What is population, per square kilometre in New Zealand?

Population, per square kilometre in New Zealand was 19.92 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).

What is the highest population, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?

The highest recorded value was 19.92 units per square kilometre in 2023.

What is the lowest population, 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, per square kilometre?

New Zealand ranks 157th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.

Is population, per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?

Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. 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, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Population, per square kilometre in New Zealand

Name: Population, per square kilometre in New Zealand
Creator: Statizoid (derived)
License: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page

New Zealand: Population, per square kilometre was 19.92 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)

19.92 units per square kilometre

Change on year

up 2.5%

World rank

157th

of 186 countries

All-time high

19.92 units per square kilometre

in 2023

All-time low

9.19 units per square kilometre

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2023

Population, per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961–2023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.

Analysis

The most recent figure for population, per square kilometre in New Zealand is 19.92 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 18.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population, per square kilometre in New Zealand peaked at 19.92 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.19 units per square kilometre, in 1961.

New Zealand ranks 157th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.

Population, per square kilometre in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Population, per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961 to 2023.
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	18.91 units per square kilometre	+1.6%
2020	19.33 units per square kilometre	+2.2%
2021	19.41 units per square kilometre	+0.4%
2022	19.43 units per square kilometre	+0.1%
2023	19.92 units per square kilometre	+2.5%

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	18.91 units per square kilometre	10
2020s	19.52 units per square kilometre	19.33 units per square kilometre	19.92 units per square kilometre	4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

154 Papua New Guinea 22.94 units per square kilometre compare
155 Niger 20.65 units per square kilometre compare
156 Bhutan 20.62 units per square kilometre compare
158 Mali 19.48 units per square kilometre compare
159 Algeria 19.38 units per square kilometre compare
160 Uruguay 19.36 units per square kilometre compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More gender data for New Zealand

Child population (UN estimates and projections) 907.87 (2030)
Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.6435 % change on previous year (2030)
Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 28,751 (2025)
Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 30,320 (2025)
Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 29,075 (2025)
Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 30,663 (2025)
Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 29,141 (2025)
Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 30,721 (2025)
Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 29,018 (2025)
Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 30,560 (2025)

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is population, per square kilometre in New Zealand?: Population, per square kilometre in New Zealand was 19.92 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest population, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?: The highest recorded value was 19.92 units per square kilometre in 2023.
What is the lowest population, 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, per square kilometre?: New Zealand ranks 157th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
Is population, per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?: Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. 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, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population, per square kilometre in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/population-per-square-kilometre/new-zealand/

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How this figure is calculated

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.

Population ÷ Land area (sq. km)

Computed from

Population International Monetary Fund
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

Indicator: Population, per square kilometre
Unit: units per square kilometre
Source: Statizoid (derived)
Licence: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage: 186 places, 10,641 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 27 August 2026

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.