New Zealand
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchyIndependence 26 September 1907 (from the UK)
New Zealand as the 2025 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 148 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Polynesians settled New Zealand between the late 1200s and 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. By the 1500s, competition for land and resources led to intermittent fighting between different Maori tribes as large game became extinct.
Dutch explorer Abel TASMAN was the first European to see the islands in 1642 but left after an encounter with local Maori. British sea captain James COOK arrived 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 the position had few legal powers.
In 1835, some Maori tribes from the North Island declared independence. Fearing an impending French settlement and takeover, the majority of Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the British in 1840. Land tenure issues stemming from the treaty are still being actively negotiated in New Zealand.
The UK declared New Zealand a separate colony in 1841 and granted limited self-government in 1852. Different traditions of authority and land use led to a series of wars between Europeans and various Maori tribes from the 1840s to the 1870s. 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 and signed the Australia, New Zealand, and US (ANZUS) Treaty in 1951.
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, but bilateral relations and military ties have been revitalized since the 2010s with new security agreements. A key challenge for Auckland that has emerged over the past decade is balancing concerns over China’s growing influence in the Pacific region with its role as New Zealand's largest export destination. New Zealand has close ties with Australia based to a large extent on the two nations’ common origins as British colonies and their shared military history.
Geography
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 268,838 sq 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
Population distribution
over three quarters of New Zealanders, including the Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas
Natural hazards
earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity
- volcanism:
- significant volcanism on North Island;
- Ruapehu (2,797 m) 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 ;
- see note 2 under "Geography - note"
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, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes
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
People and Society
33 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2024 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2025 est.)
Male · female(2023 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: 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
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: shares sum to 124.1% due to multiple responses on the 2018 census
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: 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
Population distribution
over three quarters of New Zealanders, including the Maori, live on the North Island, primarily in urban areas
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.88 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total:
- 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- male:
- 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- female:
- 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Alcohol consumption per capita
- 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.)
Environment
11 fieldsLand use(2023 est.)
Environmental issues
- water quality and availability;
- rapid urbanization;
- deforestation;
- soil erosion and degradation;
- native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species
International environmental 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
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 87% of total population (2023)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
33.506 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 4.24 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 21.836 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 7.43 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Methane emissions
- energy:
- 95.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- agriculture:
- 1,105.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- waste:
- 158.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- other:
- 6.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and recycling
- municipal solid waste generated annually:
- 3.405 million tons (2024 est.)
- percent of municipal solid waste recycled:
- 22% (2022 est.)
Total water withdrawal
- municipal:
- 547 million cubic meters (2022)
- industrial:
- 1.184 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- agricultural:
- 3.207 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); Prime Minister Christopher LUXON (since 27 November 2023)
25 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- New Zealand
- former:
- Nieuw Zeeland
- abbreviation:
- NZ
- 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
Capital
- 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, who was famous for his victory at Waterloo in 1815 and was a benefactor of the New Zealand Company that settled North Island
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
Legal system
common law system, based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori
Constitution
- 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
- amendment process:
- 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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Executive branch
- 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 Christopher LUXON (since 27 November 2023)
- cabinet:
- Executive Council appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the prime minister
- election/appointment process:
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- governor-general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister;
- following legislative elections, the governor-general appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister;
- deputy prime minister also appointed by the governor-general
Legislative branch
- legislature name:
- House of Representatives
- legislative structure:
- unicameral
- number of seats:
- 120 (all directly elected)
- electoral system:
- mixed system
- scope of elections:
- full renewal
- term in office:
- 3 years
- most recent election date:
- 10/14/2023
- parties elected and seats per party:
- National Party (49);
- Labour Party (34);
- Green Party (14);
- ACT New Zealand (11);
- New Zealand First (8);
- Te Pāti Māori (4);
- Others (2)
- percentage of women in chamber:
- 45.1%
- expected date of next election:
- September 2026
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices, including the chief justice)
- 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
Political parties
- ACT New Zealand
- Green Party
- New Zealand First Party or NZ First
- Labor Party
- National Party
- Te Pāti Māori
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Rosemary BANKS (since 17 June 2024)
- chancery:
- 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 328-4800
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 667-5277
- email address and website:
- [email protected]; https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/americas/united-states-of-america/
- consulate(s) general:
- Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant);
- Chargé d’Affaires David GEHRENBECK (since January 2025);
- 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:
- [email protected]; https://nz.usembassy.gov/
- consulate(s) general:
- Auckland
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, UNOOSA, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Waitangi Day, 6 February (1840); Anzac Day, 25 April (1915)
note: the Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand, and the second holiday commemorates the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in Gallipoli,
Turkey, during World War I
Flag
- description:
- blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant, with four five-pointed red stars edged in white centered in the right half of the flag
- meaning:
- the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
National coat of arms
- the first quarter of the shield shows four stars that represent the Southern Cross constellation and three ships that symbolize New Zealand's sea trade;
- in the second quarter, a fleece represents the sheep farming industry;
- the wheat sheaf in the third quarter represents the agricultural industry;
- the crossed hammers in the fourth quarter represent mining;
- the Māori chieftain holds a taiaha (a Māori war weapon) and a European woman holds the New Zealand flag;
- St. Edward's crown, shown above the shield, symbolizes the British monarch
National anthem(s)
- title:
- "God Defend New Zealand"; “Aotearoa” (Māori)
- lyrics/music:
- Thomas BRACKEN [English], Thomas Henry SMITH [Maori]/John Joseph WOODS
- history:
- adopted 1940 as the national song, adopted 1977 as one of two official national anthems; _____
- title:
- "God Save the King"
- lyrics/music:
- unknown
- history:
- royal anthem and one of two official national anthems;
- usually played only when a member of the royal family or a representative is present or when allegiance to the crown is demonstrated
note: New Zealand is one of only two countries that has two national anthems of equal status (Denmark is the other)
National heritage
- 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)
Economy
28 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2022 est.)
Budget(2022 est.)
Economic overview
- high-income, globally integrated Pacific island economy;
- strong agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism sectors;
- reliant on Chinese market for exports;
- recovery trajectory following deep post-pandemic recession;
- challenges of fiscal deficits, below-average productivity, cost of living, and drop in net migration
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
- agriculture:
- 4.6% (2022 est.)
- industry:
- 19.6% (2022 est.)
- services:
- 67.4% (2022 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Agricultural products
milk, beef, kiwifruit, apples, grapes, lamb/mutton, potatoes, wheat, barley, chicken (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
agriculture, forestry, fishing, logs and wood articles, manufacturing, mining, construction, financial services, real estate services, tourism
Labor force
3.124 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Unemployment rate
4.9% (2024 est.) · 3.8% (2023 est.) · 3.3% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
- total:
- 14.3% (2024 est.)
- male:
- 14.6% (2024 est.)
- female:
- 14% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Average household expenditures
- on food:
- 12.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- on alcohol and tobacco:
- 4.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Remittances
0.3% of GDP (2023 est.) · 0.2% of GDP (2022 est.) · 0.3% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Taxes and other revenues
29.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Current account balance
-$15.978 billion (2024 est.) · -$17.065 billion (2023 est.) · -$21.627 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exports
$61.799 billion (2024 est.) · $59.029 billion (2023 est.) · $57.485 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
milk, wood, beef, butter, sheep and goat meat (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$67.998 billion (2024 est.) · $68.412 billion (2023 est.) · $71.35 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, gas turbines, broadcasting equipment, trucks (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$22.065 billion (2024 est.) · $15.487 billion (2023 est.) · $14.4 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Exchange rates
New Zealand dollars (NZD) per US dollar - 1.652 (2024 est.) · 1.628 (2023 est.) · 1.577 (2022 est.) · 1.414 (2021 est.) · 1.542 (2020 est.)
Energy
7 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity, 10.643 million kW(2023 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 3.011 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- consumption:
- 2.696 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- exports:
- 906,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- imports:
- 283,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 6.75 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 12,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 154,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 40.993 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 3.97 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- consumption:
- 3.891 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 31.149 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Communications
6 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2023 est.)
Broadcast media
- state-owned Television New Zealand operates multiple TV networks;
- 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 TV and radio stations are available;
- cable and satellite TV systems are available (2019)
Transportation
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 117 ships by type(2023)
Ports
- total ports:
- 22 (2024)
- large:
- 2
- medium:
- 1
- small:
- 10
- very small:
- 9
- ports with oil terminals:
- 14
- key ports:
- Auckland, Bluff Harbor, Gisborne, Manukau Harbor, Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Otago Harbor, Picton, Tauranga, Timaru, Wellington, Whangarei
Military and Security
7 fieldsPersonnel strengthsone square, 100 people · (2025)
Military and security forces
New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2025) note: the New Zealand Police, under the Minister of Police, is the primary law enforcement body agency of New Zealand and responsible for internal security
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the NZDF's inventory is comprised of domestically produced and Western-supplied weapons and equipment, including from Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US (2025)
Military service age and obligation
- 17 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women;
- soldiers cannot be deployed until the age of 18;
- no conscription (2025)
note: New Zealand opened up all military occupations to women in 2000; as of 2024, women accounted for about 20% of Regular Force personnel
Military deployments
small numbers of NZ military personnel are deployed on a variety of international missions in Africa, Antarctica, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East (2025)
Military - note
the NZDF is responsible for protecting New Zealand’s sovereignty, promoting its interests, safeguarding peace and security, and conducting peacekeeping, humanitarian, and other international missions
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 Auckland 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, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation (2025)
Space
4 fieldsSpace agency/agencies
New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA; established 2016 under the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment) (2025)
Space program overview
- 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 (2025)
Key space-program milestones
- 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
Terrorism
1 fieldTerrorist group(s)
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 the Terrorism reference guide
Transnational Issues
1 fieldRefugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees:
- 5,622 (2024 est.)
- IDPs:
- 26 (2024 est.)
- stateless persons:
- 29 (2024 est.)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “New Zealand.” The World Factbook 2025. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/new-zealand.