Number of births in New Zealand
New Zealand: Number of births was 59,236 births in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
59,236 births
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
127th
of 236 countries
All-time high
65,034 births
in 1961
All-time low
49,102 births
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of births in New Zealand, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 59,236 births for number of births in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of births in New Zealand peaked at 65,034 births in 1961 and was at its lowest, 49,102 births, in 1950.
That places New Zealand 127th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Number of births in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49,102 births | — |
| 1951 | 49,902 births | +1.6% |
| 1952 | 51,125 births | +2.5% |
| 1953 | 51,460 births | +0.7% |
| 1954 | 53,615 births | +4.2% |
| 1955 | 55,221 births | +3.0% |
| 1956 | 56,745 births | +2.8% |
| 1957 | 57,879 births | +2.0% |
| 1958 | 59,730 births | +3.2% |
| 1959 | 61,531 births | +3.0% |
| 1960 | 63,174 births | +2.7% |
| 1961 | 65,034 births | +2.9% |
| 1962 | 64,205 births | -1.3% |
| 1963 | 64,185 births | -0.0% |
| 1964 | 61,748 births | -3.8% |
| 1965 | 59,840 births | -3.1% |
| 1966 | 60,028 births | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 60,972 births | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 62,384 births | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 62,492 births | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 62,139 births | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 64,421 births | +3.7% |
| 1972 | 63,029 births | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 59,871 births | -5.0% |
| 1974 | 58,712 births | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 55,946 births | -4.7% |
| 1976 | 55,308 births | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 54,574 births | -1.3% |
| 1978 | 51,492 births | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 52,499 births | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 50,770 births | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 50,806 births | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 49,892 births | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 50,296 births | +0.8% |
| 1984 | 51,465 births | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 52,040 births | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 52,974 births | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 55,143 births | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 57,538 births | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 58,356 births | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 59,775 births | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 59,103 births | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 59,136 births | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 58,574 births | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 57,110 births | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 57,193 births | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 56,974 births | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 57,088 births | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 55,277 births | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 56,866 births | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 56,573 births | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 55,577 births | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 53,577 births | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 55,356 births | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 57,350 births | +3.6% |
| 2005 | 57,243 births | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 58,877 births | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 63,621 births | +8.1% |
| 2008 | 64,045 births | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 62,332 births | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 63,378 births | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 61,336 births | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 60,876 births | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 58,405 births | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 56,707 births | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 59,854 births | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 58,552 births | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 58,574 births | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 57,387 births | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 58,824 births | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 57,391 births | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 58,853 births | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 58,955 births | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 59,236 births | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 54,631 births | 49,102 births | 61,531 births | 10 |
| 1960s | 62,406 births | 59,840 births | 65,034 births | 10 |
| 1970s | 57,799 births | 51,492 births | 64,421 births | 10 |
| 1980s | 52,928 births | 49,892 births | 58,356 births | 10 |
| 1990s | 57,710 births | 55,277 births | 59,775 births | 10 |
| 2000s | 58,455 births | 53,577 births | 64,045 births | 10 |
| 2010s | 59,389 births | 56,707 births | 63,378 births | 10 |
| 2020s | 58,609 births | 57,391 births | 59,236 births | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More population data for New Zealand
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -14.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0739 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,949 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.628 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.191 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Population density 22.07 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 256,010 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of births in New Zealand?
- Number of births in New Zealand was 59,236 births in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of births recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 65,034 births in 1961.
- What is the lowest number of births recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 49,102 births in 1950.
- How does New Zealand rank for number of births?
- New Zealand ranks 127th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of births rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of births. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of live births in a calendar year.