Number of children, working-age adults, and older people in New Zealand
New Zealand: Number of children, working-age adults, and older people was 868,185 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
868,185 people
Change on year
up 3.0%
World rank
83rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
868,185 people
in 2023
All-time low
173,380 people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of children, working-age adults, and older people in New Zealand, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 868,185 people for number of children, working-age adults, and older people in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 38.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children, working-age adults, and older people in New Zealand peaked at 868,185 people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 173,380 people, in 1950.
That places New Zealand 83rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Number of children, working-age adults, and older people in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 173,380 people | — |
| 1951 | 177,935 people | +2.6% |
| 1952 | 182,471 people | +2.5% |
| 1953 | 186,845 people | +2.4% |
| 1954 | 190,706 people | +2.1% |
| 1955 | 194,096 people | +1.8% |
| 1956 | 197,193 people | +1.6% |
| 1957 | 199,808 people | +1.3% |
| 1958 | 202,219 people | +1.2% |
| 1959 | 204,452 people | +1.1% |
| 1960 | 206,486 people | +1.0% |
| 1961 | 208,713 people | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 211,208 people | +1.2% |
| 1963 | 213,759 people | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 216,326 people | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 219,449 people | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 223,231 people | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 227,382 people | +1.9% |
| 1968 | 231,235 people | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 234,972 people | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 239,603 people | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 245,065 people | +2.3% |
| 1972 | 251,088 people | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 257,484 people | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 264,388 people | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 271,685 people | +2.8% |
| 1976 | 278,776 people | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 285,620 people | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 292,673 people | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 299,626 people | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 305,914 people | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 312,317 people | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 318,677 people | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 324,077 people | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 329,604 people | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 335,837 people | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 342,601 people | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 349,742 people | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 356,764 people | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 364,039 people | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 374,893 people | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 388,321 people | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 398,779 people | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 406,939 people | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 414,920 people | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 422,443 people | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 429,200 people | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 435,321 people | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 441,508 people | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 447,329 people | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 453,292 people | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 459,998 people | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 467,153 people | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 475,255 people | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 484,669 people | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 496,759 people | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 510,912 people | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 524,042 people | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 535,727 people | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 548,636 people | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 564,053 people | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 582,155 people | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 603,629 people | +3.7% |
| 2013 | 626,884 people | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 649,381 people | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 671,042 people | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 693,028 people | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 714,979 people | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 737,336 people | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 762,816 people | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 791,256 people | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 818,837 people | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 843,194 people | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 868,185 people | +3.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 868,185 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 285,676 people, 3.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 868,185 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 96,191 people, 9.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 190,910 people | 173,380 people | 204,452 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 219,276 people | 206,486 people | 234,972 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 268,601 people | 239,603 people | 299,626 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 333,957 people | 305,914 people | 364,039 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 415,965 people | 374,893 people | 447,329 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 495,644 people | 453,292 people | 548,636 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 660,530 people | 564,053 people | 762,816 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 830,368 people | 791,256 people | 868,185 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 80 Saudi Arabia 937,639 people compare
- 81 Mozambique 930,568 people compare
- 82 Croatia 888,224 people compare
- 84 Guatemala 858,102 people compare
- 85 Dominican Republic 857,676 people compare
- 86 Azerbaijan 826,482 people compare
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 children, working-age adults, and older people in New Zealand?
- Number of children, working-age adults, and older people in New Zealand was 868,185 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 868,185 people in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of children, working-age adults, and older people recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 173,380 people in 1950.
- How does New Zealand rank for number of children, working-age adults, and older people?
- New Zealand ranks 83rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of children, working-age adults, and older people rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 children, working-age adults, and older people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 65+.