Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in New Zealand
New Zealand: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 16.48 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
16.48 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
170th
of 215 countries
All-time high
16.48 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
5.89 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 16.48 people per square kilometre for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in New Zealand peaked at 16.48 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.89 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
New Zealand ranks 170th of 215 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5.89 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 6.12 people per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 1963 | 6.33 people per square kilometre | +3.4% |
| 1964 | 6.54 people per square kilometre | +3.2% |
| 1965 | 6.75 people per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1966 | 7.01 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1967 | 7.37 people per square kilometre | +5.2% |
| 1968 | 7.8 people per square kilometre | +5.8% |
| 1969 | 8.24 people per square kilometre | +5.6% |
| 1970 | 8.62 people per square kilometre | +4.7% |
| 1971 | 8.88 people per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1972 | 9.08 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 9.31 people per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 9.53 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 9.72 people per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 9.84 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 9.9 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 9.93 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 9.94 people per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 9.97 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 10.02 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 10.11 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 10.22 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 10.33 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 10.4 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 10.45 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 10.53 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 10.62 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 10.71 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 10.94 people per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 11.23 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 11.41 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 11.56 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 11.73 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 11.92 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 12.11 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 12.27 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 12.39 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 12.48 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 12.56 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 12.67 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 12.88 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 13.12 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 13.32 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 13.49 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 13.65 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 13.78 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 13.91 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 14.04 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 14.18 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 14.29 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 14.37 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 14.5 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 14.69 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 14.92 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 15.16 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 15.38 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 15.6 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 15.88 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 16.14 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 16.26 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 16.34 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 16.48 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 16.48 people per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 78.87 people per square kilometre, 21% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 16.48 people per square kilometre is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 81.73 people per square kilometre, 20% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.9 people per square kilometre | 5.89 people per square kilometre | 8.24 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 9.48 people per square kilometre | 8.62 people per square kilometre | 9.94 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.34 people per square kilometre | 9.97 people per square kilometre | 10.71 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.8 people per square kilometre | 10.94 people per square kilometre | 12.48 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.34 people per square kilometre | 12.56 people per square kilometre | 14.04 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.9 people per square kilometre | 14.18 people per square kilometre | 15.88 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.31 people per square kilometre | 16.14 people per square kilometre | 16.48 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 167 Eswatini 18.46 people per square kilometre compare
- 168 Madagascar 17.15 people per square kilometre compare
- 169 Zimbabwe 16.6 people per square kilometre compare
- 171 Afghanistan 16.19 people per square kilometre compare
- 172 Somalia 15.82 people per square kilometre compare
- 173 Faroe Islands 15.65 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for New Zealand
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,949 Persons (2050)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0739 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.1% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 256,010 people (2100)
- Population density 22.07 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.191 % change on previous year (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in New Zealand?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in New Zealand was 16.48 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 16.48 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.89 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does New Zealand rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- New Zealand ranks 170th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.7%. 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 Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas 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.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- 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
Number of people living in urban and rural areas 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.