How does New Zealand rank for population regions with projections, per square kilometre?

New Zealand ranks 184th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.

Is population regions with projections, per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?

Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand

Name: Population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand
Creator: Statizoid (derived)
License: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page

New Zealand: Population regions with projections, per square kilometre was 19.65 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)

19.65 units per square kilometre

Change on year

up 0.8%

World rank

184th

of 215 countries

All-time high

19.65 units per square kilometre

in 2023

All-time low

9.23 units per square kilometre

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2023

Population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961–2023

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.

Analysis

New Zealand recorded 19.65 units per square kilometre for population regions with projections, per square kilometre in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 16.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand peaked at 19.65 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.23 units per square kilometre, in 1961.

New Zealand ranks 184th 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.

Population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand, 1961 to 2023.
Year	units per square kilometre	Change
1961	9.23 units per square kilometre	—
1962	9.44 units per square kilometre	+2.2%
1963	9.64 units per square kilometre	+2.2%
1964	9.83 units per square kilometre	+2.0%
1965	10.01 units per square kilometre	+1.8%
1966	10.19 units per square kilometre	+1.7%
1967	10.34 units per square kilometre	+1.5%
1968	10.46 units per square kilometre	+1.1%
1969	10.57 units per square kilometre	+1.1%
1970	10.72 units per square kilometre	+1.4%
1971	10.89 units per square kilometre	+1.6%
1972	11.09 units per square kilometre	+1.8%
1973	11.31 units per square kilometre	+2.0%
1974	11.55 units per square kilometre	+2.1%
1975	11.75 units per square kilometre	+1.7%
1976	11.87 units per square kilometre	+1.1%
1977	11.93 units per square kilometre	+0.4%
1978	11.93 units per square kilometre	+0.1%
1979	11.93 units per square kilometre	-0.0%
1980	11.95 units per square kilometre	+0.2%
1981	12 units per square kilometre	+0.4%
1982	12.1 units per square kilometre	+0.8%
1983	12.23 units per square kilometre	+1.1%
1984	12.34 units per square kilometre	+0.9%
1985	12.41 units per square kilometre	+0.6%
1986	12.46 units per square kilometre	+0.4%
1987	12.53 units per square kilometre	+0.5%
1988	12.59 units per square kilometre	+0.5%
1989	12.66 units per square kilometre	+0.5%
1990	12.9 units per square kilometre	+1.9%
1991	13.22 units per square kilometre	+2.5%
1992	13.41 units per square kilometre	+1.5%
1993	13.57 units per square kilometre	+1.2%
1994	13.75 units per square kilometre	+1.3%
1995	13.95 units per square kilometre	+1.5%
1996	14.16 units per square kilometre	+1.5%
1997	14.34 units per square kilometre	+1.3%
1998	14.47 units per square kilometre	+0.9%
1999	14.57 units per square kilometre	+0.6%
2000	14.65 units per square kilometre	+0.6%
2001	14.78 units per square kilometre	+0.9%
2002	15.01 units per square kilometre	+1.5%
2003	15.28 units per square kilometre	+1.8%
2004	15.51 units per square kilometre	+1.5%
2005	15.7 units per square kilometre	+1.3%
2006	15.88 units per square kilometre	+1.1%
2007	16.04 units per square kilometre	+1.0%
2008	16.19 units per square kilometre	+0.9%
2009	16.35 units per square kilometre	+1.0%
2010	16.51 units per square kilometre	+1.0%
2011	16.64 units per square kilometre	+0.8%
2012	16.75 units per square kilometre	+0.7%
2013	16.91 units per square kilometre	+1.0%
2014	17.18 units per square kilometre	+1.6%
2015	17.52 units per square kilometre	+2.0%
2016	17.91 units per square kilometre	+2.2%
2017	18.28 units per square kilometre	+2.1%
2018	18.61 units per square kilometre	+1.8%
2019	18.95 units per square kilometre	+1.8%
2020	19.25 units per square kilometre	+1.6%
2021	19.4 units per square kilometre	+0.7%
2022	19.49 units per square kilometre	+0.5%
2023	19.65 units per square kilometre	+0.8%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	9.97 units per square kilometre	9.23 units per square kilometre	10.57 units per square kilometre	9
1970s	11.5 units per square kilometre	10.72 units per square kilometre	11.93 units per square kilometre	10
1980s	12.33 units per square kilometre	11.95 units per square kilometre	12.66 units per square kilometre	10
1990s	13.84 units per square kilometre	12.9 units per square kilometre	14.57 units per square kilometre	10
2000s	15.54 units per square kilometre	14.65 units per square kilometre	16.35 units per square kilometre	10
2010s	17.53 units per square kilometre	16.51 units per square kilometre	18.95 units per square kilometre	10
2020s	19.45 units per square kilometre	19.25 units per square kilometre	19.65 units per square kilometre	4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

181 Papua New Guinea 22.94 units per square kilometre compare
182 Niger 20.65 units per square kilometre compare
183 Bhutan 20.62 units per square kilometre compare
185 Mali 19.48 units per square kilometre compare
186 Algeria 19.38 units per square kilometre compare
187 Uruguay 19.36 units per square kilometre compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

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)
Population growth rate -0.077 (2100)
Population density 22.07 (2100)
Projected population under age 5 256,010 (2100)

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand?: Population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand was 19.65 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest population regions with projections, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?: The highest recorded value was 19.65 units per square kilometre in 2023.
What is the lowest population regions with projections, per square kilometre recorded in New Zealand?: The lowest recorded value was 9.23 units per square kilometre in 1961.
How does New Zealand rank for population regions with projections, per square kilometre?: New Zealand ranks 184th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
Is population regions with projections, per square kilometre rising or falling in New Zealand?: Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. 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 Population regions with projections, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-regions-with-projections-per-square-kilometre/new-zealand/

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<a href="https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-regions-with-projections-per-square-kilometre/new-zealand/">Population regions with projections, per square kilometre in New Zealand</a> — Statizoid

How this figure is calculated

Population regions with projections 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.

Population regions with projections ÷ Land area (sq. km)

Computed from

Population regions with projections 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

Indicator: Population regions with projections, per square kilometre
Unit: units per square kilometre
Source: Statizoid (derived)
Licence: Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage: 215 places, 12,288 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 26 August 2026

Population regions with projections 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.