Rank #137 by World Population
🇳🇿New Zealand
New Zealand has a population of 5,200,000, ranking #137 in the world. The capital is Wellington. Located in East Asia & Pacific.
World Bank: High income
5,200,000
Population
#137
World Rank
81.8
Life Expectancy
$49,076
GDP Per Capita
New Zealand, #137 by world population
New Zealand Population History (1960-2024)
The country of New Zealand had a population of 2,371,800 in 1960 and 5,287,500 in 2024, a 2.2× growth over 64 years. The peak was 5,287,500 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 1.26%.
5,287,500
Population (2024)
2,371,800
Population (1960)
5,287,500
Peak (2024)
1.26%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 2,371,800 |
| 1961 | 2,419,700 |
| 1962 | 2,482,000 |
| 1963 | 2,531,800 |
| 1964 | 2,585,400 |
| 1965 | 2,628,400 |
| 1966 | 2,675,900 |
| 1967 | 2,724,100 |
| 1968 | 2,748,100 |
| 1969 | 2,772,800 |
| 1970 | 2,810,700 |
| 1971 | 2,853,000 |
| 1972 | 2,903,900 |
| 1973 | 2,961,300 |
| 1974 | 3,023,700 |
| 1975 | 3,083,100 |
| 1976 | 3,110,500 |
| 1977 | 3,120,200 |
| 1978 | 3,121,200 |
| 1979 | 3,109,000 |
| 1980 | 3,112,900 |
| 1981 | 3,124,900 |
| 1982 | 3,156,100 |
| 1983 | 3,199,300 |
| 1984 | 3,227,100 |
| 1985 | 3,247,100 |
| 1986 | 3,246,300 |
| 1987 | 3,274,400 |
| 1988 | 3,283,400 |
| 1989 | 3,299,200 |
| 1990 | 3,329,800 |
| 1991 | 3,495,100 |
| 1992 | 3,531,700 |
| 1993 | 3,572,200 |
| 1994 | 3,620,000 |
| 1995 | 3,673,400 |
| 1996 | 3,732,000 |
| 1997 | 3,781,300 |
| 1998 | 3,815,000 |
| 1999 | 3,835,100 |
| 2000 | 3,857,700 |
| 2001 | 3,880,500 |
| 2002 | 3,948,500 |
| 2003 | 4,027,200 |
| 2004 | 4,087,500 |
| 2005 | 4,133,900 |
| 2006 | 4,184,600 |
| 2007 | 4,223,800 |
| 2008 | 4,259,800 |
| 2009 | 4,302,600 |
| 2010 | 4,350,700 |
| 2011 | 4,384,000 |
| 2012 | 4,408,100 |
| 2013 | 4,442,100 |
| 2014 | 4,516,500 |
| 2015 | 4,609,400 |
| 2016 | 4,714,100 |
| 2017 | 4,813,600 |
| 2018 | 4,900,600 |
| 2019 | 4,970,300 |
| 2020 | 5,072,400 |
| 2021 | 5,084,600 |
| 2022 | 5,081,700 |
| 2023 | 5,200,000 |
| 2024 | 5,287,500 |
Demographics
| Population | 5,200,000 |
| Population Growth Rate | 2.30% |
| Urban Population | 83.9% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.57 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 81.8 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 4.1 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | - |
Economy & Trade
$49,076
GDP Per Capita
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
High income
Income Level
50.4%
Trade (% of GDP)
996,000
Tourism Arrivals
Health & Education
10.1%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
3.61
Physicians per 1,000
5.2%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
4.1
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
100.0%
Electricity Access
93.1%
Internet Users
114
Mobile Subs per 100
19.7
People per km2
21,404
Net Migration
Environment
37.8%
Forest Area
Other Countries in East Asia & Pacific
New Zealand in global context
New Zealand is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
New Zealand has a population of 5,200,000, ranking #137 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 2.30%.
Life expectancy in New Zealand is 81.8 years. The infant mortality rate is 4.1 per 1,000 live births.
New Zealand's GDP per capita is $49,076. It is classified as a high income country by the World Bank.
83.9% of New Zealand's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 19.7 people per square kilometer.
Literacy data for New Zealand is available from the World Bank.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.