Capital

Neuseeland

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

Neuseeland

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

Legal system

Neuseeland

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

Suffrage

Neuseeland

18 years of age; universal

Area

Neuseeland

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

Land use

Neuseeland

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

Neuseeland

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

Age structure

Neuseeland

0-14 years: 19.15% (male 503,190/female 475,527)

15-64 years: 64.36% (male 1,661,312/female 1,627,304)

65 years and over: 16.49% (2023 est.) (male 394,339/female 448,030)

Birth rate

Neuseeland

12.7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Neuseeland

6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Neuseeland

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

Neuseeland

total population: 82.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 81 years

female: 84.6 years

Major urban areas - population

Neuseeland

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

Median age

Neuseeland

total: 37.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 36.9 years

female: 38.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Neuseeland

27.8 years

Net migration rate

Neuseeland

4.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Neuseeland

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

Population growth rate

Neuseeland

1.06% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Neuseeland

1.86 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Neuseeland

urban population: 87% of total population (2023)

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

Education expenditures

Neuseeland

6% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Neuseeland

total: 20 years

male: 20 years

female: 21 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Neuseeland

1.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Neuseeland

-2.09% (2020 est.)

Labor force

Neuseeland

2.911 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Neuseeland

NA

Unemployment rate

Neuseeland

4.12% (2021 est.)

4.59% (2020 est.)

4.11% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Neuseeland

46.33% of GDP (2020 est.)

32.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

36.61% of GDP (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Neuseeland

3.94% (2021 est.)

1.71% (2020 est.)

1.62% (2019 est.)

Exports

Neuseeland

$54.777 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$50.544 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$57.875 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Neuseeland

China 33%, Australia 12%, United States 11%, Japan 6%, South Korea 3% (2021)

Imports

Neuseeland

$62.862 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$48.104 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$57.682 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Neuseeland

China 22%, Australia 15%, United States 7%, Japan 6%, Thailand 5% (2021)

Airports

Neuseeland

123 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Neuseeland

total: 1,764,984 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Neuseeland

total: 4.896 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 96% (2021 est.)

Railways

Neuseeland

total: 4,128 km (2018)

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

Roadways

Neuseeland

total: 94,000 km (2017)

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

unpaved: 32,400 km (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines

Neuseeland

total subscriptions: 651,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Neuseeland

total subscriptions: 5.846 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 114 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Neuseeland

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