01
Physical geography
Predominately mountainous with large coastal plains.
Local timeWellington ·
Oceania / Australia and New Zealand · Card 015
New Zealand
New Zealand is a Pacific island country centred on the North and South Islands. Its capital is Wellington.
Find New Zealand
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Wellington
- Languages
- English & Māori & New Zealand Sign Language
- Currency
- New Zealand dollar (NZD)
- Population
- 5.3 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 270,467 km²104,427.85 square miles
- Dominion status
- 1907Independence developed gradually; Statute of Westminster adopted in 1947.
New Zealand in context
Oceania and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Wellington; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language have statutory official status. English is the most widely used language; its official status was expressly recognized in legislation in 2026.
03
Location
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia.
Flag
Blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant, with four five-pointed red stars edged in white centered in the right half of the flag
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · New Zealand legislation · English Language Act 2026
History & status
Māori settled Aotearoa New Zealand centuries before European colonisation. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and many Māori rangatira; differences between its texts and breaches of its promises remain central to New Zealand’s history. Self-government and independence developed gradually, including dominion status in 1907 and adoption of the Statute of Westminster in 1947.
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The Treaty of Waitangi is signed
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Women gain the right to vote in parliamentary elections
-
New Zealand becomes a dominion
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New Zealand adopts the Statute of Westminster
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · New Zealand legislation · English Language Act 2026
Economy
Main activities
Services form the largest part of the economy. Dairy products, meat, forestry and horticulture are important exports, alongside tourism and other services. Processing agricultural products connects farming with manufacturing. Distance from major markets, international commodity prices and transport costs influence trade.
Industry and production
Food and dairy processing, forestry products, horticulture, manufacturing and services.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · New Zealand legislation · English Language Act 2026
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people5.32025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2,810,700 | 2.811 |
| 1980 | 3,112,900 | 3.113 |
| 1990 | 3,329,800 | 3.330 |
| 2000 | 3,857,700 | 3.858 |
| 2010 | 4,350,700 | 4.351 |
| 2020 | 5,072,400 | 5.072 |
| 2025 | 5,324,700 | 5.325 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars220.12025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 87,852,601,486 | 87.853 |
| 1991 | 86,907,423,909 | 86.907 |
| 1992 | 87,864,207,159 | 87.864 |
| 1993 | 93,473,133,875 | 93.473 |
| 1994 | 98,251,175,353 | 98.251 |
| 1995 | 102,905,098,515 | 102.905 |
| 1996 | 106,600,255,478 | 106.600 |
| 1997 | 108,812,760,650 | 108.813 |
| 1998 | 109,743,314,968 | 109.743 |
| 1999 | 115,650,965,471 | 115.651 |
| 2000 | 118,968,749,813 | 118.969 |
| 2001 | 123,032,216,234 | 123.032 |
| 2002 | 128,833,364,776 | 128.833 |
| 2003 | 134,921,868,357 | 134.922 |
| 2004 | 140,440,895,648 | 140.441 |
| 2005 | 145,149,814,896 | 145.150 |
| 2006 | 149,176,913,570 | 149.177 |
| 2007 | 153,746,384,755 | 153.746 |
| 2008 | 152,169,544,390 | 152.170 |
| 2009 | 152,108,281,106 | 152.108 |
| 2010 | 154,347,048,880 | 154.347 |
| 2011 | 157,657,022,029 | 157.657 |
| 2012 | 161,287,176,328 | 161.287 |
| 2013 | 165,423,928,009 | 165.424 |
| 2014 | 171,742,023,963 | 171.742 |
| 2015 | 178,147,457,243 | 178.147 |
| 2016 | 184,816,451,391 | 184.816 |
| 2017 | 190,944,384,996 | 190.944 |
| 2018 | 197,287,932,986 | 197.288 |
| 2019 | 201,872,346,390 | 201.872 |
| 2020 | 201,386,003,377 | 201.386 |
| 2021 | 210,043,909,985 | 210.044 |
| 2022 | 217,070,337,673 | 217.070 |
| 2023 | 221,007,764,663 | 221.008 |
| 2024 | 219,087,820,768 | 219.088 |
| 2025 | 220,101,916,575 | 220.102 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.938Very High human developmentRank 17 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.811
20000.896
20100.926
20200.940
20230.938
82.1 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The Governor-General represents the monarch and the Prime Minister leads the government. Parliament has a single elected House of Representatives, chosen using a mixed-member proportional electoral system.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · New Zealand legislation · English Language Act 2026
Knowledge check
Three questions about New Zealand.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for New Zealand?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · New Zealand legislation · English Language Act 2026
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.