New Zealand population
New Zealand: 5.32 million people in 2025 (5,324,700), 124th of 217 countries and areas — and 5.79 million projected for 2050.
Compare New Zealand with another country
Where it stands
In 2025 New Zealand has 5,324,700 people, which is 0.065% of the 8.19 billion counted across the 217 countries and areas on this site. That puts it 124th by population, behind West Bank and Gaza and ahead of Mauritania.
Since 1960
In 1960 the figure was 2,371,800. Since then the population has grown 2.25×, an average of 1.25% a year upward. It doubled at some point along the way — the year it first reached 4,743,600 was 2017.
The projection keeps rising to the end of the data: 5,787,281 in 2050, 8.7% above 2025. The highest figure on this page is that last one, so no peak has been reached yet.
The ranking in 2050
In 2050 the projected rank is 122nd, up 2 places from 124th. Rankings move when other countries grow faster or slower, not only when New Zealand changes.
People and land
New Zealand covers 263,310 km² of land, so 2025 density is 20 people per km² — 186th most crowded of 216 places with an area figure. At that density a square 10 km on a side holds about 2,022 people.
The fertility rate was 1.57 births per woman in 2024, below the roughly 2.1 needed to keep a population steady without migration; life expectancy at birth was 82 years (2024); 17.9% of people were under 15 and 17.6% were 65 or older (2025); 84% of the population lived in cities. These shape the curve above: a young population keeps growing after fertility falls, an old one starts shrinking sooner.
Its nearest neighbours in the ranking are West Bank and Gaza just above, with 5.41 million (1.02× as many), and Mauritania just below, with 5.32 million (1× as many as Mauritania has).
How the numbers are taken. Total population from the World Bank's population estimates and projections (built from United Nations and national statistics). Values to 2025 are estimates; 2026–2050 are projections that continue current fertility, mortality and migration trends. Sources and limits.