Share of the population living in cities in New Zealand
New Zealand: Share of the population living in cities was 45.76 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
45.76
World rank
77th
of 236 countries
All-time high
45.76
in 2020
All-time low
12.23
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Share of the population living in cities in New Zealand, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 45.76 for share of the population living in cities in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 27.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in New Zealand peaked at 45.76 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 12.23, in 1950.
New Zealand ranks 77th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of the population living in cities in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12.23 | — |
| 1955 | 12.83 | +4.9% |
| 1960 | 13.13 | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 13.73 | +4.6% |
| 1970 | 16.38 | +19.3% |
| 1975 | 17.27 | +5.4% |
| 1980 | 18.12 | +4.9% |
| 1985 | 19.94 | +10.0% |
| 1990 | 20.75 | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 27.27 | +31.4% |
| 2000 | 29.82 | +9.3% |
| 2005 | 35.12 | +17.8% |
| 2010 | 35.79 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 41.26 | +15.3% |
| 2020 | 45.76 | +10.9% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 45.76 is above the median for high income countries, which is 31.97, 1.4× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 45.76 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 30.69, 1.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.53 | 12.23 | 12.83 | 2 |
| 1960s | 13.43 | 13.13 | 13.73 | 2 |
| 1970s | 16.83 | 16.38 | 17.27 | 2 |
| 1980s | 19.03 | 18.12 | 19.94 | 2 |
| 1990s | 24.01 | 20.75 | 27.27 | 2 |
| 2000s | 32.47 | 29.82 | 35.12 | 2 |
| 2010s | 38.52 | 35.79 | 41.26 | 2 |
| 2020s | 45.76 | 45.76 | 45.76 | 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)
- 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 the population living in cities in New Zealand?
- Share of the population living in cities in New Zealand was 45.76 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 45.76 in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.23 in 1950.
- How does New Zealand rank for share of the population living in cities?
- New Zealand ranks 77th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.9%. 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 the population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).