Population, total, per square kilometre in New Zealand
New Zealand: Population, total, per square kilometre was 19.75 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
19.75 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
185th
of 216 countries
All-time high
19.75 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
9.19 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population, total, per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population, total, per square kilometre in New Zealand is 19.75 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 17.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population, total, per square kilometre in New Zealand peaked at 19.75 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.19 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
New Zealand ranks 185th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population, total, per square kilometre in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 9.19 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 9.43 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 9.62 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 9.82 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 9.98 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 10.16 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1967 | 10.35 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 10.44 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 10.53 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 10.67 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 10.84 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 11.03 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 11.25 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 11.48 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 11.71 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 11.81 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 11.85 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 11.85 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 11.81 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 11.82 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 11.87 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 11.99 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 12.15 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 12.26 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 12.33 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 12.33 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 12.44 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 12.47 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 12.53 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 12.65 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 13.27 units per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1992 | 13.41 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 13.57 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 13.75 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 13.95 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 14.17 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 14.36 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 14.49 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 14.56 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 14.65 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 14.74 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 15 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 15.29 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 15.52 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 15.7 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 15.89 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 16.04 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 16.18 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 16.34 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 16.52 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 16.65 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 16.74 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 16.87 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 17.15 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 17.51 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 17.9 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 18.28 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 18.61 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 18.88 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 19.26 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 19.31 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 19.3 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 19.75 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.95 units per square kilometre | 9.19 units per square kilometre | 10.53 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.43 units per square kilometre | 10.67 units per square kilometre | 11.85 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.22 units per square kilometre | 11.82 units per square kilometre | 12.53 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.82 units per square kilometre | 12.65 units per square kilometre | 14.56 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.54 units per square kilometre | 14.65 units per square kilometre | 16.34 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.51 units per square kilometre | 16.52 units per square kilometre | 18.88 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.41 units per square kilometre | 19.26 units per square kilometre | 19.75 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 182 Papua New Guinea 22.94 units per square kilometre compare
- 183 Niger 20.65 units per square kilometre compare
- 184 Bhutan 20.62 units per square kilometre compare
- 186 Mali 19.48 units per square kilometre compare
- 187 Algeria 19.38 units per square kilometre compare
- 188 Uruguay 19.36 units per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 113.13 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 46,323 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,340 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 45.22 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,226 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 694.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 691.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.61 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population, total, per square kilometre in New Zealand?
- Population, total, per square kilometre in New Zealand was 19.75 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest population, total, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 19.75 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest population, total, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.19 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does New Zealand rank for population, total, per square kilometre?
- New Zealand ranks 185th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population, total, per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Population, total, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Population, total divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Population, total ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Population, total divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.