16 September 2022)

consulate(s) general

Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

wshinfo@mfat.govt.nzhttps://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/americas/united-states-of-america/

FAX

[1] (202) 667-5277

telephone

[1] (202) 328-4800

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)

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

head of government

Prime Minister Jacinda ARDERN (since 26 October 2017); Deputy Prime Minister Grant ROBERTSON (since 2 November 2020)

Flag description

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

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

26 September 1907 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

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

common law system, based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori

Legislative branch

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)

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%

elections

last held on 17 October 2020 (next scheduled for 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Thomas BRACKEN [English], Thomas Henry SMITH [Maori]/John Joseph WOODS

name

"God Defend New Zealand"

note

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

selected World Heritage Site locales

Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand (n); Tongariro National Park (m); New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands (n)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 natural, 1 mixed)

National holiday

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)

Southern Cross constellation (four, five-pointed stars), kiwi (bird), silver fern; national colors: black, white, red (ochre)

Political parties and leaders

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

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, beef, kiwi fruit, apples, potatoes, mutton, grapes, wheat, barley, green onions/shallots

Budget

expenditures

70.97 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

74.11 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA (2011)

Moody's rating

Aaa (2002)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA (2011)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

-$8.742 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

-$6.962 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$192.327 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$190.621 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

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

Currency

New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

1.2039 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1.4279 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

1.45709 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

1.52334 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1.41794 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$57.71 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2019

$57.16 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$50.43 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

dairy products, sheep/goat meats, lumber, beef products, fresh fruits (2019)

Exports - partners

China 28%, Australia 14%, United States 9%, Japan 6% (2019)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

note

note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

27% (2017 est.)

government consumption

18.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

57.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-26.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.3% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

5.7% (2017 est.)

industry

21.5% (2017 est.)

services

72.8% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$205.202 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1997

36.2 (1997)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2018

$58.39 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2019

$57.75 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$47.86 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, delivery trucks, gas turbines (2019)

Imports - partners

China 18%, Australia 15%, United States 9%, Japan 6%, Germany 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

1.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

agriculture, forestry, fishing, logs and wood articles, manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, real estate services, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.8% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

1.5% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.6% (2019 est.)

Labor force

2.709 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

6.6%

industry

20.7%

services

72.7% (2017 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2016

33.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

31.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$210.07 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$213.5 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$215.6 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3.8% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

3.22% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.22% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$42,900 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$42,900 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$42,400 (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$17.81 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$20.68 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

36.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

4.32% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

4.13% (2019 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

10.2% (2021 est.)

male

10.8%

total

10.5%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

5.139 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

9.445 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

25.76 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

40.344 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

3.001 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

1.14 million metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

1.09 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

3.226 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

7.575 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

41,169,838,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

9.615 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2,256,332,000 kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

19.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

18.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

54.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

5.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

186.804 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

4,946,237,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

4,771,126,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

31.148 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

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 consumption

184,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

13,400 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

1,782 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

56,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

115,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

37 (2020 est.)

total

1,764,984 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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

.nz

Internet users

percent of population

92% (2020 est.)

total

4,677,556 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line roughly 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership 127 per 100 persons (2020)

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)

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

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

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

858,000 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

127 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

6.148 million (2020 est.)

Airports

total

123 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

12

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

23

over 3,047 m

2

total

39

under 914 m

1 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

33

total

84

under 914 m

48 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

ZK

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 1, general cargo 12, oil tanker 4, other 98 (2021)

total

115

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1,349,300,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

17,249,049 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

199

number of registered air carriers

15 (2020)

Pipelines

331 km condensate, 2,500 km gas, 172 km liquid petroleum gas, 288 km oil, 198 km refined products (2018)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Auckland, Lyttelton, Manukau Harbor, Marsden Point, Tauranga, Wellington

Railways

narrow gauge

4,128 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified)

total

4,128 km (2018)

Roadways

paved

61,600 km (2017) (includes 199 km of expressways)

total

94,000 km (2017)

unpaved

32,400 km (2017)

Military - note

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

New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2022)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 9,500 active-duty troops (4,700 Army; 2,300 Navy; 2,500 Air Force) (2022)

Military deployments

up to 220 Antarctica (summer season only) (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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

Military Expenditures 2018

1.2% of GDP (2018) (approximately $2.62 billion)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.4% of GDP (2019) (approximately $3.1 billion)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.5% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.3% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

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

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 personnelnote 2: as of 2022, the NZDF’s program for recruiting foreign volunteers had been suspended

Disputes - international

New Zealand-Antarctica: asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)

Illicit drugs

significant consumer of amphetamines

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

34.38 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

34.3 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

5.73 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

temperate with sharp regional contrasts

Environment - current issues

water quality and availability; rapid urbanization; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

43.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.1% (2018 est.)

forest

31.4% (2018 est.)

other

25.4% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Taupo - 610 sq km

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

327 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

3.207 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

1.184 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

810 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

87% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

3.405 million tons (2016 est.)