Share of births outside marriage in New Zealand
New Zealand: Share of births outside marriage was 48.43 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of births outside marriage in New Zealand, 1960–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 48.43 for share of births outside marriage in 2024.
The figure is down 4.3% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of births outside marriage in New Zealand peaked at 50.97 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 4.64, in 1960.
That places New Zealand 16th out of 43 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Share of births outside marriage in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4.64 | — |
| 1961 | 5.1 | +10.0% |
| 1962 | 8.04 | +57.7% |
| 1963 | 8.8 | +9.5% |
| 1964 | 9.88 | +12.3% |
| 1965 | 10.88 | +10.1% |
| 1966 | 11.57 | +6.4% |
| 1967 | 12.72 | +10.0% |
| 1968 | 12.97 | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 12.99 | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 13.33 | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 13.93 | +4.5% |
| 1972 | 14.86 | +6.7% |
| 1973 | 15.16 | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 15.79 | +4.2% |
| 1975 | 16.61 | +5.1% |
| 1976 | 17.42 | +4.9% |
| 1977 | 18.94 | +8.8% |
| 1978 | 20.09 | +6.1% |
| 1979 | 20.93 | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 21.48 | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 22.53 | +4.9% |
| 1982 | 22.8 | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 23.73 | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 24.32 | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 24.95 | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 26.95 | +8.1% |
| 1987 | 28.59 | +6.1% |
| 1988 | 30.62 | +7.1% |
| 1989 | 33.1 | +8.1% |
| 1990 | 34.04 | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 35.72 | +4.9% |
| 1992 | 36.75 | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 38.01 | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 38.66 | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 40.72 | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 41.74 | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 41.83 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 42.46 | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 42.82 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 43.22 | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 43.69 | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 43.59 | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 44.01 | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 44.77 | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 45.15 | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 47.22 | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 47.25 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 48.18 | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 48.59 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 48.88 | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 47.64 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 47.66 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 47.34 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 46.72 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 46.74 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 45.93 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 46.88 | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 48.19 | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 47.56 | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 48.29 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 48.67 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 50.97 | +4.7% |
| 2023 | 50.62 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 48.43 | -4.3% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 48.43 is above the median for high income countries, which is 40.23, 1.2× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of births outside marriage in New Zealand changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +57.7% | 5.1 | 8.04 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.76 | 4.64 | 12.99 | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.71 | 13.33 | 20.93 | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.91 | 21.48 | 33.1 | 10 |
| 1990s | 39.27 | 34.04 | 42.82 | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.57 | 43.22 | 48.59 | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.35 | 45.93 | 48.88 | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.39 | 48.29 | 50.97 | 5 |
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)
- Population growth rate -0.077 (2100)
- Population density 22.07 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 256,010 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of births outside marriage in New Zealand?
- Share of births outside marriage in New Zealand was 48.43 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of births outside marriage recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 50.97 in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of births outside marriage recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.64 in 1960.
- How does New Zealand rank for share of births outside marriage?
- New Zealand ranks 16th out of 43 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of births outside marriage rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of births outside marriage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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