New Zealand
Urban population in New Zealand
Urban population in New Zealand: 55.3% in 1950 and 84% in 2025, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 84%
- Since 1950
- +28.8 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 52 of 229
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2050
- 94.7%
- UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts it at 94.7% in 2050.
- The highest was 85.9% in 2006, the lowest 55.1% in 1954.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 84 |
| 2024 | 83.9 |
| 2023 | 83.9 |
| 2022 | 83.9 |
| 2021 | 83.8 |
| 2020 | 83.8 |
| 2019 | 83.8 |
| 2018 | 83.8 |
| 2017 | 84.2 |
| 2016 | 84.7 |
| 2015 | 85.2 |
| 2014 | 85.5 |
| 2013 | 85.7 |
| 2012 | 85.8 |
| 2011 | 85.8 |
| 2010 | 85.9 |
| 2009 | 85.9 |
| 2008 | 85.9 |
| 2007 | 85.9 |
| 2006 | 85.9 |
| 2005 | 85.9 |
| 2004 | 85.9 |
| 2003 | 85.9 |
| 2002 | 85.8 |
| 2001 | 85.8 |
| 2000 | 85.7 |
| 1999 | 85.7 |
| 1998 | 85.6 |
| 1997 | 85.5 |
| 1996 | 85.5 |
| 1995 | 85.4 |
| 1994 | 85.3 |
| 1993 | 85.2 |
| 1992 | 85.1 |
| 1991 | 85 |
| 1990 | 84.8 |
| 1989 | 84.6 |
| 1988 | 84.3 |
| 1987 | 84.1 |
| 1986 | 83.9 |
| 1985 | 83.8 |
| 1984 | 83.7 |
| 1983 | 83.6 |
| 1982 | 83.6 |
| 1981 | 83.5 |
| 1980 | 83.4 |
| 1979 | 83.3 |
| 1978 | 83.2 |
| 1977 | 83.1 |
| 1976 | 82.9 |
| 1975 | 82.7 |
| 1974 | 82.5 |
| 1973 | 82.3 |
| 1972 | 81.9 |
| 1971 | 81.5 |
| 1970 | 80.5 |
| 1969 | 77.9 |
| 1968 | 74.6 |
| 1967 | 71.3 |
| 1966 | 68.8 |
| 1965 | 67.4 |
| 1964 | 66.5 |
| 1963 | 65.7 |
| 1962 | 64.9 |
| 1961 | 63.9 |
| 1960 | 62.4 |
| 1959 | 60.3 |
| 1958 | 58.1 |
| 1957 | 56.2 |
| 1956 | 55.2 |
| 1955 | 55.1 |
| 1954 | 55.1 |
| 1953 | 55.1 |
| 1952 | 55.1 |
| 1951 | 55.2 |
| 1950 | 55.3 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 84.1 |
| 2027 | 84.2 |
| 2028 | 84.3 |
| 2029 | 84.4 |
| 2030 | 84.6 |
| 2031 | 84.7 |
| 2032 | 84.9 |
| 2033 | 85.2 |
| 2034 | 85.4 |
| 2035 | 85.7 |
| 2036 | 86 |
| 2037 | 86.4 |
| 2038 | 86.8 |
| 2039 | 87.2 |
| 2040 | 87.7 |
| 2041 | 88.1 |
| 2042 | 88.7 |
| 2043 | 89.3 |
| 2044 | 89.9 |
| 2045 | 90.6 |
| 2046 | 91.3 |
| 2047 | 92.1 |
| 2048 | 92.9 |
| 2049 | 93.8 |
| 2050 | 94.7 |
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
New Zealand in numbers
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Military
- Military spending1.1% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$2.89B in 2025
- Military spending per person$546 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel10,000 people in 2020
- National power0.07% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports200 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exports20 million TIV in 2023