Urban population, per square kilometre in New Zealand
New Zealand: Urban population, per square kilometre was 16.57 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
16.57 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
171st
of 216 countries
All-time high
16.57 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
5.87 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Urban population, per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 16.57 units per square kilometre for urban population, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, per square kilometre in New Zealand peaked at 16.57 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.87 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
New Zealand ranks 171st 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.
Urban population, per square kilometre in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.87 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 6.11 units per square kilometre | +4.2% |
| 1963 | 6.31 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1964 | 6.53 units per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1965 | 6.73 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 7 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1967 | 7.38 units per square kilometre | +5.5% |
| 1968 | 7.79 units per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1969 | 8.2 units per square kilometre | +5.4% |
| 1970 | 8.59 units per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1971 | 8.83 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 9.04 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 9.25 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 9.48 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 9.69 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 9.79 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 9.84 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 9.86 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 9.84 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 9.86 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 9.91 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 10.02 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 10.16 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1984 | 10.26 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 10.33 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 10.34 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 10.45 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 10.51 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 10.59 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 10.72 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 11.28 units per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1992 | 11.41 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 11.56 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 11.73 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 11.91 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 12.11 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 12.28 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 12.4 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 12.48 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 12.56 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 12.64 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 12.87 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 13.13 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 13.34 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 13.49 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 13.66 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 13.78 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 13.9 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 14.04 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 14.19 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 14.29 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 14.36 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 14.46 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 14.67 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 14.91 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 15.16 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 15.39 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 15.6 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 15.82 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 16.15 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 16.19 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 16.18 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 16.57 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.88 units per square kilometre | 5.87 units per square kilometre | 8.2 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 9.42 units per square kilometre | 8.59 units per square kilometre | 9.86 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.24 units per square kilometre | 9.86 units per square kilometre | 10.59 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.79 units per square kilometre | 10.72 units per square kilometre | 12.48 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.34 units per square kilometre | 12.56 units per square kilometre | 14.04 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.88 units per square kilometre | 14.19 units per square kilometre | 15.82 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.27 units per square kilometre | 16.15 units per square kilometre | 16.57 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 168 Eswatini 18.46 units per square kilometre compare
- 169 Madagascar 17.15 units per square kilometre compare
- 170 Zimbabwe 16.6 units per square kilometre compare
- 172 Afghanistan 16.19 units per square kilometre compare
- 173 Somalia 15.82 units per square kilometre compare
- 174 Faroe Islands 15.56 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 urban population, per square kilometre in New Zealand?
- Urban population, per square kilometre in New Zealand was 16.57 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 16.57 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.87 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does New Zealand rank for urban population, per square kilometre?
- New Zealand ranks 171st out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is urban population, per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. 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 Urban population, 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
Urban population 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.
Urban population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization 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
Urban population 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.