Rural population in New Zealand
New Zealand: Rural population was 12.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
12.9%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
173rd
of 214 countries
All-time high
18.9%
in 1970
All-time low
12.9%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in New Zealand, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 12.9% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in New Zealand peaked at 18.9% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 2024.
That places New Zealand 173rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 18.9% | — |
| 1971 | 18.5% | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 18.2% | -1.8% |
| 1973 | 17.9% | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 17.5% | -1.8% |
| 1975 | 17.2% | -1.8% |
| 1976 | 17.0% | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 16.9% | -0.6% |
| 1978 | 16.8% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 16.7% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 16.6% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 16.5% | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 16.4% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 16.4% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 16.4% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 16.3% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 16.2% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 16.0% | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 15.7% | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 15.5% | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 15.3% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 15.1% | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 14.9% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 14.7% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 14.6% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 14.4% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 14.3% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 14.2% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 14.1% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 14.1% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 14.0% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 13.9% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 13.8% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 13.8% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 13.7% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 13.6% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 13.7% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 13.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 13.8% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 13.8% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 13.9% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 13.8% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 13.7% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 13.7% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 13.6% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 13.5% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 13.5% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 13.4% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 13.3% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 13.2% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 13.1% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 13.0% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 12.9% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.5% | 16.7% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.2% | 15.5% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.6% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.8% | 13.6% | 14.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.7% | 13.4% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.1% | 12.9% | 13.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 170 Saudi Arabia 14.8% compare
- 171 Finland 14.1% compare
- 172 Australia 13.2% compare
- 174 American Samoa 12.7% compare
- 175 Andorra 12.3% compare
- 176 United Arab Emirates 12.0% compare
More population data for New Zealand
- 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)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.628 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in New Zealand?
- Rural population in New Zealand was 12.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 18.9% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 2024.
- How does New Zealand rank for rural population?
- New Zealand ranks 173rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release