Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol in New Zealand
New Zealand: Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol was 9.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol in New Zealand, 2000–2020
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population who haver never drunk alcohol in New Zealand is 9.5%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population who haver never drunk alcohol in New Zealand peaked at 12.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 9.5%, in 2019.
That places New Zealand 179th out of 187 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 12.3% | — |
| 2001 | 12.3% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 11.9% | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 12.0% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 11.7% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 11.5% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 11.3% | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 11.2% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 11.0% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 11.1% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 10.8% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 10.8% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 10.9% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 10.6% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 10.6% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 10.2% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 9.9% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 9.8% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 9.5% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 9.5% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.6% | 11.0% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.4% | 9.5% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 1 |
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)
- 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 share of population who haver never drunk alcohol in New Zealand?
- Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol in New Zealand was 9.5% in 2020, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population who haver never drunk alcohol recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 12.3% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of population who haver never drunk alcohol recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.5% in 2019.
- How does New Zealand rank for share of population who haver never drunk alcohol?
- New Zealand ranks 179th out of 187 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population who haver never drunk alcohol rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population who haver never drunk alcohol. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Lifetime abstinence is defined as the proportion of adults (15+ years) in a given population who have not consumed any alcohol during their lifetime.