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

Malta

name: Valletta

geographic coordinates: 35 53 N, 14 30 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: named in honor of Jean de VALETTE, the Grand Master of the Order of Saint John (crusader knights), who successfully led a defense of the island from an Ottoman invasion in 1565

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

Malta

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Malta

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Legal system

Neuseeland

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

Malta

mixed legal system of English common law and civil law based on the Roman and Napoleonic civil codes; subject to European Union law

Suffrage

Neuseeland

18 years of age; universal

Malta

18 years of age (16 in local council elections); 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

Malta

total: 316 sq km

land: 316 sq km

water: 0 sq km

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.)

Malta

agricultural land: 32.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 28.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.9% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 0.9% (2018 est.)

other: 66.8% (2018 est.)

Location

Neuseeland

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

Malta

Southern Europe, islands in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily (Italy)

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)

Malta

0-14 years: 14.53% (male 34,870/female 32,989)

15-64 years: 62.83% (male 151,927/female 141,561)

65 years and over: 22.65% (2023 est.) (male 48,830/female 56,961)

Birth rate

Neuseeland

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

Malta

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

Death rate

Neuseeland

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

Malta

8.6 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

Malta

Maltese (official) 90.1%, English (official) 6%, multilingual 3%, other 0.9% (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Neuseeland

total population: 82.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 81 years

female: 84.6 years

Malta

total population: 83.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 81.3 years

female: 85.6 years

Major urban areas - population

Neuseeland

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

Malta

213,000 VALLETTA (capital) (2018)

Median age

Neuseeland

total: 37.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 36.9 years

female: 38.4 years

Malta

total: 43.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 42.1 years

female: 44.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Neuseeland

27.8 years

Malta

29.3 years (2020 est.)

note: data refers to the average of the different childbearing ages of first-order births

Net migration rate

Neuseeland

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

Malta

5 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

Malta

most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands

Population growth rate

Neuseeland

1.06% (2023 est.)

Malta

0.59% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Neuseeland

1.86 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Malta

1.51 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.)

Malta

urban population: 94.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Neuseeland

6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Malta

5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Neuseeland

total: 20 years

male: 20 years

female: 21 years (2020)

Malta

total: 17 years

male: 17 years

female: 18 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Neuseeland

1.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Malta

3.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Neuseeland

-2.09% (2020 est.)

Malta

-3.3% (2016 est.)

Labor force

Neuseeland

2.911 million (2021 est.)

Malta

280,300 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Neuseeland

NA

Malta

17.1% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Neuseeland

4.12% (2021 est.)

4.59% (2020 est.)

4.11% (2019 est.)

Malta

3.5% (2021 est.)

4.26% (2020 est.)

3.62% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Neuseeland

46.33% of GDP (2020 est.)

32.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

36.61% of GDP (2018 est.)

Malta

50.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

56.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: Malta reports public debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year, according to guidelines set out in the Maastricht Treaty for general government gross debt; the data include the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); general government comprises the central, state, and local governments, and social security funds

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Neuseeland

3.94% (2021 est.)

1.71% (2020 est.)

1.62% (2019 est.)

Malta

1.5% (2021 est.)

0.64% (2020 est.)

1.64% (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

Malta

$22.11 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$19.526 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.773 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)

Malta

Germany 12%, France 9%, Italy 9% (2019)

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

Malta

$21.362 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$18.328 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$18.578 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)

Malta

Russia 22%, Italy 12%, United Kingdom 11%, Germany 6%, Turkey 5%, France 5%, China 5%, South Korea 5% (2019)

Airports

Neuseeland

123 (2021)

Malta

1 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Neuseeland

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

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2020 est.)

Malta

total: 213,419 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Neuseeland

total: 4.896 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 96% (2021 est.)

Malta

total: 461,100 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 87% (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)

Malta

total: 3,096 km (2008)

paved: 2,704 km (2008)

unpaved: 392 km (2008)

urban: 1,422 km (2001)

non-urban: 832 km (2001)

Telephones - fixed lines

Neuseeland

total subscriptions: 651,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2021 est.)

Malta

total subscriptions: 259,439 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Neuseeland

total subscriptions: 5.846 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 114 (2021 est.)

Malta

total subscriptions: 644,955 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Neuseeland

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

Malta

none identified